Braunschweig - 1st Class War Merit Cross 1918

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Duchy of Brunswick - Kriegsverdienstkreuz (Ernst-Augustkreuz) 1. Klasse 1914-1918. Instituted Mark 20, 1918, by Duke Ernst August von Braunschweig, the 1st Class War Merit Cross was awarded to citizens who repeatedly contributed outstanding services in the war and already held the 2nd class War Merit Cross. Approximately 2,660 were awarded. It is constructed out of a single piece of die struck bronze that has been bronze washed and black burnished. The obverse features; a pattée style cross that has a centrally placed “EA” (Duke Ernst August) flanked by two two-piece oak leaf clusters on either side, a Kings crown to the top arm and “1914” to the lower arm, which all lies on a pebbled base and surrounded by a flat outlying border. The fullback reverse displays: a soldered-on round wire catch, a soldered-on block hinge and flatwire pin. It is nicely vaulting. Minor pest. It measures 1 5/8 inches wide and tall. A nice one!