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Discounted Items
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Decorative Plate Depicting Kaiser Wilhelm in the Uniform of the Prussian Guard Regtiment (Item DISCOUNT 1-1) |
| DESCRIPTION: The Imperial Kaiser Wilhelm II loved pageantry and he had 295 different uniforms that he wore on different occasions. Thirty of these uniforms were in constant use. His predilections were formerly for the uniform as Commander of the Gardes du Corps and then the red uniform with gold trim of the 1st regiment of Grenadiers of the Imperial Guard, seen here. He had 14 valets, military and civil, plus two head valets who were said to be specially charged with the care of the wardrobe and the Grand Master of the Court would personally supervise the layout and final decision as to the wear of the day requested by the Emperor Wilhelm. Three particular branches of service were put into motion every time the Kaiser would wear a different costume. They were the Garments Department, then the Accessories Department, and, finally, the Department of Awards and Decorations. Wilhelm made it a rule to always wear the uniform of the principal regiment garrison stationed at the place visited. The attendant who was unable to draw from the imperial baggage the military dress desired would quickly find himself dropped from the salary list. In addition, it was stated that a cavalry or Hussar uniform for instance consists of fourteen distinct parts. With this, you might gain an idea of the work entailed by these specialists that had to respond quickly to the change of clothing involved when a dinner visit is scheduled at the last moment. In any case, it remains true that Wilhelm II cut a dashing and handsome figure whether in Gardes du Corps regalia, civilian, or hunting dress. The naval admiral’s uniform was one of his special favorites, as well. The Decorative Plate The plate that would hang in a place of honor on a wall measures 9 inches in diameter. Around the edges, it bears the German national colors: black, white, and red. Under the Kaiser’s image in his resplendent uniform are the dates 1914/15 that commemorate the first two years of the First World War and this indicates that the plate was actually produced within the war years. There is no mark of a company manufacturer on the back. The condition is excellent and would make an excellent and historically important collectable for your fine collection. This plate is colorful and accurate! PRICE: $299.00; Consigner reduction to $225.00 |
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 The only markings |
 Helmet placed for perspective |
 Charlemagne receiving the submission of Widukind at Paderborn in 785 |
 Widukind the Blessed after his conversion |
 Statue of Widukind in Herford |
 Widukind in the Hall of Battles at Versailles |
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Widukind Saxon Chief Statue in Bronze (Item Item DISCOUNT 1-3) |
DESCRIPTION: A beautiful gold washed bronze of the Saxon Chief Widukind. Very little is known about the life of Widukind. All sources about him stem from his enemies, the Franks, who painted a negative picture of him as an insurgent and a ‘traitor.’ He was first mentioned in 777 when he was the only one of the Saxon nobles not to appear at Charlemagne's court in Paderborn. His circa is 730-808 and after the Saxon Frankish wars and forced baptism he became known as “Blessed Widukind.” He was the chief antagonist of Charlemagne during these bloody wars. He married Geva of Westford c.770-800, daughter of the Danish king Goimo I and sister of the Danish kings Ragnar and Siegfried. Widukindwas the moving spirit in the struggles of the Saxons for their independence and continuation of their traditional faith. Frankish accounts of the Saxon wars give only scant outlines of his character. After Charlemagne subdued the Saxons in 777, Widukind found refuge with his wife’s relatives in Denmark. When Charlemagne went to Spain in 77, Widukind returned and revived the rebellion, and the Saxons raided Frankish regions. Several more times Widukind had to flee, and eventually Charlemagne subdued the Saxons and inflicted terrible punishment at the Blood Verdict of Verden where 4,500 tribal leaders were allegedly beheaded. The bitter struggles involved Wends and Frisians as well and continued until Charlemagne succeeded forcefully with threats of genocide against his people, persuaded Widukindto accept Christianity. Widukindwas baptized in 785 along with many of his people at Attigny. The Pope ordered a general feast of thanksgiving. Widukindtook no part in further Saxon wars. He soon became one of the heroes of legend and eventually appeared as a saintly figure becoming “Blessed Widukund” and the builder of many churches. He is believed to have been buried at Engernea Herford around 808. However, the monumental tablet in the church of Enger is not from the 9th century, and so it is doubtful if the corpse inside is actually that of Widukund. This once bitter foe of Charlemagne, thus became his friend and godson. His feast day is commemorated on January 7. According to myth, Widukind rode a black horse before his baptism and a white horse afterwards. The black horse is depicted in the coat of arms of the district of Hereford, while his white horse is depicted on the flags of the North Rhine-Westphalia and Lower states of Germany. Widukind is also a Dutch fraternity located in Nijmegen which was founded in 1945. The controversy reached into the conversations between Adolf Hitler and SS Reichsfuhrer Heinrich Himmler. Hitler thought that Charlemagne’s deeds were necessary so as to advance civilization and intellectual progress of the Aryan race at that point in time. Certainly it marked an event that did much to change the course of history. This bronze statue of the Saxon hero is quite beautiful indeed. He is shown with axe and shield standing defiantely against the usurpers of Germanic ‘Kultur.” His winged helmet is almost a declaration of war in itself! He wears a tunic of chained mail, his sword hangs at his side under the shield suspended by a chain hanger. He stands about 6 inches high with the base. The gilting is 100% intact. A beautiful bronze sculpture and a beautiful symbol of righteous defiance against a cruel and powerful enemy. “The Tea Party on steroids!” Widukindonly knelt before Karl the Great to save his people from anillation. His honor, bravery, and selfless leadership will be remembered in the annals of history. He was like Hermann the Cheruskin -- a hero of the Volk! Small but dynamic! One of the better bronzes we have ever seen. PRICE: $2,150.00; Special sale! Consigner is willing to take $1,650.00 |
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Veteran’s Standard Featuring Generalfeldmarschall von Mackensen (Item DISCOUNT 1-4) |
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| DESCRIPTION: Generalfeldmarschall August von Mackensen (1849-1945), was one of the most distinguished officers in the army of Kaiser Wilhelm II. Thus we find it most natural that a cavalry Verein would feature the noble warrior in its honor banner (“Ehrenfahne”). The banner features v. Mackensen on its front panel. Supported on top and under the picture with the words: “Gott vertrauen und der eigenen Kraft!,” which means: “Trust in God and Your Own Strength!” On the other side (reverse) there is an utterly fantastic picture of a German cavalry rider with lance mounted on a beautifully rendered horse. NOTE: All the pictures are hand embroidered both front and back. Around the four corners are helmets depicted starting with the Dragoon helmet with horsehair décor and spike. This is seen at the top left-hand corner. At the right corner at the top is a Pelzmutze, or Hussar busby for an officer. At the right-lower corner is a Uhlan Tshapka or Uhlan officer’s helmet, and in the left-bottom corner is the ultimate cavalry helmet of the Garde d’Corps, the Kaiser’s personal mounted bodyguard regiment. The words embroidered in gold bullion letters read: “Kavallerie-Verein des Kreises Bergheim gegr.1930,” which means “Cavalry Association of the Bergheim Section.” The embroidery on this banner is nothing short of phenomenal; the best we have ever seen in that the great-looking gold fringe on two of the edges is virtually intact. The bottom edge is missing about 2 inches of fringe. On the left edge are five fastening loops for securing the banner to a pole or to a lance. The approximate size of the piece is about 29 x 29 inches. As would be expected there are some stains on the rider side (normal!) and also on the v. Mackensen side as well. In the pictures these stains look like fraying, but they are not. This is also unusual as these veteran’s standards are usually quite frayed from age and use. Please understand with all your understanding just what a Teutonic treasure this truly is. Look at the face of the Generalfeldmarschall and you will be looking at a phenomenon, indeed: “This is not a painting.” This likeness is entirely woven by hand stitching. To paint a picture so lifelike and exact would be a task. But to execute this in minute stitches is almost impossible to contemplate. This is without a doubt more than a veteran’s banner; it is a Germanic antiquity of special note. As to the man depicted, Generalfeldmarschall August v. Mackensen, here was one of Germany’s greatest warrior sons. He was a handsome and elegant man who claimed in is old age to have kept the figure of a lieutenant. He wore the startling black uniform of the Death’s Head Hussars with its busby crowned by a silver skull. Von Mackensen was born on December 6, 1849. After being privately tutored he was educated at the University of Halle before becoming an officer candidate at the age of nineteen in the 2nd Leibhussaren Regt. He fought in the Franco-Prussian War, winning the Iron Cross 2nd Class. Thereafter, his rise through the officer ranks was steady, becoming commander of the 1st Leibhussaren Regt. in 1893, and commander of the Leibhussaren Brigade in 1901. He accompanied the Kaiser on his tour of Palestine in 1898 and in his role as adjutant acquired a dashing reputation for his spectacular six-foot black-booted figure and for the courtliness of his behavior in public. In 1903 he was a major general commanding the 36th Division in Danzig. That same year he was promoted to lieutenant general on September 11. Five years later he was a Generaloberst in command of the 17th Army Corps. With the outbreak of World War I his dashing cavalry operations during the Battle of Tannenberg against the Russians on the eastern front earned him a promotion to field marshal in 1915. The rest of the war was spent as military commander of Serbia and Rumania. Thereafter, his life was full of public honor and although retired from the army in 1920, his Hussar uniformed figure was a well-known sight at public occasions. In 1879 von Mackensen married Dorothea von Horn and by that marriage he had two daughters and three sons between 1883 and 1897. His wife died in December 1905. He married Leome von der Osten on April 29, 1908, the year of his promotion to general. During the Third Reich von Mackensen was to be a focus for many disaffected officers from the old army. He remained faithful unto death to his king and emperor. When Wilhelm II died in Holland in 1941 the elderly field marshal was the only survivor from a bygone age to pay last respects to his sovereign. As the grave was made ready and the last respects made, von Mackensen, with tears in his eyes, offered his own personal gesture to the man to whose loyalty he owed his own success. He carefully laid his regimental cavalry cloak over the coffin and saluted the shades of old Prussia. His beloved Leibhussaren protected the last of the German kings even in death. (In 1951 when Crown Prince Wilhelm died, he was also buried in his full dress uniform as the Colonel Chief of the Death's Head Hussars.) The Kaiser had specified in his will that his funeral be strictly a simple military ceremony in Doom, Holland. Hitler was furious that he could not provide a state funeral in Berlin with full pomp and ceremony. That would have enabled Hitler to walk behind the Kaiser's casket showing Germany and the world that he was the legitimate successor. Von Mackensen, always the warrior, was perhaps the only figure in Germany who could honor the wishes of his last king at the expense of the desires of his current Führer. In 1945 von Mackensen, then 96, with sword in hand tried to stop Russian soldiers from looting his home. Fortunately they did not shoot him. He died in his sleep on November 8, 1945. When they buried von Mackensen, Germany paid last respects to an honored field marshal of the German Imperial Army. So, my collector friends and museum curators, I don’t think we could ever offer you something finer in the way of a German imperial item that even transcends that era and goes into the turbulent 1930s, as well. It is a fitting memorial to the “warrior’s warrior,” but also honors the elite German cavalry institutions, as well. What more can I say, “This is great!”
PRICE: SOLD |
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Very Nice Wehrmacht Mess Hall Bowl (Item Item DISCOUNT 1-6) |
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DESCRIPTION: This bowl is as issued to Wehrmacht personnel at the beginning of WW II (1939). It is a large, white, porcelain soup bowl measuring 9 inches in diameter and has the Third Reich National eagle (under the glaze) underneath. It also has the Imperial crown logo with the company name shown as “T.K. Thun Germany 1939.” Why “Germany” instead of “Deutschland”? That’s because T.K. Thun was a major porcelain manufacturer and 80 percent of its business was export to America and England before the war and it saw no purpose in changing its export label design. It’s still around today (It is interesting, however!) The bowl is in excellent condition and is on consignment and the consignor has allowed a great price to be put on it so we offer it for a short time at $150.00 instead of $250-$300 that it would normally be worth.
PRICE: SOLD |
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Third Reich Veterans’ Schellenbaum Top (Item Item DISCOUNT 1-7) |
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DESCRIPTION: Here is one of the Shellenbaum pole tops that were the first types used in the late 1920s by the Kyfhauserbund and other veterans’ organizations that were formed by ex-soldiers of the First World War. These men were highly respected and celebrated by the German populace and by the National Socialist government and the Führer Adolf Hitler. The finial is for either a flagpole top or a top for a Schellenbaum. This was one of the most characteristic and instantly recognizable features of the German military band. It was often referred to as the “Jingling Johnny.” The Schellenbaum began its life as an actual musical instrument that could be shaken and rattled in percussive fashion—somewhat reminiscent of the standards carried by the ancient Roman legions. It gradually through the ages evolved to carry a small banner at its top and so became the symbol of the particular group or unit that carried it and represented the command of the military formations it identified. No longer emitting musical sounds when the armies marched it now was considered the standard motif, but eminent in regal dignity. This one being a very early example looks much like the Schellenbaum type that graced the elite Kaiser Guard formations such as the Gardes du Corps or the Garde Grenadiers. In fact, it may even have been such, and the swastika as seen in our images may well have been added after the National Socialist Machtergreifung (Ascension to Power in 1933). Schellenbäume were often bought by the local townsfolk near the unit’s garrison and given to the band to cement the bond between the military bandsmen and the local population. It is essentially a Germanic tradition, and to find an antiquated one such as this is very fortunate indeed. The piece measures a little over 12 inches high and is about 5 inches wide at its widest point. It is all brass and quite ornate in its design with a musical harp as its central design surrounded by floral motif. It is an impressive piece of Teutonic history.
PRICE: $480.00. Reduced to $350.00. |
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Aluminum Plaque Depicting Adolf Hitler and his Famous Quotation (Item Item DISCOUNT 1-8) |
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| DESCRIPTION: Here is an original plaque cast in aluminum that features the bust portrait of Adolf Hitler and from one of his most memorable speeches are these words: ”Ich glaube an Deutschland und kämpfe dafür heute und morgen und in der Zukunft bis unser der Sieg ist.”. Translated: “I believe in Germany and fight for her today and tomorrow and in the future until victory is ours.” I believe this was a truism as it was the oft-repeated affirmation that he spoke of and his good works for his nation and his people bespeak of his intentions and his genuine firm resolve to make “Germany great again!” This is a fairly large plaque that measures 8 5/8 x 12 or 13 inches (22 x 32.5 cm). The only small problem is that the wire-hanging device on the back is broken away otherwise it’s in good condition albeit it has some minor chipping on the black surface. Consult our images.
PRICE: SOLD |
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Book Entscheidende Stunden, Time of Destiny (Item WEHR 23-3) |
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| DESCRIPTION: This is absolutely the greatest wartime-period book that we have ever seen chronicling in pictures all the events and victories of the German Wehrmacht at the early stages of the war (“the good time”). It consists of 28 pages of text and the about 95 or 96 large black-and-white images with astounding clarity and detail. The subtitle, “MIT DER KAMERA AM FEIND” means “With the Camera on the Enemy.” It was published in 1941 in Berlin. Then comes the delightful surprise—about 24 large, practically all full-page color pictures of the early action, to include infantry in action, house-to-house fighting, panzer assaults, river crossings, destroyed enemy tanks, flame-thrower usage, and the most dramatic scenes are the mopping-up operations where the German soldiers make short work of the hated French Senegalese “brothers.” These were the hand-picked African troops that the French purposely installed in the German Rhineland to embarrass and degrade the defeated Germans after WWII. This must have been a delightful moment for the Landsers. In one of the pictures one bro still has his rifle in his hand as the German soldier closes in on him to disarm him. The book measures 11 x 9 inches. It was covered with plastic to preserve it. The pictures are 9 x 6 3/4 inches on the larger ones and only a few are 6 x 7 3/4 inches. If a book of pictures could be said to be tremendous, this is it. It’s very historically important.
PRICE: $495.00; expensive? No, fabulous and rare! and now on special reduction sale available at $250.00 |
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German World War II (1939) Field Surgery Assemblage (Item WEHR 25-1: SPECIAL SALE) |
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| DESCRIPTION: In the military-relics field, this is one of the most fantastic finds of 2007. It's almost impossible to imagine ever finding this as complete as it is. The chest of tools is marked Hauptbesteck 1939, the first year of the Second World War. Inside the cover is a chart listing all the implements. Hauptbesteck, is translated as head, or main implements. The inside cover has a metal plate that says: “AKTIENGESTELLSCHAFT FÜR FEINMECHANIK VORMALS JETTER & SCHEERER TUTTLINGEN.” The chest measures 20 x 12 inches and is 6 1/2 inches deep. It weighs about 65 pounds. In seven trays that fit neatly and exactly into the chest are well over 100 pieces of surgical implements including scalpels, forceps, an amputation saw, many types of surgical tweezers and knives, straight razors, sutures, bullet extractors, picks, bone breakers, and incision wheels. It is a complete armamentarium, or full complement, for the field surgical staff. There a few pieces missing, but this is because surgeons upon finding new techniques are always eliminating pieces that are no longer viable to the medical situation at hand. So as not to confuse the support team, sometimes a new implement not shown on the charts is added. Most of the pieces bear the logo of the company. The grouping also comes with charts and enclosed is a diagram that illustrates the trays and their placement. Without a doubt this has to be one of the rarest items ever offered in World War II medical collectibles and was brought back by a doctor who doesn't care to be identified and who was the unit head of an American M.A.S.H.-type unit. He removed it from a German field hospital in France. This is utterly fantastic.
PRICE: SOLD |
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3-Dimensional Plaque Depicting a Sturmtrupp Soldier (Item WEHR 25-10; G-ABUND 1-3; KSTATUES 4-5) |
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| DESCRIPTION: This is spectacular!—a beautiful plaque with a World War I Storm Trooper advancing with hand grenade ready to thrust, with four more grenades in his belt (he means business!). The very unusual figure is separate, but adhered to the framing while standing on a plinth that represents the battleground. The figure has the model 16 helmet, gas mask, canteen, entrenching shovel, bread bag, bullet pouch, etc. This figure is probably by a company that made many decorative items for export, because in tiny letters down at the bottom of the plants it says in English “Made in Germany,” but we are fairly sure that this plaque was made for home use. The only other possibility would be that it was for export to various buyers in the German-American Bund in the 1930s. These people bought many knickknacks with patriotic motif. The deep-set special framing is 11 x 16 inches. The silver background is 6 x 10 1/2 inches. The soldier from the top of the helmet to the bottom of the combat boots is 8 inches tall. The material is white metal, or spalter, except for the rifle and that separately fits snugly into his hand and is possibly cast bronze. The entire piece is cleverly put together and is a highly charged ultra-dramatic presentation.
PRICE: $1,985.00; it will be your treasured centerpiece; Special sale: Reduced to $1,200.00 |
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Please refer to item designator in parentheses in all correspondence.
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