German Awards - German Mother's Cross of Honour 2nd Class Silver (2nd Form)

This cross was established by decree of December 16, 1938 by Reich Chancellor Adolf Hitler as a visible sign of gratitude of the German people to mothers with many children. The award was presented in 3 stages. Level 1 was awarded to mothers with 8 or more children, level 2 to mothers with 6 and 7 children, and level 3 to mothers with 4 and 5 children.
The condition for the award was that the mother was "German and hereditary," and the children were born alive.
The 1st form of the cross was awarded only from 1938 to 1939 and differs from the 2nd form with an inscription on the reverse. The inscription of the 1st form reads: "The child ennobles the mother -. These crosses are extremely rare and expensive. (about €2,000)
Since 1939, the inscription on the reverse was changed and was also awarded until the end of the war.

Elongated cross made of silver-plated bronze. The cruciform brackets are edged with silver and welded at the ends inward. There are 5 silver rays between the cross sleeves. The front side of the cruciform shoulders is enameled, central with a round silver-plated middle shield worn. On the upper cruciform shoulder there is a wide embossed ear through which the tape is stretched.

Front side:

• The front of the cruciform shoulders has a wide white enameled edging.
• The inside of the cross sleeves, separated by a thin silver edging, is enameled in blue.
• Silver central shield (15 mm) with a wide border. It has the inscription:
• above - DER - GERMANS - below - MOTHER -
In
• a surrounded white enameled field is a silver black swastika.

Downside:

• Smooth and silver plated. It is inscribed in 3 lowercase:
• – 16. -/- December -/- 1938 - including the signature of Adolf Hitler.

Tape:

blue 10 mm wide, edge stripes white/blue/white 1 mm each.

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