Vintage German Maltese Iron Cross WWI Pendant Necklace

Catalog > Vintage German Maltese Iron Cross WWI Pendant Necklace

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This is a very unique Vintage pendant attached to a silvertone chain. It is a replica of an Iron Cross. The front of the cross has a crown at the top and says FW 1813 and the back also has a crown with a W and says 1914. (read below to see what this means).
The charm is beautifully detailed and has a dark silver aged finish. It measures 2 1/8 inches long and wide. The chain is thick and measures 30 inches around. It has a sturdy clasp. This is a gorgeous replica piece!! It has some age, but it is not original to the years indicated.

Since the Iron Cross was issued over several different periods of German history, it was annotated with the year indicating the era in which it was issued. For example, an Iron Cross from World War I bears the year "1914", while the same decoration from World War II is annotated "1939". The reverse of the 1870, 1914 and 1939 series of Iron Crosses have the year "1813" appearing on the lower arm, symbolizing the year the award was created. The 1813 decoration also has the initials "FW" for King Frederick William III, while the next two have a "W" for the respective kaisers, Wilhelm I and Wilhelm II. The final version shows a swastika. There was also the "1957" issue, a replacement medal for holders of the 1939 series which substituted an oakleaf cluster for the banned swastika.

When the Iron Cross was reauthorized for World War I in 1914, it was possible for individuals who had previously been awarded an 1870 Iron Cross to be subsequently awarded another Iron Cross. These recipients were recognized with the award of the 1914 clasp featuring a miniaturized 1914 Iron Cross on a metal bar.[3] It was also possible for a holder of the 1914 Iron Cross to be awarded a second or higher grade of the 1939 Iron Cross. In such cases, a "1939 Clasp" (Spange) would be worn on the original 1914 Iron Cross. (A similar award was made in 1914 but was quite rare, since there were few in service who held the 1870 Iron Cross.) For the 1st Class award, the Spange appears as an eagle with the date "1939" that was pinned above the Cross. Although they are two separate awards, in some cases the holders soldered them together.
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