German 1914 Iron Cross EK1 1st Class Badge

Beautiful iron core & silvered frame Iron Cross in excellent condition with good paint and patina. Reverse is unmarked. Nicely slight-vaulted cross. Measures 43mm by 43mm across arms. Pin-back design with C-catch. Overall an excellent example.

The Iron Cross (German: Eisernes Kreuz, listenⓘ, abbreviated EK) was a military decoration in the Kingdom of Prussia, and later in the German Empire (1871–1918) and Nazi Germany (1933–1945). The design, a black cross pattée with a white or silver outline, was derived from the insignia of the medieval Teutonic Order and borne by its knights from the 13th century. As well as being a military medal, it has also been used as an emblem by the Prussian Army, the Imperial German Army, and the Reichswehr of the Weimar Republic, while the Balkenkreuz (bar cross) variant was used by the Wehrmacht. The Iron Cross is now the emblem of the Bundeswehr, the modern German armed forces.