Sold Gallery
These pages display a number of the rare items that I have had the pleasure of selling. To view more details and a larger photograph please click on the thumbnail picture.
IMPERIAL GERMAN FOLDING HUNTING KNIFE BY HERDER.
Stag horn grip plates mounted with silver shield (for owners initials). Pressing a nickel silver clip releases a long steel blade which is maker marked, F. Herder Solingen with there crossed keys and ace of spades trade mark, some age and wear to blade but still looks nice. Complete with leather scabbard with matching nickel silver mount. Exc+
MINIATURE IMPERIAL GERMAN GARDE DU CORPS PARADE HELMET.
The Garde Du Corps was the Kaiser\'s personal cavalry. This exceptional miniature helmet was produced about 40 years ago by a very talented British individual who produced a small number of miniature helmets for collectors on a commission basis and they were not made to deceive, most were of British cavalry helmets, this example is one of the few German cavalry helmets which he made, he produced these exceptional quality helmets for a very short period of time, perhaps eight years and each helmet took many months to complete they were basically a labour of love and certainly not produced for monetary gain, I would estimate less than 40 helmets of various types were produced. Copper skull complete with helmet plate with enamel centre, copper chin scales with cockades and superb Imperial German parade eagle. Interior features velvet lining with leather sweat band. The helmet has never been cleaned so it now has an attractive 40 year old age patina. Near mint.
GAULEITER AND SS GENERAL AUGUST EIGRUBER'S SS SWORD, SWORD AWARD DOCUMENT AND PHOTOGRAH ALBUM.
This is a magnificent and historical set of museum quality and importance. The set comprises August Eigrubers SS officers sword (degen). Nickel silver hilt with the SS kulturzeichen stamped on the underside. The silver screw cap is the special SS type that screws into the hilt of the sword and not the tang of the blade which is the correct SS style, the pommel is beautifully engraved with Eigrubers initials, AE. The black wooden grip is in superb condition and it is inlaid with SS runic badge. The blade is plain with out a makers name which is correct for the SS officers swords. The scabbard still retains 98% original black paint, there are a couple of very slight dents to the reverse side but they are very minor and hardly worth mentioning, the upper silver scabbard fitting is stamped on the throat with the SS kulturzeichen and it is also stamped with Eigrubers SS membership number,292778, the lower scabbard fitting is the correct SS style which is held in place with pressure and not with screws. Complete with SS officers sword knot with the SS runes on the stem. SS sword award document, an extremely rare document awarding the SS sword (degen) to SS Oberfuhrer August Eigruber and dated 9.11.1938 and signed in ink by the Reichfuhrer SS Heinrich Himmler, the document has the correct water mark which can been seen when held to the light. The last item in this set is a superb personal photograph album belonging to Gauleiter and SS Obergrupenfuhrer August Eigruber, the album dates to the early 1940's and contains almost 150 photographs and all very interesting and some with captions and dates, they include Eigruber giving speeches, parades, visiting tank factory and other industry's, meeting the local population, but even more interesting are the photographs of the important people who visited him at Linz, they include, Adolf Hitler 6 unique photographs, Hermann Goring also with 6 unique photographs showing him inspecting the city, Japanese foreign minister, Heinrich Himmler, Conrad Heinlein, various Gauleiters and other high ranking political and military leaders, almost every photograph is of great interest. Gauleiter and SS Obergrupenfuhrer August Eigruber was born on the 16th of April 1907 at Steyr in Austria. He was too young to serve in WW1 and after graduating from school he took up a carrier in precision engineering. In 1922 he joined the local Nazi Youth organisation in Austria and his early political carrier was with the Austrian HJ, in 1928 he joined the NSDAP receiving membership number 83432. He rose steadily in the Austrian NSDAP during this early period holding many party positions. In 1934 he was arrested after the assassination of the Austrian Chancellor Dollfuss and spent some time in prison. In 1935 he was made Gauleiter of Gau Linz in the illegal Austrian NSDAP ( a party position but not an official Austrian government post at that time). After the Austrian Anschluss in 1938 Eiguber was appointed by Adolf Hitler as the official Gauleiter of Gau Oberdonau with headquarters in the city of Linz. On the 25.7.38 Eigruber became an SS member and on the same date he was promoted to SS Standartenfuhrer, in November 1938 he was promoted to SS Oberfuhrer and at the same time he was awarded the SS officers sword by the Reichfuhrer SS Heinrich Himmler, he received steady promotion after this date, on the 21.6.1943 he was promoted to SS Obergrupenfuhrer. It is interesting to note that Eigruber was also an SA General and on the 9.11.43 he was promoted to SA Obergrupenfuhrer. Eigruber was also a member of the Reichstag. In 1941 Eigruber accompanied Himmler on a visit to the Mouthausen Concentration camp which was located near Linz and he apparently visited the camp many times after this visit, he also visited the euthanasia institute at Hartheim several times and which was actually leased by Eigruber to the institute. Adolf Hitler was a frequent visitor to Linz as it was one of his favourite city's and it is where he had spent a good part of his childhood, after the war he planed to open a magnificent art Museum complex in Linz and which he hoped would be the art centre of the world and which would rival any other museum in any country, he even planed to retire to Linz after the war to concentrate on artistic pursuits. In the closing stages of the war Eigruber organised the defence of the Linz district and was planning to turn Linz into a fortress city until his subordinates persuaded him not to do this and to surrender the city to the American army which is what happened on the 5.5.45, but by this time Eigruber had left the city. The Gaultier was captured by American forces on the 11.8.1945. He was eventually put on trial in 1946 and executed soon after for his involvement with the Mauthausen camp. A historically important set. Near mint.
CASED GERMAN EASTERN PEOPLES AWARD 1ST CLASS IN SILVER WITH OUT SWORDS.
This very nice example still retains at least 85% original silver finish. The reverse side features pin and hook. Complete with hard to find original black leatherette box with award design to the lid. This scarce award was awarded to eastern Europeans such as Russians or Ukrainian serving with the German military forces. Exc++
WW2 CASED IRON CROSS 1ST CLASS BY FRIEDRICH ORTH.
Fine quality cross that still retains much original frosting to the silver frame. All original paint remaining with good high swastika. The reverse side features pin and hook, the pin is stamped 15 which is the makers code for the desirable maker, Friedrich Orth. Complete with black leatherette box the interior base is fitted for the cross, the interior lid of the box is impressed with the cross design from being in contact with the award over many years. The exterior lid of the box features the iron cross design. A very nice cased cross. Near mint.
BULGARIAN FASCIST YOUTH KNIFE.
Silver aluminium hilt is in excellent condition. The black celluloid grip plates are in perfect condition and the obverse side is inset with a gold and red shield with letter B for the Branik Youth, this organisation was modelled on the German Hitler Youth. The blade is in excellent condition, the obvers side features a shield with Stag, the reverse side features a Cyrillic inscription which translates to, Duty and Honour, the blade has been carefully sharpened in the past but it is not really noticeable. The knife was issued for only a very short period of time during WW2 to the Bulgarian Branik Youth organisation and came in two sizes, the small knife was worn by the young wolves and the larger knife was worn by the older members the eagles and it was also worn by organisation leaders, this is the very desirable large knife. The scabbard is identical to an HJ scabbard and it retains 95% original black paint and it is fitted with a black leather belt loop and grip retaining strap. This is a very rare youth knife, the last one I owned was over 20 years ago. Exc++
SPANISH FALANGE YOUTH KNIFE DATED 1936 COMPLETE WITH ORIGINAL BELT, BUCKLE AND CLOTH BADGE.
This very rare Spanish youth knife is modelled on the German Hitler youth knife. The steel hilt retains 85% original factory blackened finish, The black celluloid grip plates are in perfect condition, the obverse grip plate is inset with the Spanish fascist red, black and gold diamond badge of the Falange. The blade shows some light age spotting over the entire surface of the blade, these blades often had a very lightly etched motto (Ariba Espana) but if so it is very difficult to see now, the reverse side of the blade is stamped, Seam 1936/8 with a tiny flaming grenade stamp. The scabbard which is identical to the German HJ scabbard retains 90% original black paint and it is fitted with a black leather belt loop and grip retaining strap, Complete with original black leather belt with silver buckle which features a design of a bundle of five arrows, complete with original Spanish arm shield with title, ESPANA and with iron cross and swastika design and the five Spanish arrows. A very rare complete set. This is the first Spanish youth knife that I have owned, it is extremely rare. Exc+
SS 8 YEAR SERVICE MEDAL.
A superb example of the 8 year SS medal still retaining all original factory finish and it is fitted with the correct bevelled suspension ring and tear drop loop. Complete with blue silk ribbon. Superb mint example, the best you will find.
ARMY PANZER NCO PEAKED CAP, NAMED TO THE ORIGINAL OWNER.
Fine quality field grey top, dark green wool centre band and pink piping for panzer troops. Complete with metal eagle, cockade and NCO black leather chin strap which is held in place by two small black buttons. The interior of the hat features a pale brown cotton lining with plain celluloid patch which is 98% complete, it is size marked 57 and there is also a paper insert under the diamond with owners details, EBLEN and then his unit, 2 / PZ ABW ABT 35. The brown leather sweat band is in perfect condition and it is unit marked on the under side and dated 1938. There are a couple of insignificant moth nips to the exterior of the hat but over all this panzer cap is in extremely nice condition and being named it is probably possible to research the original owner. Exc++
TENO OFFICERS DAGGER BY EICKHORN.
The pommel and crossguard are in superb condition with most of the plating remaining which is hard to find as this model often suffers with plating wear. The very attractive orange grip is in mint condition. The blade is stamped on the obverse side with the Teno issue number. 2262, the reverse side is etched with the 1935/41 pattern Eickhorn trade mark and also the Teno eagle above, the blade is still bright and it is in a strong excellent condition, not mint but still extremely nice. The scabbard is also extremely nice with no dents or other damage, the throat is stamped with Teno issue number 2262 and which matches the blade issue number. Complete with silver knot. A rare and difficult to find dagger which is in very nice condition, it has been several years since I have been able to offer a Teno Officers dagger. Exc++