WWI RELIC?

[b0v13]

I found this iron cross in a friend's backyard a couple of days ago here in Baltimore. It's 3"x3" and 1/4" thick, solid metal. The back is completely smooth and it does not have loops or anything which would be used to hang it (and to be honest it seems far too heavy to be a medal or buckle or anything worn). The portrait looks like Kaiser Wilhelm II. I really don't have any idea what it could be from/for. My buddy suggested it could be a spoil of war and had been a plaque of some sort and my fiance thinks it a paperweight.

In the yard I also found wheat pennies from 1909, 1910 and 1917, a 1917 buffalo nickel... and a 1913 British penny! I found the British penny shortly after finding the cross and it got me really excited that this may be a legitimate WWI relic.

My buddy also told me that the previous home owner was a Hasidic Jew. Anyone have any ideas about what/where the cross came from?

Thanks for looking and happy hunting!!

 

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[Marko0916]

That's a f'n awesome relic. I hope to leave the sands and find that someday

 

[birdman]

That is a cool relic!

 

[Subterranean]

bOv13, that is a fantastic piece of history, congrats. My humble opinion is that your relic is a WW1 period "desk piece" or paper weight brought back by a veteran. I would hit that area hard for more period relics. Happy hunting, Sub

 

[drbecker]

I think it may be a German veterans grave marker. It sure looks imperial German and I have seen similar but not exact grave markers like that. In Germany graves are rented not purchased and after a while the body is removed along with the markers. The marker is returned to the family. This may have been on a headstone to indicate veteran status. Its probably not wartime though since most of the WWI markers I have seen are dated 1914 or 1914-1918.. So I think pre WWI grave marker for a veteran. FYI many Jews served in the German military before the Nazis came into power and demonized them. It could have been on a grave in the US and was removed during WWI because anything German was despised during WWI. It is a great artifact.

 

[Tom Bigbee]

Don't know anything about it but that is an awesome relic!

 

[Gunrunner61]

Kinda of a strange find, But cool never the less......I'd call it a paper weight
..............................HH