ORIGINAL GERMAN WWII CLASP TO THE IRON CROSS SECOND CLASS 1939 SPANGE & GERMAN WWI IRON CROSS SECOND CLASS MEDAL WITH RIBBON

In 1939 they introduced the 1939 Clasp to the Iron Cross (Spange zum Eisernen Kreuz). This way a recipIent of the 1914 Iron Cross second class medal could be awarded a second or higher grade of the 1939 Iron Cross. To permit the two medals to be worn together, a "1939 Clasp" (Spange) would be worn on the original German WWI 1914 Iron Cross second class ribbon. When the clasp was attached to just the 1914 Iron Cross medal ribbon it could be then worn through a tunic button of the uniform in WW2.