Description
The 45 mm cross, made of dark-oxidized bronze, featured stippled arms with outwardly curved sides and rounded ends, which were framed by a raised border. At the top of the lower-graded cross was a round eyelet which was used to attach it to the ribbon ring. When awarded with swords, the cross carried two upward-pointing, antique style, crossed swords appearing to pass through the medallion. The higher-graded award, in addition to the swords, was surmounted by an embossed open-sculpted representation of the Crown of Württemberg, 20-mm-high and 23-mm-wide. Later in the war, the crosses were made of a bronzed zinc alloy, called Kriegsmetall (war metal).
Obverse: Within the cross's center 22 mm circular medallion was inscribed the royal monogram W in raised Gothic script, surrounded with a dense oak leaf wreath, tied crosswise with ribbons at the top and bottom. An image of the crown appears on the upper arm of the cross, while the raised date 1915 appears on the lower arm. The crown image was not present on the upper-graded award, which featured the large crown sculpture.
Reverse: The medallion contained the two-line inscription KRIEGS VERDIENST (war merit) in capital letters, likewise enclosed by a dense wreath of oak leaves tied with ribbons at both the top and the bottom. The inscription was omitted on civilian crosses that were presented for services not directly related to the war effort. The upper-graded pin-back version had a plain flat back, with no medallion wreath and no inscription.
German Empire