A leatherette-covered map case showing an an Iron Cross, The case is fitted with an interior compartment.

The Iron Cross, first instituted by Prussia in 1813 and revived by Germany in 1870, 1914, and 1939, was the most widely recognised German military decoration, awarded for bravery and merit in combat. Its image was widely used on military equipment and accessories of the era as a national and martial emblem, reflecting broader wartime symbolism rather than indicating award to a specific recipient. Map cases of this type were standard issue or private-purchase items used by officers to carry and protect maps and orders in the field.