CASED WW1 GERMAN BAVARIAN MILITARY MERIT CROSS 3RD CLASS WITH SWORDS

German First World War Bavarian War Merit Cross with Swords, 3rd Class in card case of issue. Maltese cross with a centre medallion with an "L" cipher of King Ludwig II with "Merenti" on the ring. The reverse has a Bavarian lion with '1866' date. The arms of the Maltese cross are bronze with crossed swords. The medal comes with it's cardboard award case. "Bayr. M.V. Kr. 3 Kl., showing one small section of card detached, with this included for any repair work.

This medal was instituted in 1866 as a decoration for bravery and military merit for enlisted soldiers. Civilians acting in support of the army were also eligible for this award. This medal underwent three major revisions. In 1891, awards with swords were used to distinguish wartime awards from peacetime awards. In 1905, the Military Merit Cross was divided into two classes. The original Military Merit Cross became Military Merit Cross 1st Class and a second class was created that had no enamel on the medallion. These distinctions were based on the rank of the recipient. In 1913, the crown could be used for a second award to an NCO or solider. There were then effectively 12 combinations: 3 classes each with or without crown, and each with or without swords. This doubled when one takes into account that there were two possible ribbons, one for soldiers and one for officials. The Military Merit Cross became obsolete with the fall of the German Empire and the Bavarian Kingdom in 1918.