Welcome to the Special Offering Section of Wittmann Militaria. While we consider all of the items we offer for sale to be treasures, from time to time we do come across relics that can only be described as outstanding. It is in this section that we present to you those pieces deemed to be of exceptional quality, rarity, or historic significance.
SPO #31152C Early DLV Honor Prize Goblet
This DLV Goblet is really a work of art and is a most beautiful decorative trophy. It is a very large size, being over 12 inches in height and having a 5 inch diameter rim at the top. The rim is further decorated with overlapping oak leaves, having berries on each side. The goblet area of the cup is retained by two very stunning eagles. This cup was produced prior to the advent of the NSDAP, but the eagles very much resemble those later used by the Nazi Party. Both eagles are standing on firm talons, with half-open winged eagles, full breasts, and slightly dipped heads. The details to the birds is exceptional, especially to the feathering and talon areas. Each eagle also has hand done dimples to each eye and hand accented beaks. You can look at these two birds for a long time, admiring their qualities. The lower rim of the goblet flares out at the bottom, and further has a matching decorative overlapping laurel leaf wreath, the same as the upper rim. At the indented area of the lower rim, the jeweler’s hallmark and model number of this piece are deeply stamped “72658”, and then there is a crescent, a Prussian Crown, the silver content “835”, and the letters which appear to be “WIB”. Engraved in the center area of the obverse is a beautiful wreath of oak leaves and acorns. Within the wreath is an eagle in flight, having his head dipped downward and tilted slightly to the right. The engraver has done a magnificent work with the feathering details. Above the eagle are the initials “D L”, and below the initial, “V”. These are double scribed, and they are also lined in the center. On the opposite side is the purpose for this exceptional work of art, “EHRENPREIS/des/Deutschen Luftfahrt Verbandes e. V./SACHSENFLUG 1927. This, of course, translates to Honor Prize of the German Air Sports Club of Sachsenflug – 1927. The Germans were involved with sports clubs beginning in the 1920’s and, for the most part, the airplanes were glider varieties as the Versailles Treaty had forbidden motorized aircraft. These German flying clubs were nationalized in 1933 once the Nazis came into power. It is also well known that the Russians were helping the Germans covertly with developing motorized aircraft. Of course, these aircraft would later become the fearsome Luftwaffe. Not only is this an important and extremely decorative silver trophy, but it is also very rare and very desirable. I know that the price is expensive, but the item is on consignment and I have little control of this factor. If nothing else, it is a very beautiful item to look at, and if there is a DLV enthusiast with the pocketbook to match this trophy, I’m sure that it will provide great pleasure on a mantel overlooking a collection.Near Mint. $15,995.00
- SPO #31110C Knight’s Cross with Issue Case and Original Packaging
This Knight’s Cross with its original case, long ribbon, and original cartonage is easily the best example I have offered. This same Cross appears in the 3rd Issue of the Detlev Niemann Medals Book on pages 532 and 533. The cartonage is a paper box that contains the case and Knight’s Cross, and was used as a storage box upon issuance. This fine box is complete with a lid and the corners are held together with staples. Printed in the center of the box, in black capital letters are, “RITTERKREUZ DES/EISERNEN KREUZES”. At the bottom of the box in small black letters is the maker name and location town, “Klein & Quenzer A. – G. Oberstein”. This cartonage still is in excellent condition, showing only normal age. The case for the Knight’s Cross is also in choice condition, having no breaks in the corners and all of the black grained leatherette in place. This case measures approximately 5 7/8 inches by 3 1/8 inches and it is about one inch high. It is still in a new-like state. The push-button to open the lid is a magnetic type. The inner lid is covered in a padded textured-style white satin. At the bottom of the satin, in the left hand corner, is printed in black lettering “Klein & Quenzer A.G./Idar – Oberstein”. The inside base of the case is covered in black velvet. There is a recess at the end to accommodate the ribbon, and the shape of the Knight’s Cross and loop is also recessed. The ribbon is textured satin, which is ribbed, and it has a large red stripe in the center with small equal stripes on each edge of white and black. The ribbon is still in its original factory fold. The Knight’s Cross is still in its bright silver original manufactured state. It has beautiful border lines with outstanding raised serrations. The black colored areas in the centers of both sides are perfect. The obverse features a raised mobile swastika with the date 1939 at the bottom leg, and on the reverse the date “1813” appears. There is a small ring at the top which appears flat where it connects to the upper border leg. The reverse of the cross, just beneath the ring, is stamped “800”. The silver loop connected to the ring is stamped “800” and “65”. Assumedly, 65 is the number that was assigned to this maker. This entire assemblage is in pristine condition throughout, and as one can quite imagine, it is very very rare to see a marked cartonage, marked case, and a Knight’s Cross, which all belong to the same grouping. To further add to the investment possibilities, this great Knight’s Cross comes with a letter of authenticity signed by Detlev Niemann. The letter of authenticity also pictures the Knight’s Cross, cartonage, and case, and the pictures are attached to the letter. If you have been looking for something very special to add to your collection, I can’t imagine that there is a better conditioned complete Knight’s Cross out there to compete with this one. The best of the best here folks, and quite honestly, just looking at this beautiful piece will get your heart beating almost as fast as it was on the first night of your honeymoon. A great item here, unconditionally guaranteed as to authenticity.Mint. $17,500.00
- SPO #31111C Knight’s Cross with Case and Storage Ribbon
The case of this Knight’s Cross is in totally mint perfect condition. It has no wear through at any of the corners and it reflects all of the graining to its fine black leatherette surfaces. The push button is the magnetic type. When the case is opened, the inner liner is covered in a textured white satin. The lower portion of the box has a black velvet base. The base is recessed to accommodate the decorative ribbon. This ribbon is ribbed and it has a large red stripe in the center with equal sized stripes of white and black on each edge. The frontal area of the box also has a recessed area to accommodate the Knight’s Cross and the loop. This Knight’s Cross has some mild patination throughout. All of the blackening is in place on the reverse, and on the obverse it is also totally intact with the exception of some mild wear showing at the 6 o’clock, 9 o’clock, and 12 o’clock swastika leg ends. It is very mild, however. The serrations throughout show some mild top wear, but they are also still crisp. The bottom leg on each side has the “1939” date and also the date of inception, “1813”, on the reverse. The ring at the top of this cross has a flatter edge. Studying the outer areas of the ring, the viewer is able to see that the ring is actually part of the 2-piece sections of the Knight’s Cross, and is mated into one when the two sections are soldered together over the steel inner base. Just below the ring this cross is stamped “800”, and next to it the code for the C.E. Juncker firm, “L/12”. The loop above is also stamped “800”. This fine Knight’s Cross with original case and ribbon comes with a written guarantee from Detlev Niemann. The signed authenticity guarantee also includes photographs of the Knight’s Cross. The case for this example was apparently put together with the original Iron Cross. This case is also an original item and its authenticity is guaranteed by me. A very fine Knight’s Cross, case, and ribbon here. An exceptional investment as the C.E. Juncker examples are always on the high list of desired manufacturers. This is your opportunity to acquire a fantastic Knight’s Cross, case, and ribbon.Excellent Plus, Plus. $13,500.00
- SPO #31143C Untouched SS Himmler Inscription - Carl Eickhorn
This Himmler Inscription dagger does not appear to have been ever cleaned, not that it was dirty to begin with. What I mean by this, though, is that all of the nickel mounts have turned to a nice dull yellow color. I really like to see things in this untouched state, don’t you? The tang nut does not seem to have been turned in modern times, or if ever, so I will respect its status and leave it alone. The crossguards, though, look like the typical H.E. internally marked varieties. They have very good smooth surfaces throughout, with excellent crisp edges. The accent grooves are the very deeply carved hand done types that we see produced by this Eickhorn firm. The lower crossguard has the inspector stamping “2”. As we know, these numbers vary from 0 through 9, and on occasion you will see a Himmler dagger that has no number on it at all. The grip of this example is a very fine ebony. It has medium-to-sharp contour construction, and both center lines are high and crisp. The upper edge of the ebony, on both sides, is totally perfect and fits the crossguard like a glove. The lower ebony edges on the front have a tiny slither of wood missing at the left side where it meets the crossguard, and also a tiny sliver on the right. On the reverse there is a tiny sliver of the edge wood missing at the right side. These are hardly chips and are really a result of the brittle ebony wood being forced against the crisp lines of the crossguard edges. There are a couple of “tap-taps” in the reverse center left area of the wood, and these are directly attributable to the original-to-the-piece short hanger snap clip. There is also a tiny mark in the ebony just where the grip eagle fits into the wood at the right side. All of these comments are words that I would not bother to speak on a normal SS dagger, but I know how fussy a potential buyer can be with a Himmler piece, so I really want you know all of the “nitty-gritty”. The runes button is a most attractive copper example, being installed perfectly and tilted just to about 6:30 o’clock. The runes button is in pristine condition, having no breakage to the enameled surfaces. The matching patinated nickel grip eagle is the style with high-necked bird. This bird shows absolutely no wear and there are full details to the head, beak, breast feathering, wing feathering, talons, wreath, and mobile swastika. An excellent Himmler hilt here! The scabbard shell of this example is totally straight. It easily has 100% of its original anodized surface. The protective lacquer is still at least 85%. There are a couple of signs of very light age in the surfaces, but they are nothing. Again, something I would not bother to mention on a normal dagger. The mounts of this Himmler are in completely perfect condition, to include the lower ball. These mounts have that slightly more yellow color than the crossguards. This is typical for this time period of manufacture, and SA and SS runes from Eickhorn will also these slightly more yellow scabbard fittings. The fittings are retained by the original nickel screws, all of which are in place and are unturned. The original short hanger is in place around the upper carrying ring. This hanger has good black leather, showing some minor age cracking, but
still-bright surfaces. The retainer loop is also in place. This hanger features solid nickel buckle and unmarked snap clip. These parts have also patinated to nicely match the other nickel medal parts on this dagger. And now to the most important part of any dagger – the blade, of course! This blade is completely bright and retains all of its original cross graining. It does have some nominal runner marks, as when I received the piece it was in the scabbard. If I were going to retain this dagger myself I would keep it out of the scabbard, as I don’t see any use in further runner marks. The SS motto, “Meine Ehre heisst Treue”, is in choice crisp condition and has 100% of the original darkening in the backgrounds. This blade is in full mint condition. Turning the blade over, the viewer cannot help but be impressed with the Himmler inscription. This inscription is very deep and crisp and exactly matches the characteristics of the obverse motto, to also include the dark tone of the background blackening. The inscription is written in Himmler’s hand, “In herzlicher kameradschaft H. Himmler”. This, of course, means “In heartfelt comradeship H. Himmler”. The trademark of this example is the early double oval type and it features the smooth tail squirrel inside. The small ovals trap the firm’s name, “Carl Eickhorn”, and location, “Solingen”. The seated animal inside is of a slightly etch, but most of the details are discernable. We occasionally see etches like this on Himmler daggers. The blade shoulders nicely fit the lower crossguard contour. An exceptional Himmler dagger here, and if you are looking for a fine 3rd Reich investment, it is hard to imagine that you could go wrong with this beautiful example. It is untouched, it is absolutely original, and it is 100% guaranteed by me.Mint Minus. $18,995.00
- SPO #31129C Early Model 1933 SS Dagger - Robert Klaas
This Robert Klaas example is about as nice as you will see today. The dagger looks as though it was cleaned maybe 20 years ago, and has a nice even tone that has developed across its nickel fittings. The tang nut does not appear to have been loosened in modern times. The crossguards have fine smooth surfaces, crisp edges, and the accent grooves are precise. The reverse lower crossguard has the district stamping, Roman numeral “I”. The grip is a fine ebony, showing no repairs or problems. This grip is of medium-to-sharp contour construction. It shows only the most nominal usage signs with a nice little brownish grain starting to show through under the eagle area, which was probably caused by the original wearer’s handhold position. On the reverse there are a couple of very small “tap-taps”, just on the wood above the lower guard. Lining up the existing buckle from the short hanger with these impressions, results in an exact match. This grip absolutely fits the crossguards like a rubber glove. The SS runes button is turned to about 7:30 o’clock. The enameled surfaces show some usage, but there are no breaks or any problems. The grip eagle is a matching nickel type, and it is the variety that has the beak-pointing-upward-slightly. This bird shows only the most modest of wear, still having the detail to his eye, beak, breast feathering, wing feathering, talons, wreath, and mobile swastika. A fine SS hilt here. The scabbard on the obverse is complelely straight. The reverse is straight also, except for just the tiniest of “bb” style dent. It is not really a dent, though, and hardly shows. The scabbard surfaces have all of their anodizing. It is really rare to see this much finish on an SS dagger. Further, the original protective lacquer appears to be at about 85%. An extremely nice shell here. The scabbard mounts are in place, being of matching nickel and being in perfect condition, to include the lower ball. These mounts are retained by nickel screws, all of which are in place and appear unturned. The early black leather short hanger is in excellent condition and is complete with the small retainer loop. This hanger has solid nickel hardware, consisting of the oval buckle and long snout-style snap clip. These hanger mounts match the patination of the rest of the dagger. The blade of this dagger is also a beauty, commensurate with its outside. This blade is bright and has all of its original crossgraining. Other than the usual runner marks, this blade is in a full mint state. The SS motto is completely crisp and features easily 100% of the original darkening in the backgrounds. Don’t you love to just see these dark mottos, whether it be SS or SA? You can be sure that the men who originally wore these fearsome daggers were also pleased by the look of these etches! This mint condition blade is also beautiful on the reverse. The reverse ricasso features the logo of this firm, being a pair of kissing cranes. These cranes have the same black color as the SS motto on the obverse. Above and below the birds, in a circular form, is the firm’s name and location, “Robert Klaas, Solingen”. The blade shoulders perfectly meet the lower crossguard. If you are looking for an exceptional conditioned SS dagger, this one should please you. It is not totally mint, but it is about as close as you will see and still show some period wear.Mint Minus. $4,995.00
SPO #31031C Unissued SA Dagger with Grip Tag (RZM M 7/13) - Schüttlehofer
This beautiful SA dagger is in unissued condition and it is about as nice as you will ever see one. The crossguards and tang nut are of course the nickel-plated type and they retain their fine factory mirror finish throughout. There are no scratches or any usage signs on these guards. There is a tiny bit of lifting which has occurred on the rear lower guard just at the point where it meets the wood grip. Other than this though these crossguards are really special. The grip itself is also a fine example. It is a medium color fruitwood having a pleasing grain running lengthwise. The obverse grip is in totally perfect condition. The reverse grip is also with the exception there is a tiny surface sliver which has come loose where the grip meets the upper crossguard. It is nothing however. The eagle is the aluminum type and it is the style with beak which points slightly upward. This bird does not have much detail on its head and breast feathering but that is from the stamping not wear. The rest of the bird shows full wear to the feathering, talons, wreath and mobile swastika. The original grip tag is still in place around the upper portion of the grip. The tag has black printing on an off-white paper. It has a run number, “3676” and that is as far as you can see as the other part of the tag wraps around at this point. On the tag’s reverse there is an RZM black circle and beneath is the rubber stamping, “M7/13”. This stamping agrees with the RZM marking on the blade tying this example nicely in as we like to see them. The scabbard shell is absolutely sensational. It is a lighter chocolate color brown and the paint looks like it was sprayed yesterday. It is the type of paint that is put over the roughed metal surface with no primer. This paint is 100% and in full mint condition. The scabbard mounts are absolutely new like. These mounts are completely factory fresh as are the dome head screws which retain them. There has been no screwdrivers put into these grooves. Attached to the upper hanging ring is a choice late short hanger and matching belt loop. The leather on both of these pieces is still in perfect condition. The short hanger leather is marked, “RZM L2/60/41”. The buckle is still nice and crisp with its original nickel plating and the snap clip is the style that has the white style plaitng. This too though is in pristine condition being “OLC” marked as well as “RZM M5/71”. The D-ring of the belt loop is also pristine with mint plating. A very nice complete hanging assembly here. As we would expect the blade of this example is totally pristine mint. It is nice and bright and has 100% of the original crossgraining. The SA motto etch is crisp and has all of the factory blackening. The reverse ricasso has the double line open RZM circle over the code “M7/13”. This code represents the Arthur Schüttlehofer firm also known as Asso. The blade shoulders perfectly meet the crossguard contour. A real stunner here and if you are looking for a mint unissued piece I can’t imagine that there would be a better one than this example.Mint. $2,495.00
SPO #31028C Early NSKK Field Upgrade Chained Officer - Geb. Heller
This early NSKK chained dagger is an outstanding example and one of the best “lookers” that I have handled in a long time. The dagger is an early model equipped with solid nickel crossguards and nickel tang nut. The crossguards have good smooth surfaces, crisp edges, and precise accent grooves. The reverse lower guard is Gruppe marked “BO”. This is the Bavarian Austrian border near the mountain home of Adolf Hitler, the Berhof”. These crossguards are as nice as you will see. The grip is a most beautiful mahogany wood. This wood has medium contour ridge construction and is in absolutely perfect condition. The wood resembles the dashboard on a 1930s English motor car. It has a fantastic close grain which runs lengthwise and it is lighter in some areas and darker in others. The grip absolutely fits the crossguards like a rubber glove. The SA runes button is perfectly set and there are no breaks to the enameling. The nickel grip eagle is an outstanding “high-necked” example which shows full details to the head, beak, breast feathering, wing feathering, legs, wreath and mobile swastika. An outstanding hilt here! The scabbard shell is just as nice as the hilt. This shell features beautiful black lacquer paint. This paint is the type of tone that you literally could dive into. It is old though and has a couple of tiny spiders in the surfaces. The paint was obviously professionally done. The scabbard mounts are a nickel-plated type. They are quite early though and are of highest quality. These mounts are in choice condition throughout and the original dome head screws are in place and do not appear to have been turned. The center ramp is located fairly low on this scabbard shell. This is because the ramp would not go up any higher than the position it is in. It is one of the early types as the eyelet is slightly bigger than the eyelet on the upper scabbard. This is what we like to see with these field upgrade pieces but never an eyelet that is smaller on the center ramp. This eyelet also must have been heated when it was pressed into place as when it cooled down because of contraction did not need a screw to hold it in place. The chain is one of the best examples I have seen. This chain is most interesting in that all of the links are solid nickel to include the snap clip with the exception of the second link from the chain connection at the upper assembly. This link is a steel base. This can not be seen with the naked eye but a magnet picks it up immediately. It is also interesting to note that the ringlets that hold the chain links are all nickel except for the ringlets on this particular link which are nickel-plated steel. To the eye though the chain looks completely uniform. This chain is an exceptional high quality example and would have been the type that was used on the NSKK honor daggers as they too had nickel chains. What has apparently happened here is that the chain was probably originally a three link top as the early field upgrade varieties were. The owner or possibly the Heller factory decided that they would make their chains conform with the new manufactured type and merely added the link. This would have to be the reason for this so called upgrade. The chain is not RZM stamped on the back as we would expect however it does have the typical NSKK stamping which is “Musterschütz Korpsführung” with “NSKK” in between the two words. I can’t emphasize more how beautiful this chain is. The chain also has a fine black leather belt loop which has pebbled D-ring. The leather to the belt loop is also in choice supple condition. Taking the blade out of the scabbard is another great pleasure. This dagger just keeps inspiring the viewer through every phase! The blade is an early type having full grain in its surfaces. It is mirror bright and has a deeply etched crisp SA motto, “Alles für Deutschland”. The blackening is very dark as these Heller pieces often are. The trademark on the back of this fine mint blade is the very desirable double circle which contains the manufacturer’s name and location, “Gebrüder Heller Schmalkalden”. Inside is a black anchor. The blade shoulders perfectly meet the lower crossguard contour. If you are looking for the best of the best this dagger is an absolute winner. Probably the best NSKK chained dagger I have handled.Mint Minus. $5,795.00
SPO #31087C SS Officer Degen
This SS officer degen is one of the examples that was produced at Dachau. It has the stainless type hilt fittings and they are in pristine condition throughout. These hilt fittings consist of a D-guard with built in ferrule which ends in a small teardrop after passing through the crossguard. The Dachau pieces do not have the small partial decorative drilling to the teardrop. The tang nut above is a silver-plated type being a steel base. This tang nut is in excellent condition having good smooth surface and no tool marks to the segmented edges. The ferrule is a fine example showing handwork that is a little more than we usually see on the Dachau ferrules. This handwork consists of small dot patterns that were added to the vein lines. There is also some pebbling and other handwork to the separating acorns. The runes button exactly matches the stainless finish of the other parts having good black backgrounds. The ebony grip is in perfect choice condition with no splits, chips or problems. This grip is tightly wrapped with matching nickel wire. An outstanding SS grip here. The scabbard of this example is straight throughout. It has flawless black paint which with careful examination shows that it was redone not too long ago and was accomplished by a professional. A very fine paint job here which does much to add to the looks of this piece. The lower mount is an outstanding example having a finish matching the hilt and retained by two headless side screws. The upper mount is the slightly larger style that we often see installed on these Dachau hilts only this example has been nicely curved at the lower points to give it a more natural look. This mount is retained by two flathead flush mount screws. It too nicely matches the hilt finish. The blade of this example is an unmarked variety but its proportion is somewhat smaller than what we normally see on Dachau blades. In other words, this blade is slightly thinner than other SS or police blades. Because of the variance in degen that we see coming from Dachau it was obvious that Muller allowed some customization in design from his customers. i.e. we see degen produced with Damascus blades having individual names etched into the finish as well as the completely customized hilt that Muller produced for his future son-in-law. It is obvious that the staunch regulations laid down for Himmler on factory produced SS degens were not necessarily observed at Dachau under Paul Muller’s guidance. This blade is in a mint condition and is protected by a fine brown leather washer. An interesting SS degen here which does not conform to norm but nevertheless appears to be a period made weapon and an excellent addition to an advanced collection.$7,995.00
SPO #30099 Hero-Sized Bronze Bust of Hermann Göring
This hero-sized bronze is of immense proportion and with its marble base is extremely heavy weighing about 80-90 pounds. The head of Herman Göring is about 18-inches high and the width at its widest point is approximately 11-inches. The bronze is done in an exact likeness of Herman Göring and probably would have been displayed in either a public building or possibly a building connected with the Luftwaffe. When we received the bronze there was no base for it and we had the base constructed by a local marble dealer. The bronze head has a platform like formation at the bottom of it with a large hole that was used for mounting the head. We have put the bolt solidly through the marble base and it is now good to show off in your rec room for the next 100 years. This bronze likeness looks exactly like Herman from the front, back, top or underneath. The bronze is patinated to have a rich dark finish. It is artist signed by, “Ulaf Lemke”. The hero-size bronze is something we do see with Adolf Hitler as the subject. Obviously a good number of these were spread about Germany. Hermann Göring though is a much rarer subject and this is the first example I have seen of him in the hero portrayal. At his trial Herman said that people will be putting up statues of him in fifty to sixty years, he probably didn’t realize his image would become collectible in its period state! This is a great art item and would make a great enhancement with other Göring or Luftwaffe related items. Due to its weight the bronze would have to be crated before it could be shipped. It would be preferable if the next purchaser could make is own arrangement to either pick up the bronze or we can meet him at a mutual convenient area.Excellent Plus, Plus. $5,995.00
SPO #30776 Führer Standarte
This Führer standarte is in great condition and is the size that can be put on a collecting wall. The standarte is 8 foot by 8 foot. It has all the brilliant colors being printed on both sides. The red background features army open-winged eagle with swastikas in both the ten o’clock and four o’clock corners and Wehrmacht closed winged eagles with swastikas in the two o’clock and eight o’clock corners. In the center area there is a round white field with a large gold oak leafed wreath. Inside is an immobile black swastika having a white line with black border. The standarte is bordered in stripes of black, white and black. As stated the colors are still all nice and bright and extremely effective. This standarte is equipped with a canvas hoist and the two connecting loops are still on the rope. The name of and size of the flag is black inked on the left side of the obverse hoist, “St. d. Führers 2.4 x 2.4”. These Führer standartes were maintained in government offices throughout the Reich as well as in military quarters in the event that the Führer would arrive on the site. This is a great opportunity for you to acquire your own Führer standarte. These flags are a fantastic investment and prices have been increasing drastically over the last couple of years. This is a good time to get yours while they are still somewhat affordable. A really great example here.Near Mint. $6,995.00(#061110)
SPO #30714C Imperial/Third Reich Naval Dirk with Personalized Damascus Blade - Robrecht, Berlin
This Imperial Naval Dirk is a very delicate piece, carried during the Imperial period as well as during the Third Reich. The original owner obviously served either the whole time or perhaps his son wore the dagger during the Kriegsmarine time. At any rate, this beautiful dagger has one of the best 1938 update pommels we have seen to date. This delicate pommel is of the same caliber and almost looks identical to the elegant example I show on page 231 of my Naval Book. The pommel of the book dirk may have just a little bit more hand embellishing but the one on the dagger has even more elegance about it. It is smaller than the normal naval pommels we see and it really goes perfectly with the diminutive appearance of this dagger. This pommel has small amounts of gilding that still remain in the recesses. The head is beautifully detailed with brow, eye and beak. Feathering has been all hand done on the breast as well as on the wings of both sides of the bird. The talons and legs are also outstanding and the wreath is a highly vaulted type with mobile swastika inside. Even the pedestal has a slightly different shape than we normally see. A very beautiful pommel here! The crossguard is the capstan type and it is small than the norm. As chance would have it I show a dagger made by Robrecht in my Naval Book on page 64. This dagger has many similar qualities. The crossguard center block depicts a fouled anchor and has lines of pebbling in the plain areas to add depth to the depiction. The tapered crossguard arms are four sided and go outward to end in capstans which flare out. These capstans are all fluted on the edges and have circular lines on the tips. There is a blade release button built into the reverse of this crossguard as well as a butt plate. The grip a very striking genuine ivory. The grip has turned a golden tone from the years and it also has some graining and small cracks in the surface to further tease the eye. There is a small chip in the upper reverse segment but it is mostly covered by the in place original portepee. This portepee is a gold toned silver bullion type. It is still in its original tie and other than some fraying where the cord comes out of the knot the portepee is in good condition. The slide and stem have the usual “V” designs in their weave. The lower ball is of silver bullion and has a cat’s anus stuffing consisting of a gray style thread. An extremely captivating hilt here. The scabbard of this example is thinner than most and also is more delicate. It has a hammered finish but along with the finish there are also engraved oak leaves which are done at the lower portion of the upper carrying band and also on both sides of the center band. The lower area of the scabbard is finished off with hand done oak leaves and acorns featuring three centered acorns which separate the leaves. An attractive combination here. The lower chape also has engravings which appear to be little acorns running around the base circumference. There are some carrying signs throughout the brass of this scabbard but no real dents per se. The portion of the scabbard above the upper band on both sides has the engravings of a rope which is tied in a bow like knot. The bands themselves have a plain surface and there are stamped oak leaves and acorns which decorate the center area. The eyelets are triple serrated and they are identical to the eyelets shown in the piece on page 64 and 65. Like the book piece there is one screw also missing from the throat on the left side while the right side is intact. The rings of this example are cut with a roped design. The blade is a small thin style having double fullers in the naval tradition. The blade is of hand forged Damascus and it has a beautiful maiden hair style pattern which at one time must have been very elegant. Much of the original Damascus pattern is still visible throughout this blade. Unfortunately there is some pitting where moisture must have gotten into the scabbard. The moisture has covered about 70% of the obverse of the blade and maybe 50% of the reverse. It is not deep however and it would be possible to rub out the pitting as the pitting is not deep and than this blade could be reetched and would look as good as new. I know this is scary stuff but I have seen it done before and the results are really spectacular. The other alternative is to leave the blade the way it is as there is certainly nothing to lose as it is still very beautiful despite the aging. The obverse ricasso has the original owner’s monogram raised out, “G.W.”. The first thing that comes to mind of course is that George Washington must have worn this dirk while sleeping on the Kaiser’s yacht, but of course that is not the case. I would think that a search through the imperial rank list and possible some of the rank lists from the 20’s and 30’s could reveal at least a number of possibilities as to whom the owner originally was. This is the kind of fun though that can be reserve for this next owner of this dirk. The blade still has the original off red felt buffer. A very beautiful thing here and as most collectors are aware imperial naval daggers with Damascus blades all but impossible to find anymore. A great piece here with exceptional possibilities for restoration of the blade. Incidentally, I took a look at the blade tang and one side of the blade is deeply stamped, “272”. There is no stamping as to the original smith but it looks as though when the blade lock was installed anything stamped into the tang surface was ground out. At any rate, a fine delicate dirk here with great possibilities.Excellent. $6,495.00
SPO #30716C Government Official Dagger
This Alcoso Government Official's Dagger is in an untouched state and it does never appear to have ever been apart. A great dagger here for someone who is looking for an “as found” example in virgin condition. The hilt is a fine example having crisp detail to the left looking eagle head pommel. This bird has a crisp brow over his eye and his four corners of the beak are still sharp. The accent lines which appear as feathering on both sides of the lower head are also crisp. The accent lines which run around the upper border are deep and well done. The left side plate is one of the brass based type and it has perfect silver plating. This normally would indicate an early piece here. The ferrule is also a beauty reflecting the hand cut twin line decoration. All of the silvering throughout this hilt appears to be there. There is one small wearing hit to the cantilever section of the eagle’s lower head. Other than this I see no flaws to the metal of this hilt. The grip, of course, is the wood base type to which has been glued the celluloid swirled plates which very much resemble mother of pearl. Both of these plates have turned a golden color and the workmanship to their fitting and shaping is absolutely perfect. The crossguard of this example portrays the upward pointing quillon ends with an outstretched wing eagle centered. This bird looks in the same direction as the pommel bird and also has outstanding detail to his head. In fact, this entire bird has very good detail something not seen too often on these Alcoso pieces. The breast area has the two notches at the center shoulders and the legs and talons are also well done where there are even signs of hand enhancing. The wreath is the smaller type having a nice black inside with a vaulted mobile swastika. An outstanding crossguard here also having all of its silvering and no carrying hits. Looking at the spanner at the top of the pommel I do not see any signs that this dagger has ever been apart. It is also interesting to see that the spanner is shaped at a curvature at the top to exactly math that of the bird’s head. Once the spanners have been out it is very difficult to match the original curvature to say nothing of the enlargement of the holes which more or less has to happen because of the spanner wrench needed to accomplish the loosening. The reason the spanner can not be put back in the same position is usually because the blade will be loose. This is the problem with taking these daggers apart, or for that matter any dagger as over the years the wood bases or celluloid materials tend to shrink and the result is always a certain looseness that can never be offset when the dagger is reassembled. This is just my opinion but if you know the dagger is good what is the point of taking it apart? Certainly many a naval dagger has wound up with a loose pommel simply because a new owner could not stand to see whatever it was he was looking for inside. This never makes sense. The scabbard of this example is a fine Alcoso that has all of its silvering and is deeply patinated matching the hilt. The scabbard is still crisp throughout its pebbled designs. The edges show a couple of tiny lifts underneath the surfaces but there is no silvering gone or any problems that are likely to occur. The scabbard is completely straight except for the tiniest little “pinch” just about an inch upward from the chape end. The dent does not really show though unless you examine the dagger from the side. The carrying bands feature the dual overlapping oak leaves with acorns mixed in. These oak leaves show almost no wear at all and are the type that rise towards the eyelets. The eyelets are of course the type with small sleeves to aid in the wear against the rings and they each have triple serrated edges which also are still crisp. The throat is retained by two flatter head Alcoso side screws and they are the type that are of small bore. The blade of this example is the best you will see. It is completely mirror bright and retains its needlelike tip. 100% of the crossgraining is still there and this blade easily grades in mint condition. The reverse ricasso is etched with the trademark used from 1937 through 1939. It portrays the scales in a perpendicular position on the blade and the firm’s initials “ACS” are interspersed within. Atop the scales is the block lettered arch shaped name of the firm, “Alcoso”. Below is the block lettered location city, “Solingen”. The original blue leather blade buffer is in place. A fantastic untouched government official here. If you are going to take this dagger apart I would prefer that you would not buy it and look for one that already has the spanner holes burred. If for any reason the numbers do not match I would be glad to take the dagger back at any time.Near Mint. $6,495.00
SPO #30717C Dedicated Kriegsmarine Dirk with Ivory Grip & Storage Box - WKC
This Kriegsmarine presented dagger is in top condition and would make a great addition to any upper level naval type collection. It is very rare indeed that we see factory done naval presented blades. A special order blade was always an expensive thing because it would have taken special templates to be used to produce the dedication necessitating a lot of time and effort. But, we will get to the blade of this dagger further down in the description. First off, this dagger was most likely presented early in 1938 so it was made originally with a ball top pommel. The ball top was subsequently replaced by the “1938 changeover” type which was introduced in April of that year. This beautiful pommel has nearly 100% of all the original gilt on its surfaces. The pommel is the type that I show on page 229 on the left. It is also identical to the example shown on page 230, right. A further look at this pommel if you’re not familiar with its design can be seen on page 232 of my Naval Book. The pommel has a great depiction to the bird’s head having high brow and very serious facial characteristics on the bird which looks to the viewer’s left. The breast feathering is also well done as are the talons and legs of the bird. But what really gives this pommel a great look is the deep recesses in the back of the wing shoulder area. These recesses are much more dramatic on this pommel than they are on any other type. Adding to the look is also the fact that the wreath is drastically vaulted outward and of course contains the raised out mobile swastika inside. A great look here and something the real collector will never get tired of looking at. The crossguard is a standard WKC variety and of course it exactly matches the design shown on page 270. This crossguard also has most of the original gilt thinning only on the quillon end areas. The quillon arms have excellent acanthus leaves where they go outward and the button ends have good fluting around them. The nipple endings are not as far out as some makers will be. The grip of this example is a beautiful original ivory. The grip is completely chip free and is a much darker gold on the reverse than it is on the obverse. The grip also has a very pleasing subtle dual crack line running down the right edge. The left edge also has the same type of twin lines but it is covered by the in place portepee. The reverse of the grip not only is golden in color but it also has very prominent graining running throughout the grip. The wire is tightly done and it is a twisted brass type. There is also some old residue here and there showing the age of this grip trapped by the wire between the ribs. You will not see a better ivory grip than this one. Setting off the hilt of this example is the original to the piece silver bullion naval portepee. This portepee is totally set in place and has mostly toned to a more gold color than silver. There is no fray on this portepee, just desirable aging. The slide and stem have the usual “V” designs in their weaving. The lower ball is all bullion and the insert has the cat’s anus style stuffing we usually see on naval knots. A wonderful hilt depiction here! The scabbard is absolutely straight throughout and has the more expensive peened surfaces. The peening is deeply done and still quite crisp. The gilt throughout rates at about 90-95%. The end chape button is also peened to match. The bands are the high off the surface type and they feature overlapping oak leaves with acorns mixed in. The eyelets are the style which have been engraved with oak leaf designs. This scabbard is identical in every way to the one shown on page 271 and also to the one shown in color on page 366. The throat is retained by two dome head side screws which again looks exactly like page 271. It is interesting to note that both of the eyelets show some swing wear but much more on the upper than the lower so the recipient of this dagger definitely wore it. The blade is completely mirror bright and reflects very heavy nickel-plated surfaces. The blade has the etch which is standard on the beginning and the end areas being identical to page 275, right, however in the center there is a panel which is left open on both sides. On the obverse the panel has the raised name of the recipient, “Hans Schütte”. On the reverse there is a two line etching, “Treue um Treue / Mar. Kom. Sol. – Wald”. The expression of course means “Loyalty in Return for Loyalty” and the words below would be the marine commandeer from the area of Solingen Wald. This blade has all of the frosting in the backgrounds and easily grades in full mint condition. The WKC trademark is on the obverse being a stamped knighthead and beneath are the firm’s initials, “WKC”. There is an off red felt buffer which has protected this beautiful blade these many years. I looked into the career of “Hans Schütte” and only found some preliminary records which go through November 1938 beginning in November of 1936. The next owner of this dagger I’m sure can do much more with this than my cursory search. The November 1936 record is quite interesting as Schütte serves as a Fähnrich which of course is a cadet on the “Panzerschiff Admiral Graf Spee”. Interestingly this ship was the one that was trapped in Uruguay as the war began in 1939 and was scuttled outside of the Platte River harbor. The November ’38 record shows that Schütte was promoted to lieutenant as of April 1, 1937. This would have been the time he no doubt received the dagger. He is just listed as a line officer at that time and not assigned to a ship. I have a feeling that the dagger was probably given to him because he may have been from Solingen and perhaps the son of one of the local politicians or even the son of one of the hierarchy in the Solingen WKC factory. Perhaps the next person researching this dagger can find this out. The dagger comes in a fine storage box. The box is a tan color on the outside with a dark green blue base color material. This covering is a leatherette type substance which has the look of perhaps elephant skin or something of this nature. There are a couple of wear points around the corners and edges but overall the box is still in excellent condition. The box has two hinged brass flanges which fold over a male part below and hook through the female section of the flares. The inside of the box has a liner of blue silk having a horse hair base behind. The obverse of the box is lined with a blue velvet and is not cut out to be recessed. The lid though pretty well keeps the dagger in place. There is no way to tell for sure whether this box is original to the dagger but it absolutely is a period box and judging by the interior colors one would assume it had to have been produced for a naval purpose. An outstanding example here of a very rarely seen dedicated Kriegsmarine dagger and also in superlative condition. A fine investment quality piece here which will give many years of pleasure and hopefully also provide for a sound investment.Mint Minus. $9,995.00
SPO #30672C Dachau Produced SS Officer's Degen with Portepee
I am very pleased to be able to offer this outstanding Dachau produced SS officer degen as I have not had one of these to see in quite some time. SS officer degens are becoming ultra rare. This example is a classic Dachau produced piece which were done under the supervision of Paul Müller. Müller produced these swords using stainless steel for the blades and the hilt parts and scabbard mounts were chrome plated steel instead of the usual nickel-plated types. This example is even nicer than the book example I show in color on page 390, right. The pommel is in choice condition having absolutely no burring or problems. This pommel is the officer type having a smooth top with an umbrella like fluted edge exactly like the piece on page 390. The D-guard and upper ferrule exactly match the finish of the lower ferrule. Unlike the earlier pieces the ferrules at Dachau only had the images of the standing oak leaves and acorns separating them but they did not bother to darken them like the earlier types. The areas between the two leaves have some pebbling added. The quillon end coming from the D-guard ends in a teardrop. The teardrop does not have the partial drilling like the earlier pieces did. The grip of this example is a choice ebony wood in totally perfect condition with no chips, cracks or problems. This beautiful grip is tightly wrapped with nickel wire. The runes button appears to be an earlier nickel type rather than the later chrome style we usually see used on the Dachau swords. It is definitely an original button and may have just been a question of using up materials. There is a fine SS portepee wrapped about the hilt. This portepee shows a little bit of wear and some age but there is no fraying or any problems. The strapping is the textured bullion style having twin black lines decorating the edges of both sides. The slide is a woven bullion wire and the stem below is the flatter type being slightly bulbous in the center areas. The bullion fabric on both sides depicts a black circle with SS runes inside. The knot below is of aluminum bullion in an oval shape and it is stuffed with material matching the strapping. A very beautiful hilt here! The scabbard of this example is the typical thinner type used at Dachau. This scabbard is perfect throughout with no dings or problems and has remarkable original black paint. This black paint shows only the most modest of usage and it is in near mint condition. The only wear at all I see on the paint is a little bit around the “U bracket” on the back and also on the carrying band at the front. The scabbard mounts are also the thinner type used at Dachau. These chrome mounted mounts have the basket weave that we call the Wotan’s knot. They have a nice pebble effect in between the weave but like the ferrule there is no darkening. This upper mount is retained with two headless side screws. The later pieces would have the mounts retained with dome head screws in the obverse and reverse lower loop. The lower scabbard mount is pressed into place. This mount has standard line decoration and there is some darkening in the backgrounds but not like the earlier models. A textbook scabbard here. The Dachau pieces are not SS stamped so we do not see these markings on the lower hilt or the throat area. The blade of this example is bright and mint throughout being the stainless steel type. It measures a little over 32 inches in length and shows no wear and has an outstanding finish. This blade is buffered by an in place black leather washer. Normally the Dachau pieces used standard leather washers, not the white type. This is really an outstanding SS officer’s degen. The only variance from a textbook piece is the nickel runes button in the grip. It is definitely an original runes button and as mentioned above I feel that it represents a using up of parts that Müller may have had on hand. There are so few SS officer swords offered for sale these days I urge the person with the proper pocketbook and desire to invest in this beauty.Mint Minus. $11,995.00
SPO #30428 Chained Marine NSKK Officer Dagger (RZM M7 / 66) - Carl Eickhorn
This chained Marine NSKK Officer Dagger is really an exceptional example. I see these daggers offered from time to time but I am not usually interested in them unless they have most of the original gilding on the surfaces. If they do not I pretty much consider them in the same category as a standard NSKK dagger. This dagger though really caught my attention and I ultimately purchased it at the SOS show. The gilded surfaces on this dagger are at least 90%. The gilded finish is also the muted “gold wash” that we see used with Eickhorn types. The dagger is equipped with plated crossguard and tang nut. These plated guards have nearly all of the original gilded finish only showing wear on the very sharp ends as well as a little in the center area which would have been caused by the original wearer’s hand. The grip is a typical RZM type having high ridge construction. It has an attractive vertical running grain and it appears to be a mahogany wood. The grip is in perfect condition and nicely fits the gilded crossguards. The upper portion of the grip has the standard SA runes button and there is perfect enamel to this insignia. The grip eagle is the style with “beak which points upward slightly”. It is a nickel eagle and I do not see any signs that it ever had gilding to its surfaces. (Some marine daggers will have gilded eagles.) The eagle is in the same condition as the rest of the dagger and there is full details to the bird’s head, breast feathering, wing feathering, wreath and swastika. The scabbard shell is straight throughout. This shell has excellent original black paint. The paint is in near 100% condition showing only the most nominal of wearing signs. The scabbard mounts are the standard nickel-plated Eickhorn types and the gild remaining across them is near 100%. The only areas where there is wear is the thick throat area and also the rolled edge area at the lower mount. A few place of the rolled edge of the center mount shows some wear but it is nominal. These mounts are in perfect condition to include the lower ball. The screws appear to be standard style but they have been in the piece so long they seem to blend well with the gild finish. The eyelets on the upper and center mount match each other in size and they too are gilded. The eyelets which connect the chain to the mounts are the standard steel type and I do not see any gilding on these. The chain itself is the standard four top link, five bottom link variety. It is a steel chain. The gilded surfaces to the chain appear to be about 85%. Most of the gild is worn from the edges of each link but still remains in the center areas as well as on most of the reverse links. The upper chain links depict the NSKK open winged eagle with swastika which alternates with a link depicting a sunwheel swastika. The lower chain is the same except the center link depicts the special triangle rune only used by the NSKK. The upper snap clip has the shield depicting two oak leaves with an acorn in the center. The gild is worn on the connecting areas of the snap clip but the shield and clip itself still have all of the gild finish. The upper reverse link has the standard markings, “NSKK Musterschütz Korpsführung”. It is interesting to note that the opposite link instead of the usual M5/7 Assman code has a different stamping. This chain stamping is, “RZM M5/223”. The stamping is a double stamp and it is a little difficult to make out the actual numbers but I believe this is what it is. Hooked to the snap clip is a nice black leather belt loop which has a D-ring with a slight gilded look to it. I don’t know whether this loop is original to the piece but it sure looks like it is. As we would hope drawing the blade is a rewarding act. The blade is still nice and bright and has nearly all of its original crossgraining. The SA motto, “Alles für Deutschland” is nice and crisp and has about 98% of the original darkening in the backgrounds. This blade rates easily in near full mint condition. The reverse ricasso is etched with a single RZM circle over the code, “M7/66” and the production date of “1939” is below. These etching are a little lighter than we normally see with Eickhorn products but this is the way it came out. A really great original marine NSKK piece here. You just do not see them with this much original gilded finish.Near Mint. $6,995.00
SPO #30462C Adolph Hitler Cigarette Box
This silver cigarette box is the equivalent of sterling. It is part of one of the smoking sets that was available for visitors at the Berghof. This box measures 6 7/8 inches in length and approximately 4 inches in width. It is 2¼ inches high. The lid features a Greek chain link pattern that borders the raised inner edges of the lid. The outer edge is about ¼ inch past this inner area. In the center of the box there is an applied closed winged Politcal-style Eagle, which looks to the viewer’s left. The eagle grasps a wreathed immobile swastika within its talons. On either side of the wreath, respectively, are the initials “A” and “H”. The details to the eagle are outstanding throughout his brow, eye, beak, breast feathering, wing feathering, legs, and talons. The raised immobile swastika also has a nice patination in the backgrounds, which is raised out within the wreath. The simplicity alone, of this outstanding format, makes for a very beautiful box. The lid itself is about ¼ inch in depth. It raises via a piano style hinge at the back, and there is a small tab located at the center obverse for positioning of the thumb to pressure open the box. The lower portion of the box measures 1¾ inches in height, and there are separate legs applied to all four corners. These legs are approximately 3/8 inches in height. The edges of the box are completely smooth and plain, and the legs feature a 3-tiered step image. The inside of the box is lined in what appears to be a cedar wood. It is a pleasing brown color with some grain in the surfaces. It lines the inner lid as well as the lower part of the box. At the lower portion it is separated in the center to divide the storage space. The bottom edge of the box has the proof stampings of a crescent as well as a Prussian crown. Beneath the Prussian crown is the silver content marking “925”. To the left of this hallmark is the logo of the producer/jeweler. It consists of a Munich maid with her arms open, and there appears to be an initial on either side of the girl. These initials are, on the left, “T”, and on the right, “H”. This is the hallmark of Theodore Heiden , an extremely prestigious Munich based firm. Interestingly, the firm was shut down by the Economics Ministry of Munich in 1943, mainly because Heiden refused to join the NSDAP. Apparently, he was imprisoned for his reluctance to tow the Party Line. This sort of history only adds to the pedigree of this item, and is worthy of further research. In any case, the surfaces of this box are in excellent condition with no dings. Just to the right of the monogram there are a couple of scratches. One scratch is at the 3 o’clock area, and the other is downward at about 5 o’clock. There are some accompanying photographs that come with the box that picture it approximately 15 years ago, and in the photographs these scratches are discernable, so they are not recent. This cigarette box was originally brought back by Sgt. Fred J. O’Donnell, who “liberated” the cigarette box from the Berghof in Berchtesgaden while serving with the 3rd Army. Accompanying the box are a number of documents. The first document is a newspaper article that is written about Sgt. O’Donnell and the items he brought back from Berchtesgaden to include the cigarette box. Next is a letter from the famous Kansas City collector, “Keith Wilson, Jr.”, on his letterhead as City Manager of Indepedence, Missouri. The letter solicits Fred O’Donnell, dated August 9th, 1983, in hopes of securing the cigarette box from him. Mr. O’Donnell did not sell at that time. The next piece of documentation also includes a newspaper article about collector Frank Gish, who is now deceased. Mr. Gish made an attempt to secure the cigarette box from Fred O’Donnell in October of 1987. The documentation includes a letter from Frank Gish indicating that he is enclosing $2,500 as an offer for the cigarette box. Again, Sgt. O’Donnell did not sell. By a stroke of luck, the current owner of the cigarette box and consigner ran a newspaper ad in his hometown of Detroit looking for militaria. Sgt. O’Donnell had subsequently moved to the area and saw the ad in the newspaper. He met with my consigner approximately 1 year ago and finally sold the Hitler cigarette box, as he was getting up in years. There is also a letter to the consigner from Sgt. O’Donnell consummating this sale. Also accompanying the documentation is a fine period loose leaf book, which is called “Der Berghof”, and has an eagle and swastika on the cover. The book shows color pictures of the Berghof and its inside rooms. It is quite an interesting book. Also accompanying the documents is a battle record of the Third Division which puts them in Berchtesgaten, as well as a newspaper article from Munich, Germany, dated May 12, 1945, indicating the Third Army was in Berchtesgaten. This is an outstanding opportunity to acquire one of the perhaps 6 known cigarette boxes made especially for the residences of Reich Chancellor Adolph Hitler. This box in excellent condition and is accompanied by documentation 100% authenticating the item. In addition, I unconditionally guarantee that this cigarette box was pre-war produced and made for the Berghof residence of Adolph Hitler. This is a great opportunity to acquire a once-in-a-lifetime item. The prices on these boxes continue to go upward. This is the type of artifact that really should be in a museum some day. If you have the pocket book, this is absolutely an outstanding investment.Excellent, Plus, Plus. $34,995.00
- SPO #30089 Presented Anchor Plaque and Naval Swords of Q-Ship Captain and Knight's Cross Winner Bernhard Rogge
This This very interesting and historical grouping consisting of a special handmade plaque and the swords of Q-ship Captain Rogge came into a coin and Militaria ship recently in Rochester New York. First off, Vizeadmiral Bernhard Rogge was the captain of the most famous of the Q-ships, The Atlantis. The ship was a raider that sailed throughout the North Atlantic in the form of a merchant vessel. Once the ship was in sight of enemy merchant ships it unmasked its guns and preceded to sink the enemy. During Rogge’s time as captain of the Atlantis he sunk 145,000 shipping tons. He sailed over 100,000 miles at sea in 622 days. Finally the Atlantis was intercepted and sunk but not before Rogge finally received the Oak Leaves on December 31, 1941. Rogge was born in 1889 and served in the imperial navy earning the Iron Cross 1st and 2nd. He continued in the navy after the Great War and in 1926 was the recipient of the Lifesaving medal. His greatest days were to come though with the Kriegsmarine when he captained the infamous Q-ship Atlantis. Obviously much research can be done concerning this outstanding naval officer. He rejoined the German navy after the war retiring in 1962. The grouping consists of a plaque that I believe was probably made in the machine shop of the Atlantis. It consists of a wooden base that was staged in two pieces. In the center area there is a replica of an anchor produced from stainless steel. This anchor measures about 11 ½-inches in height and the distance between the two plows is about 8 ½-inches. The machine work is very well done and is complete with a loop at the top of the shaft and a chain which connects to one of the anchor plow tips. Screwed into the wood base is a brass plaque. The plaque is engraved with the following six line presentment, “Dem Kommandanten des H.K. / Atlantis / Herrn Konteradmiral a.D. / Bernhard Rogge / von der Marinekameradschalt / Goss – Dorsten – Hilfskreuzer Atlantis”. This translates, “To the Commandeer of the Heavy Cruiser Atlantis Vizeadmiral Retired Bernhard Rogge from the Navy Comrades of the Large Raider and Heavy Cruiser Atlantis”. The wood base measures 7-inches by 8-inches and the plaque is about 5-inches by 2 ½-inches. Accompanying this plaque are the swords which were carried by Rogge during his tenure of the first World War and the second World War. Unfortunately although the swords look pretty nice in their scabbards and they are complete with the hanging leather thong straps with snaps as well as the original silver bullion dress knots the problem is Rogge when he surrendered the swords broke the blades in half. The Third Reich piece still has the end of the blade within the scabbard and the imperial piece is missing the broken end. The imperial sword is a real beauty having a traditional lion head design with red and green faceted glass eyes. It is of all brass construction and still has about 80% of the original gilded finish. The backstrap presents oak leaves and acorns while the D-guard has a similar presentment. The reverse has a blade locking hinge and the obverse features a flip up clamshell on a hinge. The clamshell depicts an oval design presenting the imperial crown over a fouled anchor. On either side of the oval are oak leaves and acorns. The grip of this piece is solid ivory and it is in chip free condition. The ivory is quite beautiful and is tightly wrapped with twisted brass wire. Still in the naval tie is the beautiful silver bullion portepee. It has never been touched and reflects an outstanding gold patination. This knot has the “V” designs in the slide and stem and the lower ball is of silver bullion yarn-like thread. The insert is the cat’s anus type. The beautiful scabbard is of black leather showing some minor kinks which occurred in the bottom portion because this portion of the blade is gone and of course there is nothing to support the leather. The mounts though are really beautiful being a peened style and then having oak leaf and acorn bands inserted over the peened surfaces. There are also stylized eyelets. The chape is also peened. These mounts are held in place by double nail lock devices instead of staples. The thronged leather hanging straps are also with the rings and they reflect fine oak leaf detail to the brass snaps. A really great looking outside here. The remaining blade is about 12-inches in length and features fine nautical scenes depicting a crown over an anchor and Prussian eagle. The reverse images are also nautical scenes with crossed flags, crossed cannon, etc. This sword is very similar to the example I show in my Navy Book on page 446. In fact, the hilt is the same however the scabbard differs in that it has the carrying bands atop the mounts. The Kriegsmarine sword is a typical Eickhorn example. It is the same as the sword shown on page 486 of my book to include the knot that is attached. This lion head sword is of all brass construction. The detail to the lion head is outstanding throughout his mane, brow, snout and mouth area. This model number sword did not have glass eyes. The backstrap features mane hair which runs down the length and the D-guard has traditional naval design with random pebbling. The reverse has the blade lock hinged feature and the obverse has a clamshell device which depicts a fouled anchor in the center and the edges have flanking floral designs that almost depict ocean waves. The grip is a beautiful white celluloid-over-wood being in perfect condition. It is wrapped with triple twisted brass wire. As cited above the original silver bullion portepee is still in the navy tie and in perfect condition wrapped about the lower hilt. This knot has the “V” designs in the stem and slide and the lower insert is the cat’s anus type. The scabbard is a black leather and it is in good condition showing only minor age. The naval mounts are matching gilded brass in good condition. Like the imperial sword the original carrying leather thongs are still with this sword complete with matching gilded snaps. Unfortunately the blade of this example was also broken by Herr Rogge but the bottom portion of the blade still remains in the lower part of the scabbard. We though we would take it out but then later left it in place as it is more respectful to the original owner’s wishes. The blade is a plain type. It is stamped on the reverse ricasso with the 1935-41 squirrel design. This is an outstanding grouping which could really make for an excellent naval display in someone’s collecting room. There is also much research that could be done on Vizeadmiral Rogge. He was apparently an extremely popular captain and well though of by not only his crew but also by the Kriegsmarine higher-ups. It would be fun to try to collect the medals that Rogge won and also display them with this grouping. I’m sure that one of the professional researchers could put together a very large dossier on this man. A worthwhile historical grouping here.Excellent $3,495.00
SPO #29025C Early SS Honor Dagger with a Plain Blade – Carl Eickhorn
This early SS Honor Dagger is equipped with the standard silvered honor crossguards. These crossguards display a mix of oak leaves and acorns, the lower having three acorns in the center with three oak leaves going outward and the upper example having a single acorn in the center, also with three leaves going outward. For those not familiar with this design, an almost identical example can be seen on Page 283 of my SS book. No honor crossguards, however, are completely the same, as they were all hand finished after they came out of the cast mold. This example has nice details to these crossguards with hand enhancing obvious to the leaves. There is also factory blackening in the backgrounds. As is usually the case, the acorns do not show a lot of detail to the caps as, apparently, this was normally worn off during the finishing process. The accent grooves are hand done, as is normally the case with these honor guards. The tang nut is a fine example, which also nicely matches the finish of the guards. These guards, inside, have matching numbers. The number is “528.” Normally these numbers are uniformly small and if you are not familiar with their size, you can see similar stampings on the crossguards I show on Page 269. The grip of this example is a fine piece of ebony wood. It shows no repairs and has good medium contour construction. The grip perfectly fits the crossguards. Looking at the grip surfaces, there are some signs of wear here and there along with the tiniest of hairliners that can be seen, typical in any kind of wood some seven decades old. None of the cracks, however, are really visible and they certainly are not threatening in any way. The runes button is in good condition, being straight in its positioning. It has perfect enameling with no visible hits. The grip eagle has a silver finish and is the style with “high neck.” The details to the bird’s eye, beak, breast feathering, wing feathering, legs, wreath and raised swastika are all there. The scabbard shell is straight throughout. It is covered with outstanding black leather. This finely grained leather is completely original, showing a moderate amount of carrying time, but there are no cuts, nips or problems with this leather. As is the case with Honor scabbards, the leather exactly meets the upper and lower mount. It does not go under the fittings. This leather also has a seam at the bottom, but frankly, it is very difficult if not impossible, to discern. The scabbard shell is equipped with the panel scribed mounts we see on early Honor daggers. These panels are extremely crisp and the borders have had factory darkening, matching that of the crossguards. The darkening appears to be at least 98% in the grooves. These mounts have a matching silvered finish and they show a slight patination. The lower ball is in fine condition, showing no problems. The mounts are retained by silvered screws, which are all in place and unbuggered. The silvered ring has an early short hanger attached. This short hanger has black leather and is complete with the small restraining strap. The hanger is equipped with early nickel hardware, being the unmarked solid type. The clip is the “long snout” variety. This scabbard looks nearly identical to the example shown in color on Page 273 of my SS book to include the short hanger. The blade of this Honor dagger is not a Damascus type. We know that plain blades were available though, as they are shown in the Eickhorn catalog with plain blade options and also there are other known Honor daggers with plain blades. A good example of this is the well known Honor dagger worn by Hitler’s SA Adjutant, Bruckner, which also has a plain blade. The obverse of this blade is mirror bright and still has nearly 100% of its original crossgraining. It is easily in mint condition and is factory etched with the SS Motto, “Meine Ehre heisst Treue.” The motto is deep, crisp and has 100% of its original darkening. The reverse of the blade also has all of its graining and is mirror mint. Close examination, though, will reveal a slight wave in the factory center line as well as a subtle difference in the grain between the reverse and obverse of the blade This, of course, would indicate that this blade once had a R?hm inscription. When Röhm was unmasked as a traitor, this blade was returned to the factory where it was redone in the best way possible to no longer reveal any existence of this once present, inscription. As further proof of this, the small double oval trademark was used on this piece – a logo that we normally only see with Röhm inscribed daggers. This trademark consists of the two ovals containing the firm’s name and location, “Carl Eickhorn, Solingen,” and in the center is a squirrel having a smooth tail. The blade shoulders perfectly fit the lower crossguard. There is the tiniest amount of clearance around the box-shaped tang hole, but I have seen this on other Honor daggers in the past. This outstanding SS Honor dagger has been owned by a number of well known collectors and dealers. Originally, it was in the collection of the famed British collector, Barry Brown, owner of the Sepp Dietrich Honor Sword. From Mr. Brown, the dagger moved to Thomas M. Johnson who later sold it to well known New York based collector, Sterling (Chip) Gambino. Since Mr. Gambino has begun to slow down in his collecting and looking at retirement, he sold the dagger to the current owner who is a well known Canadian collector. I am proud to offer this SS Honor dagger to the next owner. I wish that it had a Damascus blade, as this would add tremendous value to the piece, but it does not. This piece is what it is. This same piece appears in my SS book on Page 283 as well as Page 292 left. This is your opportunity to acquire an SS Honor dagger at half price. The dagger comes complete with a postwar storage case, which also includes a fine leather belt loop and D-ring. If you have been looking for an SS Honor dagger and want to culminate the coups-de-gras of an SS collection, opportunity is knocking. A great-looking artifact here and probably only one of two or three dozen that were ever made.Near Mint. $58,500.00(#052510)
SPO #30104C Kreigsmarine Admiral's Clock
This porthole clock is larger than most that you see having a dial face of about 7 ½-inches and an overall width of about 9-inches. The outer rim is equipped with holes for mounting to the wall of an office or ship. The crystal opens so that the clock can be wound. Unfortunately the crystal is broken but looks to be a replacement as there are signs of glue on the inner area so it would be no sin to replace the broken crystal again. The face of the clock is brass having conventional Arabic style numerals which are black in color. It looks to me as over the years these numerals have been touched up with black paint. There are adjustments in the face for the loudness of the chimes as well as faster or forward motion. There is a second indicator at the upper portion of the clock face which is round and the numerals ten through sixty appear in the circle. Below this there is the stamping with black painted background, “Marinestation der Ostsee”. To the left of this and slightly below is an open-winged political eagle with swastika over the capital letter, “M”. This letter of course stands for Marine. The title above would indicate that the clock was positioned at the Kiel Harbor. Below this though between the center and the six o’clock number is a very interesting feature. Stamped into the face of the clock is the flag of an admiral. The flag is colored with a white outside and a black Maltese cross with the legs running from the center to the twelve o’clock, three o’clock, six o’clock and nine o’clock position. The admiral flag indicates that this clock was postioned in the office of the head of the marine station at Kiel. The head of Kiel During the time this clock would have been there was General Admiral Albrecht. Albrecht ran Kiel during the 1930s up until 1939. When Albrecht retired on 31 December 1939 Grand Admiral Raeder presented him with one of the beautiful and rare navy honor daggers. These were the daggers with the diamonds in the pommel. This dagger currently resides in a collection today. At any rate, this clock represents quite a period of history. Imagine the planning that went on in front of this piece. This Albrecht’s time was when many of Germany’s pocket battle ships were developed and built. The clock shows some age and has a couple of dings here and there. Also, the brass screws which retain the face in place may also be replacements. The clock could use a good going over and certainly a tune-up by a qualified clock mechanic. The clock however does run very well but the chimes seem to only go up to four so there must be something out of adjustment. This entire clock is completely presented in brass and would certainly look good positioned on the wall of a deserving collector. A great way to enhance your naval collection or if you happen to be the owner of a naval honor dirk this clock would certainly adequately enhance the display.Excellent. $9,750.00
SPO #30027 2nd Model Naval Dagger with Damascus Blade - WKC
This naval dirk has a hammered scabbard and on the outside it appears to be a normal example. The dagger is equipped with quality brass fittings. The pommel is a typical WKC type and it looks identical to the example I show on page 272 of my naval book. This pommel does not appear to have any gilding left but the brass surfaces have an appealing patination being darker in the inner wing area and also behind the swastika area. The bird retains all of its detail with its typical WKC staring eye and beak with good checkering to the breast feathering. The leafing around the wreath is still all there and the swastika remains crisp. The crossguard is also a fine example having exact matching patination. It features good conditioned acanthus leaves which decorate the quillon arms and the quillon ends have good fluting with flat buttons. The grip of this example has turned an off-white color. This is a standard wood base type with celluloid coating. The grip is very tightly wrapped with twisted matching brass wire. There are years of residue built up between the sections and trapped beneath the wire. Decorating the hilt is the dagger’s original aluminum portepee. This portepee is still in the naval tie and does not appear to have been ever apart. There is some fraying where the aluminum cord comes out of the knot but it is nothing threatening. The slide and stem are in the standard “V” weave designs and the lower ball is of bullion aluminum thread. The insert is a gray cat’s anus type. The scabbard is a pebbled example. It is straight throughout and displays excellent workmanship to the hammer. The bands are a fine high off the surface type featuring overlapping oak leaves and the hammering design continues into the eyelet surfaces. The throat is retained by two flathead flush mount screws. The beautiful Damascus blade is the prime feature of this dagger however. This dagger and blade are shown in color in my naval reference book on pages 385 and 386. The blade has very prominent designs and remains in mint condition. It features a mix of bird’s eye and maiden hair. It is amazing to me how these long ago masters where able to forge these designs but this blade when it is turned in the light looks as though it is alive. Very beautiful indeed. The blade is a standard shape having dual fullers and still retains its needlelike tip. The blade is marked on the reverse with the WKC knighthead. The obverse has the original distributor’s name in three lines, “DEUTSCHER / OFFIZIER VEREIN / BERLIN”. The original brown leather washer is in place. This is an opportunity to acquire a naval Damascus with marked blade which is featured in a respected reference book. An excellent investment here and a dagger that you will enjoy owning over the years. One never tires of looking at beautiful original Damascus hand forged steel.Excellent Plus, Plus. $11,995.00
SPO #30028C Kreigsmarine Naval Officer's Sword - WKC
This Naval Officer’s Sword was top of the line for the WKC firm. It is a really beautiful lion head hilt having fantastic detail throughout the cat’s head. The cat is fitted with faceted red and green glass eyes mimicking the international nautical system of red and green buoys. The cat has lots of handwork noticeable especially at the lower jaw, the whiskers and the fine mane hair which flows backward to about the halfway point. The rest of the back strap has a center plain portion decorated with a floral border for possible engraving of initials. Below this is more floral designs and the grip tabs are also nicely decorated to match. The open areas have been random hand pebbled. The D-guard is also a beauty having very fine raised out oak leaves and acorns which run the length and grow in dimension as the fitting flows downward. The plain areas of this D-guard are also random pebbled. The clamshell at the lower crossguard area is the folding type so that the sword could be easily stored in a small closet aboard ship. The clamshell is also quite beautiful having an oval border design in the center depicting a fouled anchor raised out. Around the oval border are more oak leaves also with hand treatment and random pebbling on the plain areas. The reverse clamshell folds down to provide a locking mechanism with the male stud positioned on the upper scabbard throat area. The springs in both of these moveable fittings are in perfect condition. The beautiful off-white grip of this example at first appears to be ivory. I have tapped on it with harder instruments and I do believe that it is a fine celluloid over wood base. It is in absolute perfect condition and is triple wrapped with twisted gilded brass wire, the center being slightly larger for contrast. The gilded finish appears to be mostly all there. This piece has been kept clean over the years and looks at its best. The hilt is also decorated with an original naval sword portepee. This portepee is the quality silver bullion type and it is tied in the naval knot, looped around the upper D-guard and then knotted about the lower grip and ferrule area. The lower portion of this portepee has a stem and slide with “V” weave designs and the lower yarn-like silver bullion ball has a cat’s anus style stuffing. This knot shows no wear and is in choice condition. The knot is also nicely patinated. The scabbard is produced from a black leather shell. This leather is decorated with twin accent lines which run the length of the edges. The reverse is sewn and is in perfect condition. This scabbard leather is a beautiful jet black and is in pristine new-like condition. The scabbard mounts are matching gilded brass having outstanding traditional naval designs. These mounts are retained by large size staples in the reverse and all staples are present. The lower chape shows no signs of carrying or drag damage. The upper and center scabbard mounts are equipped with eyelets having dual serrated center areas. The large hanging rings match the sword. But as beautiful as the outside of this naval sword is it pales in comparison to the outstanding blade. This blade measures 31-inches in length. It is in stone mint condition having a triple etch design. The obverse panel has a beautiful frosted background and at the start depicts a fouled anchor which has a Wehrmacht style eagle clutching a mobile swastika extended over the shaft of the anchor. This depiction is surrounded by oak leaves. Next comes a battleship running at full blast through a sea of waves. The details to the ship are so clear that the cannon, the ensign, the portholes and even the mast on top of the smoke stacks are visible. Just to the rear of the battleship is a biplane in the air complete with pontoons. Bringing up the rear of this etch is another ship which is most likely a mine sweeper or small cruiser. It too has great detail with the ensign flying at the stern. The reverse blade starts out its beautiful etch with the seaman’s memorial first put up after the great war in 1919. Following the memorial there is another large cruiser with guns and ensign very visible followed with a pontooned dual winged airplane and lastly there is a U-boat traveling on the waved surface. All of the antennae are visible as well as the conning tower and portholes in the bow area. There are clouds in the sky above and the frosted panel ends with oak leaves and acorns. An overall magnificent war scene here. The spine of the blade is engraved with oak leaves which run about half the length. As stated above, this blade is in new-like mint condition. If you have been looking for an outstanding naval sword which most likely could never be upgraded this example should fill your need. It is easily the best conditioned Third Reich period naval sword that I have sold. The WKC firm offered two basic etches, the first being the style with steaming war ships at both blade ricassos. The second style which is this example is much, much rarer and is really dramatic. I talk about this second etch on page 491 of my Naval Book but unfortunately I was not able to acquire an example to show. Alcoso also borrowed this etch from WKC and there is an Alcoso sword which appears on page 496 which also shows the same etch design. If you are looking for the best this sword should give you many years of pleasure.Mint. $7,495.00
SPO #27865C Holbein Style Swiss Dagger
This Holbein style Swiss dagger appears to have been made probably in the 1930s. It consists of caste parts which are finely nickel-plated. It does not seem to come apart. The pommel is in an interesting shape having a staged door knob look top and below is a larger rounded shape part which depicts figures on all four of its quadrants. The figures appear to be female in nature and are not too clear. The crossguard consists of quillon ends which gently swoop upward to a tip and in the center there is the face of a goddess. Next to the face on both sides is a raised floral design. The edges of the crossguard are smooth. The grip appears to be part of the crossguard casting and simulates a wrapped rope effect. The pommel seems to be separate from the grip and crossguard and most likely is peened together within the doorknob shape top. The scabbard is an outwardly oval shape on both sides. The metal is pierced at the center areas revealing a red leather base below. The leather has some age to it but is still intact. Above the leather in the oval design is a scene of knights fighting with spears and swords on horseback. The scene seems to be the same on both sides. Bordering the fighting scene at the top is an outward oval raised floral scene having another head at the center area. The edges of the scabbard are smooth and it is possible to see where both of these are seamed together with the counterpart. The lower chape depicts another fairly well detailed head with designs throwing around the figure and a round tip at the bottom. This chape is also part of the scabbard shell casting. The blade of this example is very similar to an SA type having a center ridge with double edges. The blade appears to be of good quality and does have a German look to it. This blade is a polished type and it is still bright. There are some old finger print smudges here and there on the surfaces but overall the blade is in near mint condition. The throat of this example is equipped with two red leather buffers. These buffers appear to possibly have been originally split so that the one was attached to the blade shoulders and the other to the throat itself. The way it is now though they are both fused together from time. This Holbein dagger is not a well defined example but it does have a certain amount of quality to it. It is possible that it could have been a tourist item made in the 1930s and possibly sold in Switzerland or some other European outlet. It is of interest to the Third Reich political dagger collector at the basic Holbein design was used for the format of the political dagger of the 1930s. An interesting example here to display with your collection.Excellent Plus. $2500.00
SPO #28785C Presentation Saxon Ivory Grip Fire Axe
This Fire Axe has much patination throughout its surfaces but it is easy to see that the parts below will clean up in a fairly good state. This fire axe must have been absolutely magnificent when it was originally presented as it is easily the most elaborate piece I have seen and also has the most impressive dedication covering both handle plaques. First of all the ax head itself is in the traditional shape of a large size blade on one end and a curved downward point on the other. There are cut outs in both the blade side as well as the point side in the upper and lower borders. The ax head is heavily etched having a floral motif on both sides of the head and in the center there is a motif consisting of an old fashioned fire helmet positioned over a pair of axes. This depiction is the same on both sides. The etches have good backgrounds and the nickel still seems to be mostly there. Unfortunately there is some rust that has formed on both sides, most of it concentrated in the center area. A good cleaning however would make for a fine result. The nickel-plated head is retained by a plate at the top which is secured with a gilded brass screw. There are escutcheon plates on the sides of the handle just below the head. These plates are also dramatically etched having a similar floral motif with nice backgrounds. It is very unusual to see etched escutcheon plates as apparently there was no limit to the spending on this piece. At the left escutcheon plate there is a smooth gilded eyelet with matching hanging ring. Attached to this ring there is a portion of the old suspension hanger. On the opposite side the hanging ring and eyelet are missing from the escutcheon plate. The handle below is of hardwood painted black and is flared in the center in the traditional fire ax shape. At the lower portion there are two very beautiful gilded brass mounts. These mounts have a raised serrated area which gives the appearance of removal if desired, and in the center are between the two raise parts the surfaces have been deeply raised checkered. At the bottom mount there is a further doorknob shaped fitting which acts as a chape. In between there is a lovely piece of heavily toned ivory which is fluted throughout. This ivory is a golden color and has much graining in its appearance. The ivory is in perfect condition. The plaques on both sides of the handle are covered with outstanding professional engraving. Although the engraving is difficult to read I will do my best to tell you exactly what it says. The obverse plaque is engraved, “D.Frein. Feuerwehr Leubnitz / zur 50 Jahrfeicr, gewidmet, / 6. / 7. 1878 26. / 8. 1928.” On the opposite plaque it is engraved, “M.G.V. Arion, Hausbesitzerverein, / Turnoverein Germania, Eisenbahnerverein, / Konzertinakluk, Landmirtschaft. Verein, / Sächs Militärverein / Radfahrerverein Edelweims.” I believe that all of this means that this elegant fire ax was presented to the volunteer fire department of the small city of Leubnitz for their 50th anniversary which stretched from 1878 to 1928. The rest of all of these names seem to be possibly the local Saxon hamlets that took up a collection to pay for this beautiful ax. As stated above, the next person that acquires this axe, assuming he has careful and good cleaning skills could make a wonderful artifact from this antique. I know just putting some ammonia on the gold fittings alone would make a tremendous difference but I really don’t want to touch this ax as it would not be fair to the next purchaser who should have all of the fun and confidence doing the right job on this axe will bring. A terrific artifact here!PRICE REDUCED! Excellent. $5,895.00
SPO #29493C TeNo Officer Dagger – Carl Eickhorn
This TeNo Officer Dagger has recently come from the collection of a good friend of mine who unfortunately passed on from a heart attack. He was only 47 and this particular piece was his pride and joy so I’m sure that the next person who owns this piece will be glad that its past owner not only cherished it but kept it in the condition that the dagger deserves. This piece is nearly completely flake free. The nickel plating to the pommel and crossguard is about the best you will see and still be genuine. This pommel has the double rings on both sides and in the center there is a gear wheel which was the logo of the TeNo organization. This plating throughout the pommel is probably 99%. The original factory darkening is also in the recesses of the rings as well as applied to portions of the gear wheel. The crossguard has the exact same look and is also virtually flake free. The guard has the curved quillons at the end. In the center it depicts the great looking TeNo eagle which is a bird with open wings. The eagle clutches a swastika in his talons which in turn has a gear wheel superimposed over the center area with the initials, “TN” in the center of the gear wheel. These initials are formed by a hammer at the top and the capital letter, “N” in the center area. It is also interesting to note that the clutched swastika has legs which are double lined with serrations in the center. This subtlety is not noticed with the naked eye but it gives depth to the great look. The bird has complete detail to his eye, beak, breast feathering, wing feathering and even the talons show handwork. A fine TeNo depiction here. The grip though is what really sets this piece off. Most TeNo grips are an egg yolk yellow, not that there is anything wrong with that. This example though has somehow been exposed to enough light over the years to give its grip a very dark orange color, almost red like. It is quite beautiful and a pleasure to view. The reverse of the grip is lighter and at the center area does have the egg yolk yellow color that apparently it has toned down from. This grip presents the seven horizontal ribs and is in complete perfect condition. You will not see a more pleasing hilt. The scabbard of this example is straight as an arrow. These scabbards are longer than most other daggers to compensate for the large blades used in these pieces. This scabbard has crisp pebbled panels throughout both sides. The original factory darkening shows some wear on the surfaces but it is still all there in the backgrounds and also in the places where the hand does not tend to touch such as the lower chape area as well as the upper throat area. The black is also clinging nicely around the areas protected by the scabbard bands. Overall I would grade the blackening of this example at about 85-90%. The bands have the two line decorating and the lower chape has a leaf style edging which is completely unique to these TeNo pieces. All of the darkening is still in place on the obverse and reverse lower leaf. The scabbard throat is the thicker variety we see used by this firm and it is retained by a flatter head single screw in the reverse center. This screw also has all of the factory blackening around its circumference. The throat itself is deeply stamped with the serial number, “2641”. Looking at the obverse blade ricasso the matching number is dark etched in this spot. The blade itself is as nice as you will see. It is completely mirror bright and has a needlelike tip. Easily all of the crossgraining remains on this blade. This blade is in mint condition. It is buffered by a pebbled black leather washer which appears to be pressed in place against the lower crossguard. If you are looking for a nice TeNo officer dagger which has some signs of the period this example should be the one. As I had stated above, my friend that owned this dagger despite the fact that he was a “biker” was probably one of the nicest and gentlest people I have ever known. It will be interesting to see who will receive this important piece of his legacy. I know that it will go to a good home that will appreciate the dagger as much as he did.
Near Mint. $8,995.00
SPO #28436C Eagle Finial for SS Reiter/NSKK/NSFK Standartes
This Eagle Top Finial is easily one of the most beautiful and rarest of all 3rd Reich artifacts. The standartes, which were carried by the SS Reiter/NSKK and NSFK, were different than the normal Deutschland Erwache standartes in that they were carried horizontally rather than draped downward. Because of this horizontal carrying method, it was necessary to secure the rod for the upper part of the standarte through a cylindrical opening on the finial itself. Therefore, this finial not only has the cylinder equipped for the standard pole top mount, but there is also a smaller cylinder fitting which comes out of the reverse area for accommodating the top pole of the colorful silk standarte. This cylindrical main piece has a cone-shaped top. Stamped into the edge area of the cone is the maker name, location, and date, “Gahr Münchn/1935”. Otto Gahr was the jewelry firm based in Munich that was favored by Hitler, and this firm produced all of the Deutschland Erwache pole top finials. Above the cylinder hardware is a most beautiful silvered wreath of overlapping oak leaves with open mobile swastika. The wreath has lots of detail, and the swastika is also most impressive with its open look. The wreath, as well as the swastika, still have some of the original silver frosting clinging here and there. At the top, clutching the oak leaf wreath, is a most impressive eagle with wings at about the top of the flight motion. These wings are beautifully feathered, both at the upper and lower areas. The bird has an impressive tail, also with fine feathering. His head, breast, leg, and talon areas are also extremely well detailed. This entire bird is gilded throughout, as is the cylindrical lower fitting. The gilding throughout this piece appears to be easily near 100%. This eagle finial matches exactly with the color photos shown on page 458 and 459 of the excellent book, “Deutschland Erwache”, by Ulric of England. I do not know how many of these pole top finials exist, but this is the first opportunity I have had to handle one. I must say this is a very impressive 3rd Reich artifact, especially when you realize its importance. I don’t know how many of these finials could have survived the war, but this one certainly did so in regal fashion. A very, very, beautiful item here, and if you have one of these ultra-rare SS Reiter/NSKK or NSFK standartes, this would certainly make a great addition to complete your retirement package! An outstanding original artifact here.Mint. $49,950.00
SPO #27920 Model 1933 SS Dagger With Full Röhm Inscription - Carl Eickhorn
This has to be one of the best conditioned full SS Röhm daggers in existence. It is certainly the finest example I have ever had to offer, and it is perfect for those out there who demand the finest and can afford to pay for it. This dagger is a classic example throughout. The cross guards and tang nut are the early nickel variety. The tang nut appears to have no wrench marks on it, but it is loose so that the admirer can view the tang and interior of the parts if desired. The cross guards have good, smooth surfaces, nice crisp edges and have the typical hand done deep accent grooves we normally see with this maker’s product. The lower reverse cross guard is roman numeral stamped with the district marking “I”. The cross guards are internally marked “H.E” which indicates that they were made in-house by the Eickhorn firm. The grip is a very fine ebony wood. The obverse is still crisp, having medium contour ridge construction. Other than the most minor of flaking just where the lower hedge meets the cross guard, the grip is perfect. The reverse grip has a couple of minor hits, most likely caused by the short hanger and there is also a tiny flake just where the grip meets the reverse top guard and also at the lower cross guard. These flakes, though, are nothing and are attributable to the hardness of this ebony wood. They are by no means chips, and are almost natural occurrences that we often accept as part of collecting. This fine grip nicely fits the cross guards, being perfect on both right sides and having just the tiniest of gaps on both left sides - again, a normal occurrence, especially with Eickhorn pieces. The runes button is in perfect condition, having choice enamel surfaces. The SS runes and the double circle are beautifully silvered. The grip eagle is the “high-necked” version and it has full detail throughout its beak, eye, breast feathering, wing feathering, talons, wreath and raised swastika. The condition of this grip eagle is a testament to the true condition of this fine dagger. The scabbard shell is straight throughout. This shell has absolutely 100% of the original anodized surfaces. It is extremely beautiful, as about 99% of the original factory protective lacquer is also still there. It is a rare sight indeed to see a scabbard in this condition. The scabbard mounts are the typical solid nickel type. They are in perfect condition to include the never-dropped lower ball. These mounts have a slight gold tone to their metal color and this is consistent with daggers of this vintage. The Himmler daggers also have this same toning. The original nickel screws are all present and are unturned. The dagger is equipped with its original short hanger. This leather retains its suppleness with good black color and is complete with the original small retainer loop. The hardware nicely matches the mild patination throughout the rest of the dagger. The snap clip is the unmarked type with narrow snout ending. An outstanding scabbard here. As nice as the rest of the dagger is though, the blade is even better. This beautiful blade is completely bright throughout. It has all of its original cross graining and the original needlelike tip is like it just came out of the factory. Other than the normal runner marks, this blade is in full mint condition. The SS motto “Meine Ehre heisst Treue” is deeply etched and has 100% of the original factory darkening in the backgrounds. Turning the blade over is a remarkable sight indeed! As a fully intact Röehm inscription is all there, having the matching background darkening and the full crisp lettering. This inscription is slightly titled to the left but when the blade is turned over, the same application applies to the SS motto. These etchings were done at the same time, so the etches should reflect the same angles, the same depth and the same background coloring. In this case, they certainly do! The trademark consists of the early small double ovals. The ovals contain the firm’s name and location “Carl Eickhorn Solingen”. Inside is a seated squirrel having a smooth tail. The blade shoulders fit the lower cross guard nicely. This dagger appears to be in the same condition as the example I show in my SS book on Page 66. A fantastic original example here, being the best of the best and certainly a dagger you can put your hard-earned money into and know that you have made a good investment. A pristine example here and no advanced collection is complete without one of these ultra-rare, very desirable SS daggers.
Mint. $32,995.00
SPO #28117 Hermann Göring Color Portrait on Porcelain - Rosenthal
This portrait on porcelain of Hermann Göring is a fantastic work of art. It was produced by the famous Rosenthal porcelain company and is in a beautiful color format. The portrait itself measures about 10 inches by 12.5 inches, and in its modern day frame is about 12 inches by 15 inches overall. The portrait depicts Göring from the left side dressed as a Luftwaffe Field Marshall. The detail to Hermann’s blue eyes, hair and facial features is second to none. Hermann was handsome man and Rosenthal has really captured his best side! Hermann is dressed in the great coat of a Luftwaffe Field Marshall, which places the date of the work at about 1938 or 1939. The Luftwaffe great coat, of course, is a gray-blue in color, having the white lapels designated for general officers and Field Marshalls. The collar taps also are most interesting, featuring a beautiful oak leaf wreath with an eagle in flight over the top area of the depiction. Below is a swastika positioned over what appears to be a pair of cross Marshall’s batons. The collar tabs are in white, matching the lapels. The shoulder boards are the heavy braided type, having a set of crossed batons at the top left. There is a hint of Göring’s Blue Max showing at his collar, but since the portrait is in profile it is not really identifiable. On Göring’s left breast there is some sort of a very high Order, which has a star burst style background with a round center. In the background there is sort of a muted drape or some other treatment that enhances the colors and artistic feeling of the personage portrayed. I do not know how many of these portraits were produced by Rosenthal but this is the first one that I have seen portraying Hermann Göring. A wonderful work of art here that would be stupendous gracing the proper collecting room wall. I doubt that Rosenthal would own up to actually making this portrait, but, let’s face it, it indeed was their work and history is history, regardless of the principles involved. A beautiful, investment quality artifact.
Mint. $2,995.00
SPO #26976C National Hunting Association Cutlass - Carl Eickhorn
This beautiful
Hunting cutlass is one of three that were brought into my office
by a Philadelphia couple. They explained to me that the man who
lived next door was going to Florida and gave them the three cutlasses,
as he did not want to take them with him. They brought them in
here to me and I was thrilled to get them. All three were by Carl
Eickhorn and all three have the over-the-shoulder stamped trademark
which is almost never seen on these pieces. Two of them were Forestry
types and the third, which I am offering here, is a National Hunting
Association cutlass. The other two Forestries were sold at a recent
show. This Eickhorn example is in new-like condition. It reflects
fine silvered fittings throughout which still have most of their
brightness as all of the original factory lacquer appears intact.
This is quite a sight to see on one of these cutlasses some 60
years later. The pommel cap is the same as is seen in the Eickhorn
catalogue for Model No. 1692, which this piece represents. The
cap has a center positioned round nut which acts as a tang nut.
There is a factory hole drilled through the center of this nut
which acts as a device to hang a string or rawhide. The cap flares
out with decorative fluting, and at its sides has decorative lines
running around. The matching ferrule has two center raised lines
for decoration. The cross guard is the up and down style and it
features deer’s legs with hooves and the hair of the animal
has been beautifully hand-detailed. It is interesting to note
that a darker patination was applied by the factory at the areas
where the hair is to give an antique look. Below the cross guard
is a clamshell which is beautifully fluted, also having factory
darkening in its depths. The grip is an outstanding piece of genuine
antler. The antler has been chosen specifically for its size,
as there was little cutting necessary to install this grip within
the pommel and ferrule. The grip has fine brown and golden hues
to the raised out grain. It is very beautiful and totally perfect
condition. Pinned at the center of the grip is a National Hunting
Association insignia. This insignia is silvered with dark backgrounds
to match the fittings. It portrays a stag head with large antlers.
Between the antlers is a cross with rays and in the center is
a mobile swastika. On either side of the deer’s head, respectively,
are the initials of the National Hunting Association “DJ”.
The scabbard shell of this piece is a composition material beneath
which is covered with a beautiful grained green leather. This
leather is in totally perfect condition, having the decorative
trim lines on the edges of both sides. This green leather is the
best I have seen. The shell is fitted with silvered mounts. These
mounts have all of their factory applied lacquer, as virtually
no air has penetrated them. A very rare sight indeed! Both mounts
are decorated with scallop edges where they meet the leather and
they are retained with staples in the usual manner. The upper
lug is in the shape of a fine acorn with darkened cap. The blade
of this example is also a beauty. It is still factory fresh, having
choice 100% frosting in the backgrounds of the raised triple etches.
This blade measures 13 inches in length and retains its original
needlelike tip. The scenes of the animals are spectacular, being
in full mint condition. The obverse is the scene with a kneeling
hunter aiming a rifle at a large stag and doe who are jumping
over a log in a forest glen. After this main scene is a small
area which depicts a capercaillie, which was a large game bird
prominent in European hunting. The bird is sitting on an oak branch
and appears to be tweeting. The reverse scene is the popular one
featuring the hunter with cutlass in one hand and rifle in the
other chasing after a ferocious boar who is in the midst of being
attacked by hunting dogs. There are dogs all over the boar and
also dogs flying around in the glen area. After this scene is
a large hummingbird. The top spine is etched with oak leaves which
run nearly the whole length. At the beginning area is the well
known etching of the Eickhorn distributor “W.Michovius Cottbus”.
This distributor must have handled a large number of hunting and
forestry cutlasses for the Carl Eickhorn firm, as we frequently
see their name included on the blade. To date, also as a bonus,
this marking has never been reproduced. The blade would be a total
mint were there not a couple of very minor age marks that appear
on the top spine and a couple on the lower blade edge. They are
nothing though, and this blade still rates in mint condition.
The reverse ricasso is stamped with the rarely seen over-the-shoulder
trademark used by Carl Eickhorn in 1941. It features a squirrel
in more of a “stick” form looking behind him. Beneath
is the firm’s name and location “Eickhorn Solingen”.
The original green felt buffer is perfect and is in place. This
is an opportunity to acquire an outstanding Hunting Association
cutlass which, in my opinion, was most likely taken out of a store
or the Eickhorn factory. It is the best conditioned example I
have seen to date.Mint. $2,995.00
SPO #27179C Aristocrats Personalized Army Dagger - Carl Eickhorn
This beautiful
Army dagger is a most exciting piece. It belonged to an aristocrat
who may have been a Knights Cross winner as well as an Army General,
but we will get to this in a minute. The dagger itself is a choice-conditioned
example which rates mint throughout. The fittings on this dagger
are the early 2nd style. The early 2nd style cross guard is slightly
different from what I show in my Army book on Page 25, being a
progression of the 1st style which is shown on Page 24. The cross
guard itself depicts a choice eagle design with breast checkering,
which is slightly finer than Page 25, but, yet not as fine as
Page 24. This is the prime difference between these eagles. The
eagle, though, is in fantastic condition and clutches a wreathed
raised out swastika. Even the talons have been hand-enhanced on
this bird. The pommel is a fine 2nd style type having 12 oak leaves
around the perimeter. The ferrule is the 2nd type, being exactly
like I show on Page 25. The grip of this example is a beautiful
darker orange color and the tones are the same throughout. This
grip is in totally perfect condition. Now we want to get to the
engravings that present themselves on this choice dagger. At the
pommel top, taking up almost the complete surface is the engraved
family crest of this original owner. The crest is in a shield
shape being split into four quadrants. Two of the four quadrants
each depict the same scenes and are positioned opposite each other.
At the ten o’clock and four o’clock quadrant are depicted
what appears to be two powder horns. The backgrounds of these
depictions have been nicely lined for a shaded effect. On the
other two quadrants which would run from two o’clock to eight
o’clock, there is a scene of a prancing stag with a good
set of racks. The backgrounds here have a series of random pebbled
designs to give them relief. It is quite rare to see a family
crest on the top of a pommel. On the reverse of the cross guard
is a beautifully engraved five-point crown. Beneath the crown
are the letters “v.N-W.”. These initials and crown belong
to the aristocratic family of “von Nostitz-Wallwitz”.
Unfortunately, there is no first initial in this personalization,
so it is difficult to determine which of the von Nostitz-Wallwitz
family members owned this dagger. There has been research conducted
which accompanies the dagger. The research shows five members
of the von Nostitz-Wallwitz family who could have owned this piece.
One of them was in the foreign service, so it probably would not
be him. Two other younger members were both First Lieutenants
and it is doubtful that the dagger belonged to either of these
two. The two oldest members of the family “Eckhard von Nostitz-Wallwitz”
and “Gustav Adolf von Nostitz-Wallwitz” were the two
oldest and likely one of these was the owner of the dagger. Eckhard
was a First Lieutenant in 1936 and went on in the war to be associated
with a Panzer regiment. He was killed in Russia in 1943. Gustav
Adolf, on the other hand, was a First Lieutenant in 1930 and became
a Major in 1937. 1937 would most likely be the date that Eickhorn
produced this 2nd style variation cross guard, so there is a good
chance that when Gustav Adolf von Nostitz-Wallwitz achieved this
rank, he purchased the dagger. After this, he became a Lieutenant
Colonel with an artillery regiment in 1940 and in 1941, became
a Panzer commander, winning the German Cross in gold. In 1942,
he was in Russia and was involved with the Stalingrad fiasco.
In 1944, he was with Panzer Artillery Regiment 89. At this time,
he won the Knight’s Cross and was promoted to General Major.
In 1945, he was killed on 31 May. So, there is a better than even
chance here that this personalized dagger belonged to a Wehrmacht
General and Knight’s Cross winner. It would be up to the
next owner to conclusively prove this ownership. This is a very
exciting piece, indeed. Getting to the rest of the description,
the scabbard is a standard 2nd style Eickhorn example, having
good pebbled surfaces. The scabbard shows just hints of frosting
in the protected areas around the carrying bands and the throat
area. The thicker throat is retained by a center placed screw
in the reverse. The blade of this example is as nice as they come.
It has a full mirror mint surface with 100% of the original graining.
The needlelike tip is in place and this dagger blade easily rates
in full mint condition. The reverse ricasso is etched with the
1935-41 squirrel design. The original small brown leather washer
is in place protecting this fine blade. This is a grand opportunity
to obtain an outstanding dagger. If the original owner was indeed
the Knight’s Cross winner, this dagger could be worth far
more than its advertised price. If he was not, it is still a fantastic
piece which would be the highlight of most collections. It is
very rare to find an Army dagger with this aristocratic family
Wappen along with the crown and family name. Very rare offering
here and guaranteed original dagger.Mint. $5,995.00
SPO #20717 Dedicated Triple-etch Lionhead Saber - Unmarked Richard Abr. Herder
This beautiful
saber has the identical hilt as is designated as an honor piece
illustrated in Johnson Volume I, page 146 left. The all brass
hilt consists of a finely detailed leopard head cat with oak leaf
backstrap and "P" guard. The cat is fitted with blood
red faceted eyes. He has fine hand done detail throughout his
whiskers, chin, and the jowl areas. The handwork is beautifully
rendered throughout this brass. The backstrap consists of raised
out oak leaves with a single leaf flowing into the side tabs.
The "D" guard also features raised out oak leaves and
there is handwork evident on the checkering of the acorns accompanying
these leaves. The ferrule is one of the straight-edged-border
types frequently seen on E. Pack pieces. You can see an identical
ferrule on page 113 of the Angolia Book. I like this particular
ferrule and I think other producer's did also, as it is seen on
higher quality examples occasionally. The crossguard consists
of an open-winged, art deco style eagle. The eagle on this piece
looks to the viewer's left. It is highly detailed featuring lots
of hand accenting. It faces opposite from both the Herder pieces
shown in Angolia on page 86, lower and the Johnson piece on page
146. The gilding throughout this brass hilt appears to be approximately
90%. The hilt gilding, however, is nice and even, and is very
pleasing. The grip is composed of black celluloid over wood. It
is in perfect condition and it is wrapped in an unusual attractive
style. It features two plain wires, and in the center, is springy
aluminum wire. Really looks good and is the same as the wrap shown
on Johnson page 146 left. This hilt has a deluxe quality about
it, which tends to hint of the delight to come when the blade
is withdrawn. This blade measures 31 ½-inches in length
and is completely pristine, featuring highest quality nickel-plated
surfaces. The blade features the unique Richard Herder etch pattern
which almost looks like spaghetti to me. It is immediately recognizable,
as it is a series of twisted rounded cording joined together and
raised out. The pattern may be seen on page 46 of Johnson Volume
I, as well as on page 86, of the Angolia Sword Book. The pattern
is also shown on page 43 of Angolia, four down from the top. The
obverse blade features a centered panel between the spaghetti
etch. This panel has beautiful frosted backgrounds being 100%.
Raised out of the panel, is the nickel-plated facsimile signature
of the blade's owner. Other than the first name which appears
to be "Franz", the last name I am unable to decipher.
The signature appears to be done in the popular Sütterlin
script which was used during the time. Perhaps this signature
could be translated by someone more knowledgeable, and thus, a
research project could be instituted on this outstanding example.
The reverse blade is also a fantastic thing. It has the same spaghetti
etch with a panel in the center featuring frosted backgrounds.
This panel depicts a highly stylized, open-winged eagle. The eagle
does not clutch a wreathed swastika but rather the swastika is
positioned where the bird's talons normally would be. This makes
for an outstanding look. You may see this detail on page 43 of
Angolia. This eagle really is exciting when you first pull out
the blade, as most collectors have never seen this style bird
before. This is really a stimulating blade and definitely would
be the highlight of a sword collector's passion. The accompanying
scabbard is nice and straight and has good original black paint.
There is quite a bit of crazing and spidering in the paint surfaces,
but overall, it still looks good, and with a little cleaning up
should easily rate at excellent plus to near mint. A great sword
which deserves to be researched and then displayed on a cradle
with the results! This is your chance to really obtain a fine,
fine piece for your collection. Not cheap, but quality Third Reich
swords of this caliber and importance are rarely offered today.Mint Minus. $7,495.00
SPO #25440 2nd Model Luftwaffe with Ivory Grip and Double-etched Blade - Emil Voos
This Second
Model Luftwaffe is the classic Voos, with Ivory Grip and Double-Etched
Blade. These daggers are an absolute “must”, for any
advanced collector, or for those who just want to have something
beautiful to look at, and always have a steady rising investment.
These daggers, I believe, are the highlight of any interesting
collection. This example is just as beautiful, if not more so,
than the piece I show in color, in my Luftwaffe book, on page
167. The hilt fittings are the generic variety. They have received
a heavy silver plating, and therefore, are a near black color,
being brighter on the high points. The pommel is the same as page
167, except the silver plating has given it much more depth. The
crossguard is also identical, having the same black recesses.
The pommel has the pebbled background style leafing, and both
swastikas are nicely raised out. The crossguard displays the bird
flying to the viewer’s left. The top of his wings are cantilevered
over, slightly. This bird shows no wear, and has great detail
to his beak, brow, eye, breast feathering, talons, wing feathering,
and clutched swastika. The reverse of the bird has the large pebble
pattern design in the panel. It is identical to the example shown
on page 166, by Tiger. The pommel has all of the silvering still
intact, whereas there is one minor flake to the lower quillon
arm, beneath the bird depiction. This flake does not show at all
while viewing the upper areas. This crossguard is the style having
the cast-in-oak leaves at the upper quillon arms. These oak leaf
and acorn designs are the same as is shown on page 149, center.
The ferrule is also the silver-plated version, exactly matching
the other hilt mounts. Setting the richly patinated fittings off,
is an outstanding ivory grip. This ivory has turned a golden color
throughout, having beautiful grains running through every millimeter
of this grip surface. There are attractive cracks, which run down
both edges. It is a fantastic piece of ivory, being more beautiful,
than page 167. There are no chips anywhere in this ivory, and
it is tightly wrapped with the original “springy” grip
wire. An outstanding, beautiful hilt here! The scabbard is a very
choice airplane gray-style, having 100% coating. This full mint
scabbard could not be any nicer. It has crisp pebbling to all
of the panels, and the bands are also totally perfect. These bands
are the generic type. The throat is an unplated style, and it
is thin, being retained by two flush-mount side screws. A beautiful
scabbard here, which is accompanied with a great set of hanging
straps. These hangers have perfect blue/purple brocade fronts,
and the velvet backs show no wear whatsoever. These straps are
equipped with the deluxe fittings, having the raised-out oak leafing
to the snap clip, the rectangular buckles, the slides, and also
to the push-up style, oak leafed snap clips. The straps are retained
by fold-over metal tabs, which are riveted to the brocade. These
tabs are both, “DLGM” marked, as well as having stamped-in
oak leaf and acorn decoration. There is also some golden hues
to the metal parts throughout these hangers, which most likely
is caused by old lacquer coating. Beautiful straps here, matching
a beautiful dagger. These straps are the same as is shown, second
from the top, on page 329. But the best part of these Voos daggers
has to be the blade. This example is, in a word, “magnificent”.
The nickel plating is 100% throughout, to include even the tip
area. The tip also remains needle-like. This nickel plating is
double etched, with both sides having 100% frosted background.
This frosting really sets off the raised-out, floral arabesque,
patterns. Just beautiful! The center obverse area features a Luftwaffe
eagle, flying to the right, clutching a mobile swastika. Beneath
each wing, is a sprig of laurel leaves. The reverse is all arabesque
floral design, and the blade etch is the style which ends with
no dots. This blade etch appears on Pages 236 and 237. The Voos
blade typically has short shoulders below the tang. This example
does also but, fortunately there is no slippage of the grip, something
we frequently see on these ivory gripped examples. The reverse
ricasso is etched with the familiar trademark. It consists of
an oval, which inside, has the snake-around-stump logo. The snake
is flicking his tongue. Around the inside of the oval perimeter
is the firm’s name and location block-lettered, “Emil
Voos Solingen”. The original pebbled brown leather washer
is in place. This is a full mint example of investment quality
condition. One of the best Voos’ I have handled over the
years.Mint. $12,500.00
SPO #26064C Army Officer Dagger Presented to Afrika Korps Panzer Commander Oberst Johann Mickl - PD Luneschloss
This Army Officer’s
dagger has all-silvered fittings and they are the generic “B”
variety, being identical to the style I show in my Army book on
Page 99. The pommel is the usual type we see with the “B”
generic cross guard, being the style with threaded stem inside,
and having 14 leaves running around its perimeter. The cross guard
eagle is an extremely good-looking example, having noble head,
excellent breast and wing feathering, fine detail to the wreath
and a highly-vaulted swastika. The grip is a beautiful egg-yolk
yellow type, being in perfect condition. There is a 42 cm portepee
in the proper tie wrapped about the hilt. The scabbard is a standard
generic variety being identical to Page 120. The blade of this
example is in pristine, mint condition, having the standard sword-piercing-helmet,
double ellipse trademark, used by the P.D. Lüneschlöss
firm. However, all of this is of little consequence, as it is
the presentation appearing between the scabbard bands on the reverse
that is of astounding nature. It is interesting to note the engraver
removed the pebbled surfaces of the paneled area between the bands
so that the four-line engraving could be easily read. This engraved
dedication is “UNSEREM KOMANDEUR/OBERST J.MICKL HERZLICHEN/GLÜCKWUNSCH
ZUM RITTERKREUZ/DIE STOLZEN 155 er”. This dedication basically
translates to “TO OUR COMMANDER COLONEL J. MICKL WITH HEARTFELT
BEST WISHES ON THE KNIGHT’S CROSS AWARD FROM THE PROUD 155
er”. Oberst Mickl was one of Rommel’s Panzer commanders
and was instrumental in Rommel’s fight against Tobruk in
North Africa. He won the Knight’s Cross for his outstanding
leadership, and as the Allies were soon to learn, Rommel and his
Panzer generals were huge adversaries despite their smaller numbers.
Mickl went on to win the oak leaves for operations in Russia on
6 Marz 1943. At that time, he was the commander of the 25th Panzer
Greniedere regiment. He was later killed on 10 April 1945, while
commanding the 392nd Croatian Infantry division. At that time,
he had been promoted to General Leutnant and had been wounded
five times. This dagger was owned by one of the great German Panzer
commanders who, to this day, were responsible for the reputation
which will live on through history of these fantastic trained
troops. He was a career officer, having served in both wars. This
is a grand opportunity to own a dagger in which a whole display
could be built around. This dagger comes with a large dossier
detailing Mickl’s career. It is a wonderful artifact and
would make even the most advanced collectors in our community
smile. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity!Mint Minus. $9,995.00