Germany, Wehrmacht. A War Merit Cross, I Class with Swords and Case, by Julius Bauer & Söhne

(Kriegsverdienstkreuz I. Klasse mit Schwertern und Etui). Constructed of silvered tombak, consisting of a Maltese Cross with crossed swording piercing the centrepiece, the obverse with pebbled arms and a central wreathed mobile swastika, the reverse with a barrel hinge and flattened vertical pinback meeting a flat wire catch, unmarked but demonstrating the physical characteristics of manufacture by Julius Bauer & Söhne, Zella-Mehlis, measuring 48.06 mm (w) x 48.09 mm (h), weighing 21.5 grams, accompanied by its original presentation case, constructed of a light wooden 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, with a slotted black felt medal bed, closing with a functional metal spring catch with exterior stud release, unmarked, measuring 68 mm (w) x 68 mm (l) x 20 mm (h), in overall extremely fine condition.