German Iron Cross Second Class 1939 with Ribbon Bar-This is an excellent example made by a scarce manufacturer. It has approx. 99% of the black finish on the iron core remaining in place. Very nice toning to the silver frame. This is a marked on the ring, '27', indicating it was produced by a scarce maker, Anton Schenkls Nachfolger. This comes with a long portion of the original ribbon. It also comes with a ribbon bar that is in excellent condition. This set is excellent overall!History: On March 10th, 1813, Prussian King Friedrich Wilhelm III established the Iron Cross as a temporary award for bestowal during times of war. Originally the Iron Cross was introduced in three grades with a Grand Cross intended for award to Senior Commanders for successfully leading troops in combat and the First and Second classes for award to all ranks for bravery or merit in action. The Iron Crosses were reinstituted by King Wilhelm I on July 19th, 1870 for award during the Franco-Prussian War and again on August 5th, 1914, by King Wilhelm II for award during WWI. On September 1ST 1939 Hitler once more reinstituted the Iron Cross series of awards in the First and Second Classes and established the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. The first-class medal was for award to personnel who performed three to five acts of bravery in combat and had already been awarded the Iron Cross second class.