1870 Ek2 -- Early Oaks

[ww2relichunter]

Nobody can tell how many still exist today.

As for award numbers, Stephen Previtera's "The Iron Time" lists the following figures for the 1870 incarnation of the Iron Cross:

• 47,244 Iron Crosses 2nd Class (43,242 to combatants; 4,002 to non-combatants)
• 1,304 Iron Crosses 1st Class (1,239 to combatants; 65 to non-combatants)
• 9 Grand Crosses of the Iron Cross

(Naturally, a significantly higher number would have been manufactured.)

Thank you for the information what would you think would be a fair price from one in 2nd class ??

[Wagriff]

Now That is one Excellent piece! A Great find!

[NickM]

(Naturally, a significantly higher number would have been manufactured.)

Curious. What difference would that make? If they made more than were actually awarded, surely the extra would have been melted down, bringing it back to the number awarded.

Bearing in mind how many would have been worn (and lost) in battle, makes you wonder what percentage are likely to exist today. Not many, I'd have thought.

[HPL2008]

Curious. What difference would that make? If they made more than were actually awarded, surely the extra would have been melted down, bringing it back to the number awarded.

Bear in mind that many recipients - especially active military personnel - owned more than one copy of a decoration; it was not uncommon to have one for everyday wear and one for "best wear".

Another factor was the need for replacements for damaged, lost or stolen decorations, creating a (limited) ongoing demand for literally decades after the period during which a decoration was actually issued.

Then you had stock and sample pieces kept by the manufacturers and retailers and even a small quantitiy for museums etc.

(Of course, all of this applies not only to the Iron Cross.)

[guns ltd]

Great looking award Greg.
Keep up the collecting. You have one of the best!
Nick does too. Don't want to leave him out or I will hear about it later.
John

[Chopperman]

Also bear in mind that the 25 year spange was originally
called the "Jubilaumsspange". The Kaiser through a Jubilee
on the 25th anniversary of the 1870 war. It was a time
of great patriotism and many veterans who had not received
their crosses yet or who wanted duplicates or replacements
needed crosses. There are many examples of so called
"Jubilee era" crosses. That is--crosses made between
1895 and 1914 to fill the need for more crosses.

[Chopperman]

Thank you for the information what would you think would be a fair price from one in 2nd class ??

I don't usually like to talk prices over the open forum.
But the average price in the US right now for a 1870
Ek2 in good condition with ribbon is roughly $500 USD.
Of coarse a lot of things factor into that but it's a
reasonable starting point.

[Chopperman]

Thank you Gentleman for all the kind words.

[gerrit]

a great catch!

very nice!
Ger