Attractive, 'Kriegsverdienstkreuz 1. Klasse mit Schwertern' being a clearly maker- (ie. '43' -) thus by the maker: 'Julius Bauer u. Söhne'-marked specimen that is executed in typical, silverish-coloured metal (ie. 'Buntmetall')

The attractive - and I deem quite early- (ie. mid-) war-period - piece is executed in typical (bright)silver-coloured metal (ie. 'Buntmetall') and comes in an overall nice- (albeit moderately worn- ie. most certainly used-), condition. The naturally non-magnetic- and typically non-vaulted cross shows some blackened- (ie. somewhat tarnished) age-patina (mainly on its back) but was most certainly never cleaned nor polished: it retains, moreover, a fair bit (ie. allmost all) of its typical silverish-coloured finish that has darkened over the years as more often (as can be seen on the pictures). The cross comes naturally mounted onto its functional (flat-shaped) pin- and/or: period catch (ie. catch-set-up) which are both present and fully unaltered (as can be seen on the pictures). The piece - which shows a clearly present makers'-designation '43' on the back of its pin and that is thus a piece as was produced by the (unusually seen!) maker- ie. 'Hersteller' named: 'Julius Bauer u. Söhne' as was based in the town of Zella Mehlis in Thüringen - comes as found and/or stored for decades: it was truly never cleaned and is still a bit stained ie. dirty (as can be seen on the pictures). I deem that the KvK 1st class award is a bit underestimated by the collectors' community: they can almost be graded equally as the IC 1st class. Simply an attractive and fairly luxuriously-executed example by an unusally seen maker that that is I deem accordingly priced!