Germany, Wehrmacht. A War Merit Cross I Class with Swords, with Case, by Steinhauer & Lück

(Kriegsverdienstkreuz I. Klasse mit Schwertern und Etui). Constructed of silvered zink, 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 an integral hinge and banjo-style pinback meeting an integral catch, the pinback maker marked with Präsidialkanzlei code “4” for Steinhauer & Lück, Lüdenscheid, measuring 49.68 mm (w) x 49.13 mm (h), weighing 18.2 grams, accompanied by its period original presentation case, constructed of a card stock frame with a faux black leather exterior liner, the lid bearing a silver embossed depiction of the award, the interior with a white rayon lid liner and slotted black felt medal bed, unmarked, measuring 68 mm (w) x 68 mm (l) x 20 mm (h), the cross demonstrating a near-total loss of finish and with consistent material fatigue evident to the case, in overall fair condition.