Iron Cross First Class 1939 Maker Marked 26

On September 1st 1939 Hitler once more reinstituted the Iron Cross series of awards in the First and Second Classes and established the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross. The first class medal was for award to personnel who performed three to five acts of bravery in combat and had already been awarded the Iron Cross second class.

This is the 1939 pattern. Die struck, three piece, iron and alloy construction cross with a single piece iron core and two piece alloy frame. The plain reverse of the award has a soldered hinge, a tapered pin and catch all intact. Tin pin is maker marked “26” for “B.H. Mayer’s Kunstprägeanstalt, Pforzheim”. The cross has virtually all black paint intact to the Iron core, the cross also shows a heavy age patina from age and use.