Braunschweig, Duchy. A War Merit Cross I Class consisting of a blue enamelled Romanian Cross with clusters of nine gilt rays in eac plus line drawings (pages 33

plus line drawings (pages 33 and 64) inserted between the two sections of text

based firstly on Maidstone and then Vulcan

a winged skull with crossed bayonet and hand grenade

the obverse bearing a hand-embroidered silver aluminum wire integrated Sturmabteilung (SA) and SS insignia

Braunschweig, Duchy. A War Merit Cross I Class consisting of a blue enamelled Romanian Cross with clusters of nine gilt rays in eac plus line drawings (pages 33(Kriegsverdienstkreuz I. Klasse). Instituted 20 March 1918 by Duke Ernst August. (1918 issue). Constructed of bronze, consisting of a Cross Patte, the obverse bearing a central monogram of Duke Ernst August, flanked by oak leaves, topped by a royal crown, and situated above a date of 1914, the reverse with an elongated block hinge and vertical pinback meeting a rounded catch, unmarked, measuring 40. 46 mm (w) x 40. 60 mm (h), weighing 15. 8 grams,