Imperial German WWI Iron Cross 1st Class 1914 Screwback Original Complete

This is an original Imperial German Eisernes Kreuz 1. Klasse (Iron Cross 1st Class) of the 1914 institution in the screwback mounting variant, presented complete with all three components of the assembly intact and separated for photography: the cross body, the domed backing plate, and the locking nut disc.

The screwback First Class is a construction variant distinct from the more commonly encountered pin-back type. Rather than a horizontal pin bar soldered to the reverse, the screwback cross carries a threaded cylindrical post projecting from the center of the reverse. A domed metal backing plate — with a corresponding central aperture — is placed against the uniform fabric from the reverse side, and a locking nut disc threads onto the post from the front to clamp the cross firmly and flatly against the tunic without the use of a pin. This mounting system was favored by officers who wished to avoid puncturing fine uniform cloth, or who preferred the more secure and flush presentation of the screw fitting for parade and court dress. The locking nut in this example has two raised lug tabs for grip, and the backing plate is a domed disc showing the expected patina and surface oxidation of long storage.

The obverse of the cross presents the standard 1914 iconographic program: the Prussian royal crown in the upper arm, the Gothic W cipher for Kaiser Wilhelm II at the center, and the date 1914 in the lower arm. In this example the iron core has a distinctly rough, heavily textured surface — a characteristic of certain wartime casting approaches — with the frame's rope-twist milled border and the raised cipher and crown elements reading in a contrasting lighter tone against the dark iron ground. No maker mark is visible on the reverse in the provided images.

The Eisernes Kreuz was re-instituted for the third time upon the outbreak of the Great War in August 1914, continuing a tradition established by Friedrich Wilhelm III of Prussia in 1813 and carried forward through the 1870 institution for the Franco-Prussian War. The First Class was awarded for acts of bravery or significant military leadership and was worn pinned or screwed directly to the left breast of the tunic without a ribbon. Regulations required that the Second Class be held before the First Class could be awarded, ensuring that every First Class recipient had already been recognized for prior distinguished service in the field.

The obverse iron core shows significant surface pitting and texture consistent with its casting and age, with no lacquer coating evident — the surface reading as bare oxidized iron throughout. The frame elements retain their form without bending or damage. The screwback post is present and the threading appears functional. The locking nut disc and backing plate are both present and belong with the piece. The silver-washed finish on the reverse and backing components shows substantial mottled loss and oxidation, consistent with age and storage. No maker mark is visible in the provided images.

The screwback mounting variant is less frequently encountered than the standard pin-back First Class and is specifically sought by collectors focused on construction variants and officer-class wearables. The presence of all three components of the assembly — cross, backing plate, and locking nut — in a single offering is a meaningful point, as these parts are commonly separated over time. The heavily textured cast iron core gives this example a distinctly robust, campaign-era character.