1939 Iron Cross 1st Class by FR Sedlatzek
Price: $1495
BUY / RESERVE THIS ITEMDescription: Rare Screwback type Iron Cross by the elusive maker FR Sedlatsek -Berlin SW68 (producer/distributor of an unknown maker); unmarked as are most by this maker. Appropriate indications by the “1939’ date on the iron core. 3 piece screwback assembly with correct screw-nut for FR Sedlatsek; 44 x 44 mm; excellent condition and seldom encountered.
Background: There is no more iconic German military award than the Iron Cross. The long history of this order began during the Napoleonic Wars. King Friedrich Wilhelm III of Prussia instituted the “Eisernes Kreuz” (Iron Cross) in March of 1813. The award criteria changed somewhat with time, but generally speaking, Iron Crosses could be awarded for individual acts of bravery, or for leadership achievements on the battlefield. The design was created by Karl Friedrich Schinkel; his choice of the black cross with silver outline was derived from the heraldic emblem of the Teutonic Knights. There were a number of different types and grades of Iron Cross awards throughout its long history, but the basic details of the most widely awarded grades: The Iron Cross 1st Class and Iron Cross 2nd Class- remained the same. The first class award was a breast badge, with fittings on the reverse to allow it to be worn on the uniform. These fittings varied widely over time and from maker to maker, and could be a simple in and catch, a screw post and retaining disc, or more elaborate setups. The final reinstitution of the cross came in 1939. For this version, the front of the core for both grades bore a swastika and the date 1939. The oak leaves, crown and royal initials were removed from the reverse, with only the date 1813 remaining as a reminder of the legacy of this award. In WWII, hundreds of thousands of Iron Cross First Class awards were bestowed, and four and a half million Iron Cross Second Class awards. Iron Crosses were made by a large number of authorized manufacturers Some variants of these awards were mass produced in huge numbers. Others were made in very limited quantities.
