Germany, Wehrmacht. A War Merit Cross I Class with Swords and Case, by Deschler & Sohn

(Kriegsverdienstkreuz I. Klasse mit Schwertern und Etui). Constructed of silvered tombak, consisting of a Maltese Cross with crossed swords piercing the centrepiece, the obverse with pebbled arms and a central wreathed mobile swastika, the reverse with a crimped barrel hinge and banjo-style pinback meeting a flat wire catch, the pinback maker marked with Präsidialkanzlei code “1” for Deschler & Sohn, Munich, accompanied by its period original presentation case, constructed a heavy card stock frame with a faux black leather exterior liner, the lid bearing a silvered depiction of the award, the interior with a white rayon lid liner and intact hinge cover, the former maker marked “DESCHLER & SOHN, MÜNCHEN”, with a slotted black felt medal bed, closing with a functional metal spring catch with exterior stud release, unmarked, measuring 66 mm (w) x 66 mm (l) x 22 mm (h), with minor loss of finish visible throughout the decorations and with some material fatigue evident to the case (including detachment of the medal bed), in overall better than very fine condition.