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

(Kriegsverdienstkreuz I. Klasse mit Schwertern und Etui). Constructed of silvered tombak, consisting of a Maltese Cross with crossed swords through the centrepiece, 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 pinback maker marked with Präsidialkanzlei code “62” for Kerbach & Österhelt, Dresden, measuring 48.45 mm (w) x 48.16 mm (h), weighing 25.3 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 decoration, the interior with a white rayon lid liner and intact hinge cover, maker marked “KERBACH & ÖSTERHELT, DRESDEN”, opening with a functional metal spring catch with exterior stud release and a functional metal hinge, measuring 68 mm (w) x 68 mm (l) x 24 mm (h), minor material fatigue is evident to the case while the cross is in near mint condition.