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1957 GERMAN IRON CROSS 1st CLASS -
The Iron Cross has long been held as a symbol for bravery in combat, The Germans have been employing it as an award since the 1800's. The Iron Cross employed during WWII is very similar to that used in WWI. The major differences between the two periods are the dates displayed in the lower arm of the cross and the absecense of a Swastika in the WWI type.

The award was issued in two primary types:

  1. First Class - Pin back construction
  2. Second Class - Award suspended via a ribbon

The item featured here is a post-WWII German Iron Cross first class award. Many of the soldiers who served during WWII earned the Iron Cross. After the war, some of these soldiers went on and continued their military service. Since the Swastika was outlawed they could not wear their original awards. In 1957, the German government approved the manufacturing of the Iron Cross with a new design. veterans from the war were allowed to wear it.





The German Iron Cross

The "Military minute" is a series of instructional videos created by MilitaryItems.com for the purpose of providing basic information about military collectibles. The idea is to expose people to the exciting world of military collectibles.

The video presentation coupled with detailed photographs and written information, including a military collectible's price guide, and anatomical breakdown of each piece enhances the visitor's experience.

Whether you are a long time collector, a beginner or simply have an interest in the history and value of each collectible, we hope that you find the information presented here useful.





The award was issued in a box with a certificate. Additional accoutrements such as ribbons could be obtained and were authorized for wear by the recipient of the Iron Cross.



This page is a recognition and identification guide for WWII German badges and awards. Multiple detailed photos of a specific sample are provided. Descriptions point out clearly defined points that should be noted.

One of the most commonly asked questions is "How much is my WWII German Iron Cross worth?". A price guide is included here to address this question. The value of the badges and awards is reviewed over a period of several years. A trend can be observed. The present worth of the German badges in the collector's market is illustrated.

This service is provided free of charge to the visitor/enthusiast courtesy of MilitaryItems.com, a company dedicated to the preservation of military history and to providing quality military antiques and collectibles to museums, institutions and the general public.

WANT TO LEARN MORE?
  1. FAQ's
  2. Iron Cross Anatomy
  3. Identifying fakes and reproductions
  4. RZM manufacturing codes
  5. LDO manufacturing codes
  6. Construction materials
  7. Pins, hinges and other
  8. Perspective view
  9. Purchasing a WWII German Combat badge






COLLECTING IRON CROSSES
Collecting Third Reich memorabilia is a field that has been growing since the days the GI's rummaged around Europe bringing back military souvenirs. German soldiers wore many of their awards on their uniforms when they went to battle. Once the soldier was killed or captured, the American soldiers would take the awards as war trophies. Eventually all these pieces came back to the United States where military history enthusiasts began to collect them.

"I am trying to figure out if I should get into collecting Infantry Assault badges."


Determining which military badges to collect can be a challenging decision. The combination of availabiilty and cost will often set the pace of what can be collected.

The adjacent table outlines some of the advantages and disadvantages of collecting the Infantry Assault badge.



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.



If you have an interest is seeing other badges and awards of the Third Reich, you can do so by going to our WWII German Badges and Awards identification guide. Where we cover Heer (Army), Navy (Kriegsmarine) and Air Force (Luftwaffe) items.







PRICING GUIDE INFORMATION

The value for WWII German Combat badges and other military antiques and collectibles is provided as a means to educate the collector community and individuals who have a general interest on the field. The following is an estimated value. Prices may vary in every state and every country. This service is provided courtesy of MilitaryItems.com. The source for military antiques and collectibles in the web.

Year 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
Value $40.00 $40.00 $50.00 $50.00 $60.00 $60.00 $70.00 $70.00 $80.00 $80.00 $90.00 $100.00
Availability Medium Medium Medium Medium Medium Medium Medium Medium Medium Medium Medium Medium
Invest Grade C C C C C C C C C C C C


While the item featured here is not for sale, similar items like it are available for purchase in our website MilitaryItems.com


  MARKET ANALYSIS
Jan 1st, 2017
This example is in mint condition. High quality construction. However, it is not a WWII piece so the value is not likely to go up very fast. It is likely to stay steady for a while.


 
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