Germany, Wehrmacht. A War Merit Cross, I Class with Swords and Case, by Julius Bauer & Söhne

(Kriegsverdienstkreuz I. Klasse mit Schwertern und Etui). Constructed of silvered tombak, consisting of a Maltese Cross with crossed swords piercing the centrepiece, the obverse with pebble arms and a central wreathed mobile swastika, the reverse with a raised barrel hinge and flattened vertical pinback meeting a flat wire catch, the pinback maker marked with Präsidialkanzlei code “43” for Julius Bauer & Söhne, Zella Mehlis, measuring 48.25 mm (w) x 48.20 mm (h), weighing 23.0 grams, accompanied by its original presentation case, constructed of a card stock frame with a faux black leather exterior liner, the lid bearing a silvered depiction of the award, the interior with a white rayon lid liner and intact hinge cover, with a slotted black felt medal bed, unmarked, measuring 70 mm (w) x 70 mm (l) x 20 mm (h), demonstrating moderate material fatigue throughout the exterior of the case, in overall extremely fine condition.