Spanish red cross medals

[CIANO]

Hi,

I have a question regarding the Spanish Red Cross Medals bestowed to the Legion Condor, and the Spanish Blu Division...

We can find a "big" model, and a smaller model.
Why is that difference in seize? Which is bestowed to the members? The Big one or the smaller one? or both?

In the photos there is any war period?

Thank you for your help

Regards

[llemaco]

The big model is the usual, years 60 - 70, 42 x 53 mm but at the end of our war , 36 -39, Industrias Egaña made a model smaller than usual, 34 x 41 mm with the new crown and an italian model was made with the same sizes.
The one smaller you have must be from years 40.
In Spain there are a model of medals called "princesa" and are smaller than official models but are smaller than you have.

Best regards

[CIANO]

Hi,

Thank you very much for your help!

Now I understand the diferences among them.

regards

[Gregorio Torres]

Dear friend
I had not seen your thread before.
There is a lot of confusion about these crosses even in Spain as can be noted in Ilemaco´s reply.
Nothing about the variation of these crosses and their date of manufacure has been published after a serious research.
The medium size cross that you are showing was made to be used in the full dress uniform. The big one with the mobile crown were made from 1938 to the 70´s, with the same dies and for the same makers. So, if you haven´t provenence references is no posible to identify when was made. This model can be found in both, Blue Division and Legion Condor veterans groups and medalbars.
A lot of collectors and even "researchers" say that only the crosses made by Egaña, made in one block, with the crown as a part of the full body of the cross, were given during the last years of the Civil War and the Rusian Campaing, but this is completly wrong, and a lot of pictures shows that the so called "mobile crown crosses" were widely distributed at least from 1938 to Spanish Civil War veterans (german and italian included) and to Blue Division volunters.

[Blue Division]

This is manufacture Egaña.