The back of the cross has a Flat and plain design. The date of "December 16, 1938" is engraved alomg with Hitler's signature. The Mother's Cross was issued from 1938 all the way to 1945. The Mother's Cross came in full size and as a miniature pin which was manufactured in the same three classes available to the larger version.

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The idea for the creation of the pin version was that the person did not have to wear the bulky award around her neck but could simply wear a pin on her lapel. The miniature version was not provided by the state. It had to be purchased by the person on her own.

The above photo shows a mother proudly wearing the award around her neck as she walks flanked by her daughter.

PICTURE CLASS CRITERIA Bronze The Cross was issued to mothers who gave birth to Four children. view example. Silver This award was issued to the mother when she reached having Six Children. view example. Gold This award was issued for having Eight Children. view example.

Conditions and qualifications The mother receiving the Mother's Cross award was required to meet a series of qualifying factors. The awards was issued in three different classes based on the number of children the mother had. 1 Both, parents and children, are of German blood. 2 The mother is worthy (according to decency standards of the day). 3 The children are born alive. Documentation and presentation When the Mother's Cross was issued to a person it came with a case which was covered in a blue corynthian leather. A hinge was placed at one end. A locking mechanism was located at the opposite end. A brass button protrudes from the lock. Pressing it disengages the mechanism allowing the box to be opened. A facsimile of the Mother's Crossed is placed at the top center of the lid of the box. The inside of the box is divided into two compartments. One section is created for the flowing ribbon while the other houses the cross itself. A divider separated the sections and has an opening to allow the ribbon to pass through. The underside of the lid is lined with a white silky material which is ample enough to hide the hinge from view. The name of the manufacturer may printed just above the hinge. The base has a chamois lining.

By the Numbers
Trying to determine the number of Mother Crosses that were produced can be a tricky proposition. medal factories maintained records of the exact number of crosses that were produced and issued to mothers during the war. However, some of these records may have been lost or simply never found after the war.

For example, some soldiers took souvenirs and shipped them home circumbenting the established process. Some of the helmets were brought back inside duffle bags without anyone knowing except for the soldier who captured the cross. This fact would clearly affect the final count.

The number also does not account for crosses that were taken by Allied soldiers from other countries.

Collecting Mother Crosses
Collecting Mother Crosses is a field that has been growing since the days the GI's rummaged around Europe bringing back military souvenirs. German soldiers carried many of these crosses when they went to battle. Once the cities were taken, the Americans would take medals and awards as war trophies.

Eventually all these pieces came back to the United States where military history enthusiasts began to collect them. In trying to determine if you should collect the Mother Cross there are certain factors that should be considered. The adjacent table outlines some of the advantages and disadvantages of collecting Mother Crosses.

This award is currently being reproduced. It is becoming more difficult to be able to tell the fake ones from the real ones because the quality of the reproductions is improving. The collector must become familiarized with the construction style and materials employed in the manufacturing of this badge. Attention to the details is critical in order to be able to determine the authenticity of the badge.