A 1957 pattern German WW2 Close Combat Clasp gold award.

The Close Combat Clasp (German: Nahkampfspange) was a World War II German military award instituted on 25 November 1942 for participation in hand-to-hand fighting at close quarters.

The award was bestowed in three classes

Bronze for 15 close combat actions;

Silver for 25 close combat actions;

Gold for 50 close combat actions.

Close combat actions were counted from 1 December 1942, with earlier long service on the Eastern Front counting towards the award, with 15 continuous months counting as 15 combat days; 12 months as 10 days; and 8 months as 5 days.

For those who had received disabling wounds, there was discretion to make the award after 10, 20 and 40 actions.

This is a 1957 pattern post war example produced after the war in a de-nazifird version without the eagle and swastika found on the wartime types.