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

(Kriegsverdienstkreuz I. Klasse mit Schwertern und Etui). Constructed of silvered tombak, consisting of a Maltese Cross with crossed swords through the centre, the obverse with pebbled arms and a central wreathed mobile swastika, the reverse with a raised barrel hinge and banjo-style pinback meeting a flat wire catch, the reverse of the pinback maker marked with Präsidialkanzlei code “62” for Kerbach & Oesterhelt, Dresden, measuring 48.40 mm (w) x 48.54 mm (h), weighing 24.2 grams, accompanied by its period original presentation case, constructed of 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, bearing a maker’s mark of “KERBACH & OESTERHELT, DRESDEN”, with a slotted black felt medal bed, opening with a functional metal spring catch with exterior stud release and a functional metal hinge, measuring 70 mm (w) x 70 mm (l) x 26 mm (h), with loss of finish and material fatigue evident to the cross and case, respectively, in overall very fine condition.