Germany, Wehrmacht. A War Merit Cross I Class with Swords and Case, by Wilhelm Deumer

(Kriegsverdienstkreuz I. Klasse mit Schwertern und Etui). Constructed of silvered zink, consisting of a Maltese Cross with crossed swords piercing the centrepiece, the obverse with pebbled arms and a central wreathed mobile swastika, the reverse with a block hinge and banjo-style pinback meeting a round wire catch emanating from a circular plate, maker marked with Präsidialkanzlei code “3” for Wilhelm Deumer, Lüdenscheid, measuring 47.80 mm (w) x 47.81 mm (h), weighing 18.4 grams, accompanied by its original presentation case, constructed of a rigid 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 68 mm (w) x 68 mm (l) x 20 mm (h), demonstrating loss of finish and fatigue to the decoration and case, respectively, a mid- to late-war example in very fine condition.