Spain Cross

[Jamieharrison]

Hi all

I have been reading on the Spanish cross’ - and as a result I have noticed the ‘droop tail’ ones are mostly fakes.
Does anybody have comparison photos and maybe other things to look for?
Likely going to acquire one in the next few months so would appreciate any advice

Kind regards

[cobra-2001]

spanish cross

Hi Jamie welcome to the forum . If you use the search mode and go there you will see a lot of originals and a lot of fake ones being posted. You are right the drop tail ones are not good. Cliff

[Stan]

The best way forward would be for you to post photos of the Crosses you are interested in and we will tell you if they are genuine or fake or have any other issues.

Stan

[Dennis J]

Hi all

I have been reading on the Spanish cross’ - and as a result I have noticed the ‘droop tail’ ones are mostly fakes.
Does anybody have comparison photos and maybe other things to look for?
Likely going to acquire one in the next few months so would appreciate any advice

Kind regards

Welcome to the forum you made a good choice to vent your up coming SC for us and you to hash over a pic. of the cross would be very helpful(a good pic.)showing all parts of the cross.

Stay Safe
Dennis J

[Scott C.]

A while back, WAF member Brian S. put together an excellent Spain Cross reference and offered it free to members. I recommend contacting him to obtain a copy. BTW, don't call it a 'Spanish Cross' when contacting him - he'll read you the riot act. It's strictly 'Spain Cross' around him, and technically he's correct.

[Brian S]

A while back, WAF member Brian S. put together an excellent Spain Cross reference and offered it free to members. I recommend contacting him to obtain a copy. BTW, don't call it a 'Spanish Cross' when contacting him - he'll read you the riot act. It's strictly 'Spain Cross' around him, and technically he's correct.

Tru dat!


It is NOT a Spanisches Kreuz.


It is a Spanien Kreuz.

[Stan]

Not true at all.

The term Spanish Cross is the English translation and Spain Cross the German translation into English which IMO hardly rolls off the tongue.

Stan

[Brian S]

Stan you believe whatever you want. It's utterly and completely correctly translated as Spain Cross.



But, if you believe that, what exactly is SpanISH about the cross?

[Dietrich Maerz]

Not true at all.
The term Spanish Cross is the English translation and Spain Cross the German translation into English which IMO hardly rolls off the tongue.
Stan

Dear Stan,

being pretty good with English and even better with the German language I have to correct you and the "Not true at all" statement. The cross is named in German "Spanienkreuz" which is a combination of two substantives: Spanien and Kreuz. This translates into English as Spain Cross and nothing else. No discussion!

The wrongly assumed term "Spanish Cross" is a combination of an adjective (Spanish) and substantive (Cross). That would translate to "Spanisches Kreuz" which in German would mean it is a cross made in Spain or in the style of Spain, BUT not for Spain!

Now, I fully understand if you want to use the wrong term "Spanish Cross", just as a lot of people here use Kreigsmarine, Liebstandarte (which means in German "Love Standard"), or Spang or just Luft. Fine with me. But don't insist it is correct, it is not!

[Dennis J]

Just use the acronym SC when writing on the forum and you can't go wrong.

Dennis J

[Mike Kenny]

Unless SC should actually be SK

[Brian S]

Dear Stan,

being pretty good with English and even better with the German language I have to correct you and the "Not true at all" statement. The cross is named in German "Spanienkreuz" which is a combination of two substantives: Spanien and Kreuz. This translates into English as Spain Cross and nothing else. No discussion!

The wrongly assumed term "Spanish Cross" is a combination of an adjective (Spanish) and substantive (Cross). That would translate to "Spanisches Kreuz" which in German would mean it is a cross made in Spain or in the style of Spain, BUT not for Spain!

Now, I fully understand if you want to use the wrong term "Spanish Cross", just as a lot of people here use Kreigsmarine, Liebstandarte (which means in German "Love Standard"), or Spang or just Luft. Fine with me. But don't insist it is correct, it is not!

American intelligence wrote a handbook of Wehrmacht awards and ranks. Purpose to aid interrogation. Who you are talking to, rank, awards. In there, first mention I find of SpanISH Cross. Just poor translation. That stuck.

Thank you Dietrich.

[Scott C.]

Hindenburg Cross, West Wall Medal, Russian Front Medal, Legion Condor Wound Badge, Spanish Cross . . . Such habits can be tough to break after a lifetime of collecting.

[Brian S]

Yeah LC wound badge. Just a first pattern. eStand sellers always try to market it like it must be so rare. RAR

[Stan]

As most members will understand, when translating German into English the translator may at times choose to use an idiom instead of the literal meaning of the word.

Someone who’s mother tongue is German might well translate Spanienkreuz into English as Spain Cross and he would be correct as this is indeed the literal translation. However, a professional translator might choose to use Spanish Cross as has been demonstrated by Brian in his mention of the early manual used by American intelligence.

As an example, if you search Spanienkreuz on an internet translation programme with no other context, the translation comes out as Spain Cross. However, as soon as you put it into a sentence in the plural for example Ich habe zwei Spanienkreuze the translation alters to either “I have two Spanish Crosses” or “I have two crosses from Spain”. It will not however translate as “I have two Spain Crosses”.

Anyway, Dietrich has suggested that both terms can be used which seems to be an excellent compromise because in my humble opinion there is nothing incorrect about either of them.

Stan