Grand cross

[Montgomery Burns]

I am jealous,,,,and I like it













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[MHOLST]

Thanks guys i got it cheap to

[Miro O]

Miracles happen. Nice to see that.
Congratulations and thanks for reference photos - they are as rare as your cross.

Miro

[vellocino]

Great and unusual find, adds motivation to our passionate game! there are still gems out there waiting to be found!
Congrats.
Vellocino

[MHOLST]

Thanks yes its a nice cross only need to get the neck ribbon for it but guess thats gonna be hard to find

[Elmar Lang]

In my opinion, that cross deserves the effort, necessary to complete it with a length of original ribbon.

Congratulations,

E.L.

[Kraal]

Just one question: How much did you pay for it? When I look at the loop I get a bad feeling.. Rather looks like a reworked flag pole grand cross.. the cross itself is great, no doubt, totally awesome, but I'm really not convinced this was a neck order rather than a flag pole decoration..

[AlikN]

...When I look at the loop I get a bad feeling.. Rather looks like a reworked flag pole grand cross.. .

Nothing reworked there, that is the way those were made.

[Kraal]

Nothing reworked there, that is the way those were made.

You are the expert on GCs, now I'm convinced

But wtf where to get such a piece at a "nice price"?! Want one too...

[gregM]

Ok---I've got a question and I don't want to step on anyone's toes
or create hard feelings but--

I am really curious as to how many GKs do we think were actually produced?
We know that there were only five recipients. There would have been enough made to
provide duplicates for them. There would have been a few used as
sales samples and we have heard stories of originals being used in
displays such as flag pole tops (although I don't recall ever seeing
an original posted)

Also--with such a small number needed, why would there be a need
for more than one company to manufacture them?

In my mind, I would think one company would have been contracted
to make them and the total production run would be maybe a 100.

I love early Iron crosses and the thought of being able to own
an original grand cross intrigues me but I don't believe for a second
that there are any originals out on the market.

Like I said, there is no disrespect intended here and I hope I did
not come off as being rude. I am curious to here others opinions
on this.

Greg

[CSForrester]

Just one question: How much did you pay for it? When I look at the loop I get a bad feeling.. Rather looks like a reworked flag pole grand cross.. the cross itself is great, no doubt, totally awesome, but I'm really not convinced this was a neck order rather than a flag pole decoration..

That make´s no sense. There were no flag pole decorations with the 1914-grand cross. 1813 and 1870 - yes, but Germany was defeated in Word War I and the flags were not decorated with the Iron Cross .........

Regars
Markus

[gregM]

but Germany was defeated in Word War I and the flags were not decorated with the Iron Cross .........

Thanks for that
Something I was curious about.

[morel5000]

I still thought it ought to have 4 acorns to be a grand cross? So why couldn't it be a flag decoration of some veterans association? There are a lot of flag pole tops with a 1914 ek, used in the beginning of the Nazi era...

Best regards,
Michel

P.S. This is interesting:

http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...ghlight=acorns

There was also discussion was in 2008.

[AlikN]

Hard to say Greg how many, all we have to go by are period catalogs or findings like at Zimmermann's burned horde, where everything else was with no question original period made.

Like with everything else when award was instituted some companies start making them probably in hope that recipients will buy and wear the cross from their company and no one could possibly know how many recipients there would be - one, five or ten, so they made some I don't think very many, maybe less then a 100. In example of 1813 GC there was an order of 100 pieces to the maker from whoever was in charge of awarding back then.

We see Grand crosses offered in Godet's and Maybauer's period catalogs, what looks like piece from Maybauer's catalog is an award piece, the one from Godet we see in wear by prince Leopold, so it is safe to say that recipients used some of what was offered in private sales, some of them wore uniforms for many years after the war and one awarded piece just not enough.

[AlikN]

I still thought it ought to have 4 acorns to be a grand cross? So why couldn't it be a flag decoration of some veterans association? There are a lot of flag pole tops with a 1914 ek, used in the beginning of the Nazi era...

Best regards,
Michel

P.S. This is interesting

http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...ghlight=acorns

The piece you are referring to is Grand cross from Godet and in their catalog they call it a Grand cross. I don't think there were ever definition for the Grand cross to have four acorns, it's just came from comparing design of one cross to an other.