The Ehrenkreuz (Honor Cross - or the Hindenburg Cross) was instituted on 13 July 1934 by the German Reichspräsident Paul von Hindenburg.  It was awarded retroactively to the veterans of the Imperial German military who had served during World War I.  The vast majority were officially distributed in late-1934 to early-1936 and were accompanied by an award certificate. 

Ehrenkreuz für Frontkämpfer

The ribbon for service outside of Germany is exactly the same as for the Iron Cross except for the addition of a central red stripe - the same width as the white stripe.  The ribbon for service within Germany has the colors reversed except for the central red stripe.  The original ribbon was a little over 3cm wide (3.01cm to 3.09cm) and had a fine silk weave with an intricate weft design.  Replacement ribbons can be made of most any material - with a poly based weave and minimal weft design being the most common current production, making it almost twice as thick as the original silk ribbon!  Since the Franco-Prussian War Medal  and the WWI Cross of Honor have the same ribbon colors, the following notes provide a brief guide on the differences.  These are only typical examples used for simplicity of explanation and is not an exhaustive list.

• Contemporary Franco-Prussian War Medal  Ribbon:  Silk, the weave is 16 rows per cm, each thread is 2 strands of ca. 12 fibers per strand, and it is UV-negative.  Silk, the weave is 17 rows per cm, each thread is 2 strands of ca. 10 fibers per strand, and it is UV-negative. 
• Contemporary WWI Cross of Honor Ribbon:  Silk, the weave is 15 rows per cm, each thread is 2 strands of ca. 20 fibers per strand, and it is UV-negative.  Silk, the weave is 16 rows per cm, each thread is 2 strands of ca. 15 fibers per strand, and it is UV-negative. 
• WWII-era Replacement Ribbon: Silk, the weave is 15 rows per cm, each thread is 2 strands of ca. 15 fibers per strand, and it is UV-negative.  Cotton, the weave is 14 rows per cm, each thread is 2 strands of ca. 10-12 fibers per strand, and it is UV-negative. 
• Modern-era Replacement Ribbon: Often found in widths of exactly 3.00cm or 3.10cm.  Silk, the weave is 14 rows per cm, each thread is 3 strands of ca. 10 fibers per strand, and it is UV-negative.  Cotton, the weave is 13 rows per cm, each thread is 2 strands of ca. 15 fibers per strand, and it is UV-negative.  Poly, the thread melts and clumps when burned, the weave is 15 rows per cm, each thread is 2 strands of ca. 10 fibers per strand, and it is UV-positive.  Cotton, the weave is 14 rows per cm, each thread is 3 strands of ca. 8-10 fibers per strand, and it is a false UV-positive due to the use of a fabric finish. Poly-cotton mix, the weave is 14-15 rows per cm, each thread is 2 strands of ca. 10-15 fibers per strand, and it is UV-positive.  

Please see my other guides and blog (http://blogs.ebay.com/tsa-li) for further information.   Thanks for viewing!