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 bearing a central wreathed mobile swastika, the reverse with a crimped barrel hinge and banjo-style vertical pinback meeting a flat wire catch, the pinback maker marked with Präsidialkanzlei code “1” for Deschler & Sohn, Munich, measuring 48.55 mm (w) x 48.39 mm (h), weighing 22.5 grams, accompanied by its period original presentation case, constructed of a light wooden frame with a faux black leather exterior liner, the lid bearing an embossed and silvered depiction of the award, the interior with a white rayon lid liner and intact hinge cover, with a slotted black felt medal bed, unmarked, measuring 68 mm (w) x 68 mm (l) x 16 mm (h), the cross demonstrating a patina consistent with age and storage conditions, in unissued and near mint condition.