Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Germany, Prussia, Iron Cross 1813, 2nd Class, 1835-39 issue, 43 x 43mm., ref. Nimmergut 2521, good very fine, scarce £350-450

King Friedrich Wilhelm III instituted the Iron Cross on 10 March 1813 as an award for bravery, available to all ranks, both combatant and non-combatant. By the Supreme Cabinet Order of 12 March 1815, combatants whose bravery in action had been brought to the attention of the King but had not been awarded an Iron Cross as a result, were permitted to ‘inherit’ an Iron Cross 2nd Class when, following the death of a recipient, the cross was returned. A deceased officer’s Iron Cross being awarded to another officer, an other rank’s cross being awarded to an other rank. A single Iron Cross could therefore be awarded to several combatants. This rather unsatisfactory state of affairs continued until the 1830’s when it was decided clear the backlog and to award an Iron Cross to those still waiting to ‘inherit’ one. This required a new batch of Iron Crosses to be produced. Those manufactured differed from the earlier versions in being slightly larger and in having flat centre plates without a peripheral step, in general resembling subsequent issues of the cross.