The Iron Cross of 1914, 2nd Class

Another indoor blip this evening as it seems to be 'slushing' outside (i.e. a sort of mix of rain and snow but without the redeeming merits of either).

Back to the rich blipping territory of my eldest sons display cabinet. This time o retreive an Iron Cross medal (2nd class) from the First World War (both front and back of the same medal shown here).

The construction of the medal is a blackened iron center, with silver trim around the edge, about 42mm (1 5/8") in size. As the war progressed, and silver and iron became more scarce, silver plated trim around an alloy center was used. Late in the war, solid brass, one piece medals were cast. A precise count of the number of medals awarded is impossible to verify today, as the Prussian Army records were destroyed in the bombing of W.W.II. The best estimate is somewhere between 1.5 and 5 million.