WW2 German Nazi high quality Iron Cross 2nd class medal award marked maker 26 wehrmacht - waffen ss

relic found, still in pretty good shape, swastika is well visible and the maker marks "26" - also on the loop

German Cross in gold medal award in original case of issue - waffen ss - wehrmacht

Post war 1957 Veteran knight cross of the iron cross medal award with diamond gold oakleaf in case

an amazing 1957 knight cross of the iron cross medal with diamond gold oakleaf and large ribbon, in original case of issue.
given to a veteran of the war in 1957.

rare to find!

IRON CROSS MEDAL AWARD 2ND CLASS WEHRMACHT WAFFEN SS LUFTWAFFE KRIEGSMARINE

IRON CROSS 1ST CLASS MEDAL AWARD BACK PLATE WEHRMACHT WAFFEN SS

RELIC GROUND DUG FOUND

The Iron Cross (German: Eisernes Kreuz, abbreviated EK) was a military decoration in the Kingdom of Prussia, and later in the German Empire (1871–1918) and Nazi Germany (1933–1945). King Frederick William III of Prussia established it on 17 March 1813 during the Napoleonic Wars (EK 1813). The award was backdated to the birthday (10 March) of his late wife, Queen Louise. Louise was the first person to receive this decoration (posthumously). The recommissioned Iron Cross was also awarded during the Franco-Prussian War (EK 1870), World War I (EK 1914), and World War II (EK 1939). The Iron Cross awarded during World War II has a swastika in the center. The Iron Cross was usually a military decoration only, though there were instances awarded to civilians for performing military functions, such as Hanna Reitsch, who received the Iron Cross 2nd Class and Iron Cross 1st Class, and Melitta Schenk Gräfin von Stauffenberg, who received the Iron Cross, 2nd Class, civilian test pilots during World War II.

The cross symbol's design was black with a white or silver outline, was ultimately derived from the cross pattée of the Teutonic Order, used by knights on occasions from the 13th century.

The Prussian Army black crosses pattée was also used as the symbol of the succeeding German Army from 1871 to March–April 1918, when the Balkenkreuz replaced it. In 1956, it was re-introduced as the symbol of the Bundeswehr, the modern German armed forces (with the "ends" of the white border removed, as in the Balkenkreuz of 1918).