German Awards - Military Merit Cross

The Military Merit Cross as a plug-in cross, an analogue of the other Military Merit Crosses of the 1st class, has never been officially awarded or awarded. Foundation as 1. December 8, 1914 Prince Leopold IV. presented crosses for military merits on the ribbon, accepted. Until the abdication of the prince in 1918, the fund was not created. There is great uncertainty about the origin of the few modern crosses. Whether these few copies were samples or unofficially made copies for tall personalities close to the prince is anyone's guess. The nature of the manufacture and some features in the design make it possible to suspect K. F. Zimmermann from Pforzheim as a manufacturer. Crosses that are considered modern are very rare. Several copies of the cross are also known, differing from these pieces in design and needle system. Source: Rainer Schwark, order and badge of honor of the principality of Lippe Detmold 1778-1933, works of the Lipp Land Museum, vol. VI, 2005.

A slightly curved plated cross made of gilded bronze with a smooth border. The inside of the cruciform sleeves on the front side are corrugated. The reverse is smooth with a perpendicular pin with a mating hook.

Front side:

In the
• center of the cross is a five-petalled lippian rose.
• At a greater distance, a laurel wreath is tied on the cruciform sleeves below.
• On cruciform sleeves: at the top - L - exceeded by the crown. below: - 1914 -.

Downside:

• Smooth and gilded. Vertically - a pin with a reciprocal hook.