Anhalt Friedrich cross with screwback for review.

[saschaw]

If the duchy never created the "1st Class" award, why would jewelers offer it for sale?

Because someone would buy it.

And furthermore, why would a soldier purchase one knowing that he did not earn it (as well as knowing that a 1st Class version didn't exist)?

Probably for the same reason all these veteran "awards" from the 1920s were made and "awarded", actually bought.

As stated before, the thread starting example is not older than maybe five years, and they are flooding ebay. Here was one like it, too - at least it went not high.

[Indyarch]

Thanks Saschaw. I recently bought this one to fill the gap in my collection. It looks similar to one that is offered on emedals. However, I paid much less for it. I am just hoping that maybe it is older than 5 years. LOL

[Mike Kenny]

The hardware on this cross looks too similar to the hardware found on recent EK1 state equivalents (Braunschweig, Oldenberg, M-S, etc). Not for me.

Regards
Mike

[saschaw]

Thanks Saschaw. I recently bought this one to fill the gap in my collection. It looks similar to one that is offered on emedals. However, I paid much less for it. I am just hoping that maybe it is older than 5 years. LOL

Maybe ten years... but it's a modern fake, too.

[Indyarch]

Thanks guys. It'll do as a display piece. Especially since real ones don't exist.