On September 1st 1939 Germany’s leader, Adolph Hitler, re-instituted 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 awarded to personnel who performed three to five acts of bravery in combat, and had already been awarded the Iron Cross second class. The first-class award had a pin or a screw fastener on the reverse for attaching to the uniform.

Medal has a black iron Maltese cross at center of a silver frame. Black cross has a swastika at center with the year “1939” at bottom.

Reverse of the silver frame has a circular shaped screw fastener.  Medal is in excellent condition overall.

Accompanied by 1922 German (Weimar Republic) 10,000 Marks "Vampire" Banknote. Among the many bills issued during the hyperinflation crisis in the post-WWI German Weimar Republic, the "Vampire Note" is a particular standout. It is known as the Vampire Note because when the note's engraver (identity unknown) adapted a portrait by famous German Renaissance painter Albrecht Durer for the note, he made an odd alteration where the neck of the figure looks like a Vampire when the bill is rotated 90 degrees. It takes some imagination to see, but was intentional and meant to represent the anti-French sentiment in WWI Germany. France was considered to be "sucking the life out of" the country following the signing of the Treaty of Versailles. The Reichsbank noticed this alteration, but did not change it, printing several varieties of the bill with the design and giving credence to the popular anti-French sentiment.   [ad/LD] [ph:L]

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