Normally, I don't do alot of wondering about authenticity and such, but I came across this fascinating Beer Mug and I'm just not that sure on what to think of it. It has no markings or makers stamp. The seller is, obviously, Helmut Weitze-the top seller in all of Germany and a pretty straight reputation as well, but as much as I'd Like to purchase this mug, there are a few things that are bothering me about it. Weitze's story, when I inquired about it was that it was acquired from a German soldier's family from his estate and that he had brought it back from Croatia as a souvenir. He had never seen another in 30 years and I can say the same thing also.
The problems that I have with it are #1: It looks Very new-even on the bottom rim where it is expected to see wear from 70 years or more of sitting on shelves. Of course, it may have been packed away somewhere in a truck or closet and never sat anywhere at all...? #2. The "U". First of all, the colors of the checkerboard shield and the surrounding border of the "U" are Red-as they Should be. But the "U" when you see them on flags, uniform insignias, etc are almost always in Bright Blue. The Ustasha colors were Red,White and Blue. The fact that this "U" is Not Blue but is Red is disturbing to me. I have no idea if this Red colored "U" is to be found like this elsewhere or are they All in Blue? I cannot recall ever Seeing a Red "U". Lastly, the #3 problem is, the Ustasha "U"s are universally drawn with the Left arm of the "U" being wide and the Right arm of the "U" being thin. This "U" on the mug is uniform in shape and thickness.
So, there you have the dilemma! Is it Good? Or is it a Modern Fantasy item? Weitze claims it's good and has a known History to it, but, of course, a story can sometimes be just a Story. What do you guys think? Let's hear your thoughts on it! I included a couple of photos of a flag I once had and a pin to show you what I mean about the "U".
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