This is a nice early example of the German War Merit Cross with swords. These medals were made from zinc with a bronzed wash. The early models like this kept their bronze wash but as the war progressed, the quality of the materials decreased and as a result late war crosses lose their bronze wash and end up yielding a grey appearance.

The award had Four Variants with swords, this one being the 2nd class. The 2nd class cross with swords was presented to military personnel for bravery.

This example has kept its bronze wash and is in very good condition.