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This is a very unusual World War I (WWI) German Iron Cross (Maltese Cross), ribbon and watch fob. On the one side is the year 1914, a crown and the letter "W". The reverse is blank. Please examine scan closely to determine condition. Additional scans are available upon request. All questions are welcome. TERMS: Winning bidder must pay an additional $3.00 for shipping and handling. Buyer assumes the responsibility of loss or damage during shipping. Insurance is optional and recommended (Rates are based upon actual USPS rates as determined by the final purchase price of the item). Shipping will be made to U.S. addresses only. Money orders are preferred, checks accepted. (No form of electronic payment, including Paypal, is accepted.) Allow ten days for checks to clear. Items mailed to any New York State address must add 8 % to total price unless payment is accompanied by a signed New York State resale certificate. Full payment must be received within ten (10) days following the close of the auction. Thank you. Good Luck!
The following related information was found on the internet:
The Iron Cross was originally made of a black-white ribbon sewed together as a cross. Later it was made as a metal cross. The Iron Cross (a black four-pointed cross with white trim, with the arms widening towards the ends, similar to a cross pattée) was designed by the neoclassical architect Karl Friedrich Schinkel and reflects the cross borne by the Teutonic Knights in the 14th century, which was also the emblem of Frederick the Great. When the Quadriga of the Goddess of Peace was retrieved from Paris at Napoleon's fall, the Goddess was re-established atop Berlin's Brandenburg Gate. An Iron Cross was inserted into her laurel wreath, making her into a Goddess of Victory.
In contrast to many other medals, the Iron Cross has a very simple design and is made from relatively cheap and common materials. It was traditionally cast in iron, although in later years, the decoration was cast in zinc and aluminium.
The ribbon for the 1813, 1870, and 1914 Iron Cross (2nd Class) was black with two thin white bands. The noncombatant version of this award had the same medal, but the black and white colors on the ribbon were reversed.
Since the Iron Cross was issued over several different periods of German history, it is annotated with the year indicating the era in which it was issued. For example, an Iron Cross from the First World War bears the year "1914", while the same decoration from the Second World War is annotated "1939". The reverse of the 1870, 1914, and 1939 series of Iron Crosses have the year "1813" appearing on the lower arm, symbolizing the first year the award was created.

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