German WWII Iron Cross 1st Class 1939 by Paul Meybauer-This is a handsome example of an 1st class iron cross by Meybauer. The original black finish on the iron core is intact but shows some very light fading and some lifting. The nicely toned silver frame is a matte silver that has darkened from age and storage. This nicely complements the black of the cross. This badge is quite handsome as the toning is even and almost gives this badge a bit of a bronze look to it. This is quite striking. This badge is marked on the pin with the number “7” which is the PKZ number for Paul Meybauer. It is interesting that we see quite a few Meybauer medals as private purchases, but this is an issued example. Paul Meybauer produced crosses for both systems (issued and private purchase) using the exact same manufacturing dies, the physical look and quality of the medals are identical. The only difference is the stamp on the pin: a "7" indicates it was an official presentation piece, while an "L/13" indicates it was sold commercially on the private market. This is a piece missing from most collections. In excellent condition.