Here is a list of War Merit Cross First Class (KVK 1) makers. I have based this list on crosses that I have in my collection, on crosses that I know other collectors have in their collections, and on photographic or other evidence that crosses were made by a particular maker. This list should serve as a reference point for those collectors who want to know which awards manufacturers made the KVK 1 during the Second World War. It is also intended to be a growing list, to be added to by any WAF participant who knows of any other examples not listed here. (The only requirement needed to add a cross by a particular maker to this list is that the person claiming the cross must present some kind of evidence -- such as a photograph of the cross or scan of a KVK in a contemporary awards manufacturer's sales catalog -- to substantiate a claim of a certain maker. Simply saying, "I once had one maker marked "XX" for Whatever company" will not be enough.)
So here you have it. I hope that this list will be an aid to collectors, and I look forward to discovering new makers!
(All crosses are pinback versions unless otherwise indicated.)
Without Swords --
Deschler, marked "1" (Tombak)
Deumer, marked "3" or "L/11" (Tombak or zinc)
Steinhauer & Lück, marked "4" (Tombak)
Orth, marked "15" (Tombak)
Otto Schickle, marked "L/15", Tombak
Hermann Wernstein, marked "L/17", (zinc)
Foerster & Barth, marked "L/21" (Tombak or zinc)
Gschiermeister, marked "50" (Tombak)
C. F.Zimmermann, marked "L/52" and "900" (silver)
With Swords --
Deschler, marked "1" and "L/10" (Tombak)
Juncker, marked "2" amd "L/12" (Tombak)
Deumer, marked "3" and "L/11" (many varieties, Tombak or zinc. Screwback versions exist.)
Steinhauer & Lück, marked "4", "L/16", and "4" + "L/16" (Tombak or zinc)
Meybauer, marked "L/13" (Tombak or zinc. Screwback versions exist.)
Orth, marked "15" (Tombak)
Otto Schickle, unmarked and marked "L/15"(Tombak)
Hermann Wernstein, marked "L/17"
B. H. Mayer, marked "L/18" (Tombak or zinc)
Foerster & Barth, marked "L/21" (Tombak or zinc)
Bauer, marked "43" (Tombak)
Kerbach & Österhelt, marked "62" (Tombak or zinc)
C. F. Zimmermann, marked "L/52" and "L/52" + "900" (silver)(Screwback versions exist.)
Hymmen & Co., marked "L/53" (zinc)
Funcke & Brüninghaus, marked "L/56" (Tombak)
Beorger, marked "L/57" (zinc)
Klein & Quenzer, marked "65" (Tombak or zinc)
Rudolf Souval, marked "L58" (Tombak or zinc. Screwback versions exist.)
Poellath, marked "84" (Tombak)
Wächtler & Lang, marked "100" and "L/55"
Carl Wild, marked "107"
Petz & Lorenz, unmarked (but I have seen one marked "L/18") (Tombak?)
The following makers are listed in Gordon Williamson and Josef Charita's book The War Merit Cross. I have not been able to verify these names as makers based on my own observation of maker marked pieces:
Ferdinand Hoffstätter, marked "8"
Jakob Bengel, marked "44"
Gottlieb & Wagner, marked "52"
Glaser & Sohn, marked "53"
Gebrüder Godet, marked "L/50"
Schauerte & Höhfeld, marked "L/54"
So here you have it. I hope that this list will be an aid to collectors, and I look forward to discovering new makers!
(All crosses are pinback versions unless otherwise indicated.)
Without Swords --
Deschler, marked "1" (Tombak)
Deumer, marked "3" or "L/11" (Tombak or zinc)
Steinhauer & Lück, marked "4" (Tombak)
Orth, marked "15" (Tombak)
Otto Schickle, marked "L/15", Tombak
Hermann Wernstein, marked "L/17", (zinc)
Foerster & Barth, marked "L/21" (Tombak or zinc)
Gschiermeister, marked "50" (Tombak)
C. F.Zimmermann, marked "L/52" and "900" (silver)
With Swords --
Deschler, marked "1" and "L/10" (Tombak)
Juncker, marked "2" amd "L/12" (Tombak)
Deumer, marked "3" and "L/11" (many varieties, Tombak or zinc. Screwback versions exist.)
Steinhauer & Lück, marked "4", "L/16", and "4" + "L/16" (Tombak or zinc)
Meybauer, marked "L/13" (Tombak or zinc. Screwback versions exist.)
Orth, marked "15" (Tombak)
Otto Schickle, unmarked and marked "L/15"(Tombak)
Hermann Wernstein, marked "L/17"
B. H. Mayer, marked "L/18" (Tombak or zinc)
Foerster & Barth, marked "L/21" (Tombak or zinc)
Bauer, marked "43" (Tombak)
Kerbach & Österhelt, marked "62" (Tombak or zinc)
C. F. Zimmermann, marked "L/52" and "L/52" + "900" (silver)(Screwback versions exist.)
Hymmen & Co., marked "L/53" (zinc)
Funcke & Brüninghaus, marked "L/56" (Tombak)
Beorger, marked "L/57" (zinc)
Klein & Quenzer, marked "65" (Tombak or zinc)
Rudolf Souval, marked "L58" (Tombak or zinc. Screwback versions exist.)
Poellath, marked "84" (Tombak)
Wächtler & Lang, marked "100" and "L/55"
Carl Wild, marked "107"
Petz & Lorenz, unmarked (but I have seen one marked "L/18") (Tombak?)
The following makers are listed in Gordon Williamson and Josef Charita's book The War Merit Cross. I have not been able to verify these names as makers based on my own observation of maker marked pieces:
Ferdinand Hoffstätter, marked "8"
Jakob Bengel, marked "44"
Gottlieb & Wagner, marked "52"
Glaser & Sohn, marked "53"
Gebrüder Godet, marked "L/50"
Schauerte & Höhfeld, marked "L/54"
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