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Luftwaffe Honor Goblet
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Magnificent Silver Luftwaffe Ehrenpokal (Honor Goblet) |
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| DESCRIPTION: This Pokal was awarded to Major Hans Keppler, who was the commander of NR. 1 Kampfgeschwader (“Hindenburg”) in August and September of 1942. Keppler was a recipient of the Knight’s Cross on August 8, 1942, but was killed in action September 3, 1942. He received the German Cross I Gold on March 9, 1942 and this Ehrenpokal back on December 15, 1941, when he was a Hauptmann (captain). The Geschwader KG 1 was a crack bomber unit having served in the Polish Campaign in 1939 with its main targets being railways and troop concentrations. In 1940, KG 1 supported the German Fourth Army in Belgium and also supported the race to the English Channel attacking French targets that were threatening Army Group A. In the Battle of Britain the unit took part in “Adlertag” (“
Eagle Day”). It also served in North Africa and the Mediterranean and the Italian campaigns. The bomber aircraft used in most of the unit’s missions was the Heinkel He 111, the workhorse of the Luftwaffe. The Ehrenpokal was given for special achievement in the air war. It was given only to flying personnel (pilots and aircrew). German archives indicate that 58,000 were given ‘on paper,’ but only about 13,000-15,000 were actually personally awarded. The actual goblets were produced in two materials-fine silver (Feinsilber) as this one is, but also in Alpaca or nickel silver. The size is about 200 mm tall x 100 mm in diameter. The legend “Für Besondere Leistung Im Luftkrieg” is beautifully formed into the base. The most sought after of these rare pieces is of course the earlier examples in Feinsilber. The firm of Johann Wagner & Sohn of Berlin made these goblets. They clearly marked this piece “Joh. Wagner & Sohn” and underneath this you can see the figures of the half moon, the crown, “835” (silver content), and the imperial-looking eagle. The design of the goblet is magnificent with two eagles in airborne combat on one side while the reverse side has the 1939 Iron Cross. There is a slight pebbling effect to the background of the whole Pokal. Above the inscription bearing the recipient’s name and date of issue is a band of gorgeous oak leaves. At the time of the issue of this Pokal Hans Keppler was a Hauptmann (captain). Practically no award issued in the Third Reich quite comes up to the beauty of these silver chalices. This one is in mint condition throughout with no dents or abrasions anywhere on its body—a thing of beauty is a joy forever!!! Upon researching the web we found on a major prestigious military site a nice Pokal, but it was produced in Alpaca, not silver. It was also in very nice condition but unresearched as to the recipient and it was priced at $8,500.00. The Feinsilber ones that are seldom found are very much more sought after by serious collectors and usually considered three times as rare as the Alpaca so we feel that our price on this piece will be considered very reasonable indeed.
PRICE: SOLD |
Please refer to item designator in parentheses in all correspondence.
