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World War I
Page 10
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Prussian (German) Flight Observer’s Badge (Item WWI 10-1; LUFT 15-10; KMEDAL 4-23)
PRICE: $898.00
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WWI Imperial Navy Wound Badge Stickpin in Silver (Item WWI 10-2; PINS 5-24) |
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| DESCRIPTION: This is a stickpin that is a miniature of the wound badge awarded to naval personnel who have sustained wounds in WWI. This award is the second class. It was given for having suffered three wounds. This is the stickpin worn when in civilian attire. It was worn proudly by veterans of the war at sea. Naval aviation crews also qualified for these badges. The actual badge is often seen on World War II naval tunics indicating that the wearer was a recipient of the actual award. The detail is wonderful in this miniature. It depicts the anchor of the navy with the ship’s anchor chain all about it. The badge bears the ‘800’ silver stamp on its back. This is beautiful strike from the dies of Franz Schnell, the silver insignia specialist of Third Reich. See our narrative at About Our Rings and Silver Insignia. This pin is very beautiful.
PRICE: $49.00 |
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Art Medal of the German War Effort (beautiful!) (Item WWI 10-3) |
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| DESCRIPTION: This art medal is about the finest we have ever seen. The detail is exquisite, and the action dramatic and inspiring. The condition is about mint. The depiction is a charge by spike-helmet-wearing German landsers in 1914. The banner is waving and the officer leading has sword in hand. The soldiers stand out boldly in relief. The size is 2 x 2 1/2 inches in fine bronze patina. Under this scene are the words, “FELDZUG GEGEN FRANKREICH, RUSSLAND, ENGLAND, JAPAN, AND U.S.W.”(U.S.W. meaning ‘Und so Weiter’) meaning other countries against the German Fatherland. The meaning altogether is “the field campaign” against these named Allied aggressor nations. To the sides of the information are oak leaves on the left and laurel leaves on the right. This is a stunningly beautiful depiction, indeed.
PRICE: SOLD |
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Boy’s Military Tunic Made to Scale (Item WWI 10-4; KTOY 1-9; KMISC 2-3) |
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| DESCRIPTION: This is a great, little uniform tunic probably ordered to be tailored by a proud father who was himself a soldier of the Kaiser Wilhelm I or Wilhelm II era. We are not quite sure of the exact period. We do believe that because of the type of the numerals on the shoulder boards that the regiment that it is representative of is a Prussian artillery regiment probably the King of Prussia Volunteer Corps (von Lützowiches), but we also reserve the secondary opinion that it could be an Uhlan regiment. In any case, it’s a period piece in good condition except for one small tear in the fabric at the back of one sleeve about an inch long. All the military copper-colored buttons are intact and present. The gold-bullion trim sets off the blue fabric making this a very sharp little tunic. I’m sure the little-guy soldier who wore this made his dad as proud as a peacock as he marched back and forth across the living room to the tune of “Prussia’s Gloria” played on the phonograph player. This is truly a great and sentimental treasure of yesteryear.
PRICE: $650.00 |
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Book Deutschland’s Heer und Flotte, Germany’s Army and Navy, by Gustav-a-Sigeland General von Sprecht (Item WWI 10-5; KBOOKS 3-3) |
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| DESCRIPTION: This is a fantastic huge book 14 x 18 inches in size with 180 pages of text in German and English. This number of pages does not count the dozens and dozens of fully illustrated color full-page prints that are breathtakingly beautiful. Copies of this book when they rarely show up are usually in very poor shape and dealers have been known to tear the prints out of the book and frame them individually. These framed prints often bring as much as $300 to $400 each because they are after all original (period) pieces. This is the first time we have had one in this fine condition as they are brilliant chromolithographs by G. Arnould in-house Werner artists. This was published in 1899 and the English and German text is published in parallel columns. The cover is in original pictorial blue cloth stamped in gilt, red, blue, white, and black depicting a German soldier and sailor flanking the German eagle crest of the Empire. At this writing we searched the web and found another copy for sale on the website of AntiQbook. A later 1900 edition was being offered for $1,600, but it mentions the joint’s being reinforced by cloth tape plus a short split at the bottom of the upper joint. This is far better than others that have been offered in the past, but still not the shape of this one we offer (near perfect!).
PRICE: $1,850.00; a bargain! |
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Great Original Painting of German Soldiers on Patrol (Item WWI 10-6; ART 14-11) |
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| DESCRIPTION: This large painting measurers 39 x 27 inches, but with frame it is 44 x 32 inches. It is by Carl Rochling, who is listed in Davenport’s book listing known artists. Carl Rochling is listed as living 1855-1920. He is listed as a specialist in German soldiers with at least one listed as ‘SOLD’ at $2,500. This was a canvas 40 x 73 inches. This was undoubtedly a long time ago. Rochling was quite a famous artist in Germany. One of his most famous paintings was “Germans to the Front,” a scene from the Africa campaigns. His most famous painting was “Frederick the Great” at the Battle of his Zorndorf. This one was shown in many books and would be impossible to estimate the value today (do I hear priceless?). Remember, this is an original artwork by a major artist. It seems that Rochling particularly liked to illustrate the war in German East Africa during World War I. His famous painting “Germans to the Front” has pith-helmet-wearing soldiers storming up from a landing craft somewhere in the British-versus-German action. Emerging from all this struggle is the famed “Lion of Africa,” Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck. The painting, we offer is also reminiscent of the Africa campaigns from the look of the scenery that the soldiers trod through. Carl Rochling was born in Glogau near Saarbruck on 11 October 1855, and died in Berlin on 6 May 1920. He was perhaps one of the most prolific military artists of the late 19th century in Germany. In 1880 he studied under the great German historical artist Anton von Werner, where he quickly developed an interest in military subjects. The events of the Franco-Prussian War were particularly appealing to the young artist and he later produced many scenes of victorious passions in battle such as an episode in the Battle of Wissembourg and the capture of the chateau at Grisberg. Many of his pictures were used to illustrate regimental histories of the various Prussian units involved in the 1870 Franco-Prussian War. We have shown some of the other great works of this great master artist of Germanic soldiery. His name and his works will live in history, and here's a chance to actually own an original painting by this, one of the greatest German artists of all time.
PRICE: $9,500.00 |
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Austro-Hungarian Assault Troop’s Badge (Item WWI 10-7; HUNG 1-12) |
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| DESCRIPTION: Origin: When the Austro-Hungarian (AH) War High Command decided to raise assault units and squads it was first planned to introduce special collar devices for Stormtroopers, similar to the insignia of infantry gun crews. The AOK (high command) thought like the German army that these badges or insignia could motivate soldiers to attend assault courses and join the different assault formations as volunteers. Later, it was generally planned to train the whole infantry in special trench warfare. When the new assault battalions were instituted on the divisional level the idea of assault insignia was again taken up; however, this new badge should not be part of the actual uniform worn by every member of an assault battalion, but was planned to be a decoration for special skills and bravery during a mission. It was decided that besides excellent skills in weapons handling, good results in physical education, and assault tactics, at least one mission against the enemy should be a must to receive the award. The soldier should be proposed by the assault unit’s commander; the decoration should be awarded by the superior command. But it was also stated that there should also be a special badge for all trained Stormtroopers to raise their reputation and show their importance. This uniform badge would only be worn in the hinterland, but not during missions. Later it was decided that at least two successful missions should be necessary to get the award; this was the beginning of a whole tradition and liturgy. Thousands of different badges were produced all falling into the category of awards and were worn on the cap and tunic. The most popular was the human skull with the word ‘Sturmtrupp.’ The largest of these carried this legend, but did not contain any numbers of particular units. This one that we offer also has crossed hand grenades under the macabre-looking skull. The assault badge without numbers was produced always with the same general design, and was produced both with vertical or horizontal pin fastening devices. The one we have is the middle-sized 5.5 cm high, which was the type sold most. The badges were cast in brass for the most part. We have seen at least one in copper color. The one we offer is die cast in pure ‘800’ silver and is so marked. It is much heavier than the ones in brass and the detail is brilliant; much finer than the cheaper ones. Ours is not World War I issue or even bought in this time. It was produced by Herr Franz Schnell, who was Germany's premier silversmith in the 1920s, 30s, and 40s. See About Our Rings and Silver Insignia. Schnell made many badges and silver for various veterans’ groups in Germany and Austria. The veterans would proudly wear various insignias such as this one as a badge of honor and in this case, supreme prestige. No veteran could be more proud of his service to Kaiser and Fatherland more than the Stormtrooper. It is no wonder that when the NS/SA was formed they took on the name “Sturmabteilung,” (storm sections) or Stormtroops. These were truly Germany’s and Austria’s elite. The badge is rather macabre as we have stated, but in its eerie look it is also beautiful. The detail is stupendous; you can count the teeth and each tooth is separately detailed. Here is a great reminder of trench warfare—horrible yet noble. Background information can be garnered from the academic genius of Mr. Christian Ortner in his great dissertation known as AUSTRO-HUNGARIAN ASSAULT TROOP’S BADGE. The picture credits go to the wonderful website of Christian Ortner and are a treat to look at. Congratulations Christian.
PRICE: $285.00; very rare |
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Hungarian Stormtroop’s Badge (Item WWI 10-8; HUNG 1-13) |
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| DESCRIPTION: This badge is another of the types of Stormtroop badges as enumerated above. This one, however, is strictly for the Hungarian elite soldiers. Unlike the one above this badge identifies the unit as the 155th Assault Battalion. The skull is similar, but the crossed grenades are of the fragmentation type rather than the concussion type. This badge is also a die struck in silver, and the detail is wonderful. Each of the Hungarian words stands out in relief—clear and sharp. Like the other this was also produced in the silver manufactory of Herr Franz Schnell for veterans of the Austro-Hungarian Stormtroops to proudly wear at veterans’ conventions etc. It's clearly marked with the ‘800’ silver mark on the back of the badge. For background on this badge’s origin and purpose see the information that is available in the writing accompanying the badge just above. Photo credits go to Christian Ortner’s website.
PRICE: $328.00; rare! |
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Art Plate Commemorating Marine Infantry Regiment No. 1 (Item WWI 10-9; KGLASS 3-3, KRIEG 8-2) |
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| DESCRIPTION: This is a really beautiful porcelain plate or dish that is from the marine infantry detachments under the Kaiser's Kriegsmarine (Kaiserlichmarine). This is for Regiment Number One, the elite of the fighting troops of the navy. These were the man who armed themselves like army personnel, who would do all that was needed to be done when it came to nonshipboard action like clearing beachheads and wiping out enemy artillery nests and communications installations. They were tough and resourceful and a necessary unit to back up successful naval maneuvers. Plate is in good condition and rare.
PRICE: $225.00 |
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Hindenburg’s “Hand of Friendship and Vindication” in Bronze |
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| DESCRIPTION: This is one of the most historically important relics we have ever offered on Germania’s site. It’s practically unique and as far as we know only a handful have ever been made and we know of only two in existence or on display (ours is one of them). The depiction is the right hand of Paul von Hindenburg, the WWI German Army Chief of the General Staff and Grand Marshal of the Reich. We have reason to believe that this one was presented to Dr. Otto Meissner, 1880-1953, who was State Secretary serving under Hindenburg when later the aged marshal was appointed as the postwar Reich’s president. Meissner was in this capacity from 1924 to 1945. He was a personal close friend of Hindenburg even back in the days of the Great War. When Adolf Hitler came to power he gave him the title of Reich Minister of the Greater German Reich and kept him doing the work he was so proficient at doing. Meissner was always the bureaucrat’s bureaucrat. Now to this remarkable sculpture. There is a fascinating story connected to it and it is written up in a beautiful book out of Germany entitled “Mythos Marshallstab” der Marschallstab in der Preussischen un Deutschen Geschichte von 1852 bis 1945. This is a 360-page book (now practically unavailable) that gives the history of the marshal’s batons of Prussia and Germany from 1852 to the end of World War Two. The book is incredible with beautiful pictures of the batons and their owners through the many years. On pages 124 and 125 there is a picture of the style of baton that we now present. The legend goes…the German Kaiser of Prussia and Emperor of Germany had summarily declared in January 1915 that four new army groups were to be earmarked to be deployed on the eastern front against the recommendation of an officer, Erich von Falkenhayn, 1861-1922, who was then chief of the general staff. Hindenburg therefore sent Major von Haeften to Berlin to pass the word to the empress Augusta Victoria that the constant disagreements with Falkenhayn were becoming unbearable. The empress, after hearing this report, wrote a letter to the emperor asking him to intervene to stop Falkenhayn’s meddling in the ability of Hindenburg to run the war in the east. The emperor’s remark about the letter from the empress thereupon was: “That’s all we need now, women meddling into this affair.” When Major von Haeften suggested the transfer of at least a few divisions from the western front to stem the Russian attack in the Masurian Lakes area the Kaiser was livid and angry and he had v. Haeften transferred to a penal unit. This is seen in a letter of March 1977 from Dr. Anton Ritthaler from the archives of the house of the kings of Prussia (Hohenzollern Castle). Then it came to pass that the empress Victoria to heal the rift that resulted from all of this between Kaiser Wilhelm II and Field Marshal Hindenburg ordered the Königsberg teacher in the Academy of Fine Arts professor Stanislaus Cauer, to create two bronze, sculpted hands holding a depiction of Hindenburg’s marshal’s baton that he had been awarded in 1914 after the victory at Tannenberg. Both of these original bronzes are mounted on a marble slab with a brass plate and inscribed: “It is the wish of Her Majesty Empress Auguste Victoria that this hand be a sign of renewed friendship between his majesty Wilhelm II and his great Field Marshal von Hindenburg.” At the end of the sculpture is an inscription that reads the date and Lützen May 15, 1915 St. Cauer.” One of the castings was presented to Kaiser Wilhelm II, while the other was presented to Hindenburg. The original template cast, however, stayed with Prof. Cauer. In the 1930s some more bronzes were produced using the same die or template cast. One was given personally by v. Hindenburg to State Secretary Meissner in 1930 on his 50th birthday. Other recipients were the family of Brockhausen, relatives of v. Hindenburg and one to Prof. Dr. Sauerbruch*, and one to Ludendorff. The name Lützen in the inscription refers to a town in the former kingdom of Prussia. This was the place where the famed Teutonic knights built a mighty castle and fortress in 1340 located at the isthmus between the two Masurian Lakes. We think it highly interesting that this was the place of presentation of the sculpture to v. Hindenburg as it was also the place where the disagreement was born!!! All in all, this is a very fascinating relic of war, majesty, honor, and nobility; a tribute to the grand Kaiser and marshal and to the seemingly clever yet kindly act of a sovereign empress. The sculpture measurements are with the hand and arm 9 inches. The baton is 12 inches long. The thickness of the wrist portion is about 2 1/2 x 3 inches; a semidiameter. The baton is decorated with depictions of the Prussian eagle and the Hohenzollern crown. They say that the hardest thing for an artist to present faithfully is a hand. Well, Prof. Cauer must have surely been one of the greatest of bronze sculptors as this hand is as near perfect as can be done (our opinion). The inscription on the end says: “Hand d. G.F.M. von Hindenburg Lötzen 1915.” The initials are for “die General Field Marshal von Hindenburg” and of course as previously mentioned Lötzen was the town where the presentation took place. Many of his works can be found in state collections, public memorials in Halle, Königsberg and Kreuznach. The buyer of this great historical treasure will be most fortunate as this is history personified! This is a great and of course prodigiously rare item of glorious Teutonic history. Just imagine this one on your office desk! It really should be in a museum, but we know you will provide a good home for it until the day comes when it will repose in a German museum collection. The story is fascinating and the piece is dramatically important. *Dr. Ferdinand Sauerbruch was the Reich president’s personal physician and the country’s leading surgeon. He was also Adolf Hitler’s personal physician, as well. The doctor was also a physician in attendance with other doctors when SS-Gruppenführer Reinhard Heydrich was operated on unsuccessfully and Germany lost the man who might well have won the war for the Fatherland and for Europe. PRICE: $4,950.00 |
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Soldier Remembrance Pin (Item WWI 10-10) |
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| DESCRIPTION: This is particularly nice: a beautiful little pin with an original photo of a WWI German soldier encased in it. A little over 1 1/2 inches wide and an inch tall it is actually a fine piece of turn-of-the century jewelry with small stones (rubies) garnets??? at each end of the open work frame of brass. This is a neat little sentimental remembrance piece; perhaps the only memory of a valiant soldier who fought for his fatherland.
PRICE: $135.00 |
Page Ten |
Please refer to item designator in parentheses in all correspondence.
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