1914 2nd class Iron Cross

Hello everyone, today I was looking at my 1914 2nd class iron cross my grandfather left me. I assume he had found if while serving during WWII, though i never had the chance to ask him. I've had it for a couple of years but today I noticed something wierd. On the edge of the cross there is a red stain that runs around the border. It is blotchy and seems inconsistant. Does anyone know if these crosses had a red border color that ran along the very edge of the cross? To me it almost seems like blood which is kind of freaking me out. The more I look at it the more it looks like dried blood, so if anyone know why it would look like this I would really appreciate it. It doesnt make sense to me that it would be blood however, I don't see how it could have stayed on the edge of the cross unless it was never cleaned.

On another note, there is an engraved N that seems out of place to the left of the W marking. I can't tell if someone did this by hand of if it was manufactored like that. On the second ring there is another marking in the metal which is hard to make out but it is either a M-H, M-8, or M-9, the second letter is hard to read.

 

Hi Derek, I don't think it would be blood, but a picTure would really help us to expertise your E.K.

 

Here are a couple of pictures. I'm more interested in the origins of the N ingraved on it. I'm guessing the red was caused by storage, maybe a box it was in? I called my grandmother today and found out that my grandfather fought in the battle of the bulge. He was in the 101st airborne. I'd really love to find out exactly how he obtained this piece, though i'll probably never find out. Also thursday I'm going to have another relic he brought back home which is a Nazi flag. I'll take pictures and post it once I get it.

http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm201/darkunited87/DSC02154.jpg

http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm201/darkunited87/DSC02155.jpg

http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm201/darkunited87/DSC02160.jpg

http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm201/darkunited87/DSC02161.jpg

 

shame someone "N" stamped it, which caused the fracture, blood! No! it would have been virtually black with age if it was, but good piece, ray..

 

Very true, any idea why someone would have stamped an N on it?

 

Not a clue, only thing I can say is, the value has seriously diminshed...

 

Heh, I think the guy he got it from would have been an interesting fellow to talk to!

 

For sure. I can think a million ways he could have come across this medal. Two of which I find most plausible. He was taken in by a family during the war and they took care of him for a short time, maybe they gave it to him. That or he took it off a soldier that was killed. I could be very wrong of course. Just looking at it makes me think of all the things he and many men encountered during this war and adds to the mystique of it. I just wish i could ask him myself. And for the value of it, the monetary value means nothing to me, its the history that it has been subject to.