Germany, Wehrmacht. A War Merit Cross I Class with Swords, by Wilhelm Deumer
(Kriegsverdienstkreuz I. Klasse mit Schwertern). Constructed of silvered zink, 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 block hinge and banjo-style pinback meeting a flat wire catch, maker marked with Präsidialkanzlei code “3” for Wilhelm Deumer, Lüdenscheid, measuring 47.86 mm (w) x 47.27 mm (h), weighing 19.8 grams, a rare example of a zink badge retaining virtually all of its original silver finish, in extremely fine condition.

