Austria, Imperial. A Rare Military Merit Cross, III Class, c.1860 Archive The underside utilizes a leather

The underside utilizes a leather headband which has cracked on the right side with a small break at the back centre

The watch case measures 30

The underside is in black wool and is thickly padded

He joined the SS as a volunteer in late 1937 and was placed in the 3rd Company of SS-Standarte “Germania”

Iron Cross 2nd Class 1939

Austria, Imperial. A Rare Military Merit Cross, III Class, c.1860 Archive The underside utilizes a leather(Militrverdienstkreuz). Instituted on October 24th, 1849. Type I (1849 1914 Issue). A Military Merit Cross III Class, of multi piece construction, in silver with red and white enamels, consisting of a Cross Patte with red and white enamelled arms, with gilded laurel leaves in the quadrants between the arms of the cross, the obverse with a central white enamelled medallion inscribed with VERDIENST (Merit), the reverse is entirely enamelled in white to