Cased German Cross in Silver (Deutsches Kreuz in Silber). The German Cross was introduced by Adolf Hitler on 28 September 1941 in two classes, Gold and Silver. The gold class cross was awarded to military personnel for exceptional acts of bravery or achievement in combat, the Silver class was awarded for distinguished acts of service in the war effort. The German Cross was to be worn on the lower right breast of the service tunic or field blouse. This is an early heavy weight silver version, maker marked with number '1' on the inside of the pin, indicating production by the company 'Deschler & Sohn' from München. All enamel of the cross is intact and showing only some minimal scratches caused by wear. The cross is in overall very good condition showing a nice darkened age patina. The cross comes in its matching black coloured case having a silver line around the lid, the case is showing some normal traces of usage, see photos. Stunning and rare original cross!