Description
Fantastic, period worn Close Combat Clasp in Gold (Nahkampfspange in Gold), still showing some great gold finish which is typically missing. The badge is nicely maker marked with ‘FLL’ indicating production by the company of ‘Friedrich Linden’ from Lüdenscheid. Textbook example with no damage or repairs to the reverse hardware. The backplate is missing but nonetheless this is still a rare badge to find in such condition!
Note – The German infantry often regarded the Gold Close Combat Clasp in higher esteem than the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross, and Adolf Hitler reserved the right to bestow this class personally. Of the roughly 18–20 million soldiers of the German Wehrmacht and Waffen-SS, 36,400 received the Bronze Class, 9,500 the Silver Class, and 631 the Gold Class.
