This guide will cover only the Prussian 1914 Iron Cross 2nd Class awarded for service after World War I (12 November 1918-1923) and for service within the former German borders.   From contact with other collectors and reviews of documents, it is not clear if these awards were approved by the government or awarded under the authority of the various commanders but the awards were made and suitably documented - and, more importantly, they were accepted by the government of the 3rd Reich.  Excluded in this guide are the late-issues which were earned during WWI but were documented and/or presented later.  This is an important point because the documentation must specify the action post-WWI (which is rarely done) rather than the award's date (which normally denotes a late-issue).  The Eiserne Kreuz (Iron Cross - often abbreviated EK or IC) was originally instituted on 10 March 1813 by the Prussian King Friedrich Wilhelm III and was re-introduced by Kaiser Wilhelm II (acting as the King of Prussia) in 1914.  It was awarded for bravery in the field - without regard to rank or status.   The 1914 Iron Cross reverse was designed in 1813 by Karl Friedrich Schinkel, a famous Prussian sculptor and architect.  It is unknown how many Iron Crosses 2nd Class were awarded for this period, estimates range from 10 to almost 100.   Note that no Iron Cross 1st Class or Non-Combatant Iron Cross 2nd Class has yet been documented as being awarded for this service, although it is quite probable.  Deutsche Geschichte, April 2002 issue (58. Ausgabe, ISSN 0945 7224 B 20182 F) is a good detailed overview of this era in German history - a copy could potentially save you hundreds if you collect to this period.  

After 11 November 1918, the term Freikorps (Free Corps) was used for the various paramilitary organizations (to include air and sea units) that sprang up in defeated Germany - which included foreign volunteers from many nations.  Later, the Stahlhelm (Steel Helmet) organization members were sometimes associated with the Freikorps but this was on a case-by-case basis rather than as a unit.  The Freikorps was the Weimar Republic's main force active during that time, receiving support from the Defence Minister in response to the communist's movements.  While not an absolutely complete list, some of the more notable events were:

• 10 to 13 January 1919:  Battle of Berlin between the Spartakusbund (Spartacus League) and Police & Freikorps.  (Awards may have been made retroactively but are currently unknown.)
• 3 to 10 March 1919:  2nd Battle of Berlin between the Spartakusbund and Police & Freikorps.  (At least 3 unspecified decorations awarded - possibly EK II. - but it is unclear for which Spartakusbund action.)
• 14 April 1919:  Freikorps suppresses communists in Dresden. (Sachsen awards are suspected to have been awarded rather than the Prussian Iron Cross but little research has been attempted.)
• 18 April 1919:  Freikorps suppresses communists in Braunschweig (Brunswick).  (No awards have been documented by collectors to date although it is suspected.)
• 27 April to 3 May 1919:  Battle for Munich between the communists and Police & Freikorps.  (Bavarian awards are suspected to have been awarded rather than the Prussian Iron Cross but little research has been attempted.  Awards to Police are known.)
• 10 May 1919:  Freikorps suppresses communists in Leipzig on the Baltic Sea.  (At least 2 awards to members of the Freikorps have been documented - often mentioned as an award for Upper Silesia by non-Germans, incorrectly.)  The Baltic Cross is often attributed to this action. 
• 13 to 17 March 1920:  A small faction of the Freikorps attempts to overthrow the government in the Kapp Putsch.  (No awards are believed to have been made.)
• 13 March to 12 April 1920:  Freikorps and German Army battles communists - and the occassional French Army patrol - in the Ruhr River (Düsseldorf, Essen, Dortmund, Mülheim, Hagen, Remscheid) area.  (1 award - probably many more - to a member of the Freikorps for battling the communists and 1 is currently suspected for an attack against a French Army patrol.  At least 1 to an Army soldier but this one was for battling the communists.)
• Late-March 1920 to late-1923:  The French Army occupation troops battle remnants of the Freikorps and some Stahlhelm members in the Ruhr River (Düsseldorf, Neuss, Essen, Oberhausen, Dortmund, Herne, Mülheim, Hagen, Remscheid) area.  Many members are captured and sent to French prisons or executed.  (1 award for mid-1920, 1 award for late-1920, and 1 award for early-1921 is suspected to members of the Freikorps while 1 award for late-1921 to a member of the Stahlhelm is suspected although none have been verified to date.)
• 21 to 23 May 1921:  Battle of St. Annaberg in Upper Silesia between insurgents fighting for Polish independence and the Freikorps.  There were some associated actions outside of these dates.  (At least 3 awards to members of the Freikorps have been documented, other decorations such as the Order of the Silesian Eagle appear to have been awarded as well.)

The 1914 Eiserne Kreuz II. Klasse is approximately 42mm wide, 42mm high (not including the suspension loop), weighing 16 grams, made of blackened iron, and has a silver edge attached with a soldered silver suspension loop through which a silver suspension ring is attached.  To date, the known Iron Crosses earned during this time period were not hallmarked 800 or 900 on the suspension ring but are the late-WWI examples.  3 have a silver plated edge with a non-metallic core and are not hallmarked.  The Iron Cross 2nd Class is suspended from a black silk ribbon (about 32mm wide) with 2 white stripes near each edge.   The obverse had the Imperial Prussian Crown at the 12:00 high position, a W central (for Kaiser Wilhelm II) and the date 1914 at the 6:00 low position.   The reverse had the following design within the silver frame (from top to bottom):  the King's crown with FW below followed with a 3 leaf spray of oak leaves and the date 1813 below that.  The Cross was worn looped through a buttonhole on the jacket (typically the buttonhole closest to the heart) or worn on the left breast close to the heart.   Note that there absolutely is no way to look at a Prussian 1914 Iron Cross 2nd Class and determine that it was awarded for these actions since it is exactly the same as awarded for WWI - it's the documentation.

(obverse) 1914 Eisernes Kreuz II. Klasse (reverse)

The Iron Cross:  A History, 1813-1957 (Gordon Williamson), Das Eiserne Kreuz: von 1818 bis Heute (Walter A. Schwarz), and The Iron Time:  A History of the Iron Cross (Stephen Thomas Previteria) are three excellent references that should be consulted but there are many other excellent works as well.  In Ketten vom Ruhrgebiet nach St. Martin de Re (Gustav von Oetinger) is a good memoir of the 1922-1923 Ruhr resistance and list many participants.  The German Decorations & Orders Society (BDOS) publishes outstanding detailed information as well.  These 1918-1923 events in Germany are extremely interesting and can easily be located through internet searches if you would like further information.

In this particular case, the Iron Cross itself is not the major interest but the documentation which accompanies it.  Without the original official documentation, it is just a Prussian 1914 Iron Cross 2nd Class and valued as such.  In early-2006, a large quantity of apparantly original Stahlhelm/Freikorps Soldiers Books began to be offered on the market in Hamburg with a substantial amount documenting various awards of the EK with a few of the documents unclear if the EK was awarded for 1918-1923 or prior.  In January 2007, I saw a Stahlhelm Soldier Book (reportedly purchased in Hamburg in early-2006) that noted the post-war award of the EK I.Kl. (23. Mai 1921) on page 5 with no mention of an EK II.Kl. - although his WWI awards were listed!  Quite unusual ... and I suspect that some of these books will become available on eBay beginning this year.  It's very possible that this was a private collection which had been recently sold but many German collectors are very wary of these Stahlhelm/Freikorps Soldier Books and the collecting community is attempting to investigate.  Authentic documented examples are very rare and vary considerably in price, but normally begin at over $1000 - if you can find one.  My best advice is:  Buy only from a highly reputable dealer who specializes in German medals and provides a 100% guarantee.  Be aware that it will possibly take many weeks of negotiating prior to purchase agreement - you just can't walk into a dealer's and ask for one of these.

If you found this guide helpful, a Yes vote is appreciated.  This will help me gauge the level of interest in this and similar topics for further guides.  Please visit my blog ( http://blogs.ebay.com/tsa-li ) and/or guides (especially the WWI Iron Cross guide at http://reviews.ebay.com/Prussian-1914-Iron-Cross-2nd-Class_W0QQugidZ10000000002244946) for further information.  Thank you for your visit!