A WWI-era Iron Cross 2nd Class, dated 1914, with crowned 'W' cypher on the obverse and reverse showing 'FW' cypher, oak leaves, and '1813' commemorating the original 1813 founding of the order.The Iron Cross was reinstated by Kaiser Wilhelm II at the outbreak of the First World War, reviving a Prussian award first created by King Friedrich Wilhelm III in 1813 during the Napoleonic Wars, hence the 1813 date and "FW" cypher retained on the reverse. The 1914 Second Class was awarded in vast numbers to German soldiers, sailors, and airmen for a single act of bravery or merit in front of the enemy, and served as the qualifying grade before the First Class or higher distinctions could be conferred. It remains one of the most widely issued German military decorations of the war, awarded across all ranks and branches of service.