This is an original German World War I Honor Cross, commonly known as the Hindenburg Cross, instituted in 1934 for veterans of the First World War. This combatant version features crossed swords between the arms of the cross, with a laurel wreath surrounding the dates “1914–1918.”
The cross retains much of its original bronze finish, with minor wear visible along the raised edges and high points. The reverse is maker marked “O.2” and has some old glue residue present. It is complete with its original black, white, and red ribbon, which displays some fraying and additional glue residue from a previous mounting.
I could not find a reliable identification for the “O.2” maker mark. Although numerous manufacturers produced these crosses, this particular code appears to remain unidentified in commonly available maker lists, so I would avoid attributing it to a specific company without further documentation.
Overall, the cross remains in very good condition with honest age and wear.
