Spanienkreuz Information

[Richard Kimmel]

I found this information a while back and it is the most detailed that I have come across. IMHO it supersedes the information that is being discussed on most of the forums with regards to this badge. I hope that this is of help when evaluating this award.
SPANIENKREUZ

SPANISH CROSS W/SWORDS

THE BASIC DESIGN WAS THE SAME FOR EACH VERSION AND TAKES THE FORM OF A MALTESE CROSS. THIS MEASURERS 56mm ACROSS THE WIDTH OF THE ARMS, TAKEN ACROSS THE POINTS, BEING 23mm. THE ARMS OF THE CROSS HAVE A 1.5mm RIM. THE CENTRAL, RECESSED FIELDS PRODUCED BY THE RIM ARE LIGHTLY PEBBLED. IN THE CENTER IS A CIRCLE ON TO WHICH IS PLACED A 15.5mm RAISED CIRCULAR DISH THAT HAS A 1mm RAISED EDGE LINE AND A FURTHER SIMILAR LINE INDENTED BY 2mm. THE INNER RECESSED CENTRAL FIELD HAS A RAISED SWASTIKA WITH THE ARMS TOUCHING THE CIRCLE. THE FIELDS OF THE TRIM LINE AND THE CENTER ARE LIGHTLY PEBBLED. THE HIGH PARTS OF THE MEDAL ARE POLISHED, WHILE THE PEBBLED AREAS ARE MATT.

BETWEEN THE ARMS OF THE CROSS ARE FLYING LUFTWAFFE EAGLES CLUTCHING SWASTIKAS IN THEIR TALONS. THE EAGLE EMBLEMS ARE SEPARATELY STRUCK AND VERY NEATLY SOLDERED TO THE ARMS OF THE CROSS. THE AREA BETWEEN THE ARMS OF THE SWASTIKAS CAN BE VOIDED OR SOLID DEPENDING UPON THE MANUFACTURER. THIS FEATURE DOES NOT ALWAYS INDICATE SUPERIOR QUALITY OF MANUFACTURE.

BENEATH THE EAGLES RUN TWO CROSSED SWORDS WITH THEIR HILTS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE CROSS. THE SWORDS ARE DOUBLE EDGED, HAVE A CENTRAL RAISED SPINE AND A RAISED EDGE LINE ON EITHER SIDE. THEY HAVE A CROSSGUARD WITH OBLONG BOX AT THE CENTER AND QUILLONS TAPERING FROM THE EDGE TO THE CENTRAL BOX. THE QUILLONS AND BOX HAVE A FINE RAISED EDGE LINE AND THE RECESSED FIELDS OF THE QUILLONS HAVE EIGHT RAISED VERTICAL LINES, WHILE THE BOX HAS A VERTICAL SPINE. THE HILTS ARE BARREL SHAPED, WITH SMALL ROUND PANNELS AND WOUND WITH NINE TWISTS OF TWISTED CORD. THE SWORDS MEASURE 62mm FROM THE TIP TO THE POMMEL AND THE CROSSGUARD IS 10mm ACROSS. THE SWORDS THEMSELVES ARE PART OF THE STAMPING THAT FORMS THE CONVEX BODY OF THE CROSS.

THE REVERSE IS PLAIN AND HAS A HINGE, MASSIVE PIN AND ‘C’ FORMS THE HOOK THAT IS SOLDERED DIRECTLY TO THE LOWER ARM OF THE CROSS.
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[harryamb2]

great info.

[Richard Kimmel]

great info.

Thanks for responding Harry; I hope more members will appreciate this information, as it offers quite a bit of details.

[Jody]

Hi Richard,
Thanks for the info, btw, it has been almost 20 years since we first started talking on line. Do you remember that?

Jody

[Richard Kimmel]

Hi Richard,
Thanks for the info, btw, it has been almost 20 years since we first started talking on line. Do you remember that?

Jody

Hi Jody ... Must be getting old, I thought your first name was familiar but was that on another forum or had we met at the MAX Show? I must apologize for not recalling.

Richard

[Jody]

Hi Jody ... Must be getting old, I thought your first name was familiar but was that on another forum or had we met at the MAX Show? I must apologize for not recalling.

Richard

Hi Richard,
We started talking on WAF back around 1996 or so (you just wrote the book: The Phenomen of Third Reich Badge Collecting). We also met at an early SOS Show around the same time.

Regards,
Jody