Very volatile piece right there. I tend to avoid cutlery.
Very volatile piece right there. I tend to avoid cutlery.
Wow. Thanks for the insight guys. I had looked at pieces like this, but I guess my looking is done now. Some great information here.
Having delved into this a little deeper, i've found a copy of the original consignment order dated 1938 that lists the entire 750 pieces of formal pattern AH cutlery (for 36 place settings) and ancillary silverware such as cigar/cigarette boxes, cigar cutters and matchbox holders that have always appeared a strange addition by some as Hitler alledgedly hated smoking in his vicinity.
It is interesting to note that there are NO napkin rings mentioned anywhere on the inventory that came from Hitler's jewellers F.H Wandinger of Munich, who manufactured the tobacco related cases/boxes for each set. The total cost of all 750 pieces in the consignment that was to be delivered to the Kehlsteinhaus (Eagles Nest) in Obersalzberg was 11,250 RM. There were other sets made for the Berghof, the Reichs Chancellery, Nazi Party headquarters in Munich,the Gasthaus at Obersalzberg and his Prinzregentenplatz apartment in Munich.
The total lack of any mention of these napkin rings being produced to this pattern is compelling, as is the fact that there are literally hundreds if not thousands for sale on the various nefarious websites and with dealers of poor reputation that i've previously mentioned.
I leave it for you guys to decide for yourselves, and if any evidence to the contrary can be shown to confirm the existence of the rings during the Reich period, then please share it.
Regards, Ned.
'I do not think we can hope for any better thing now.
We shall stick it out to the end, but we are getting weaker of course, and the end cannot be far.
It seems a pity, but I do not think I can write more. R. SCOTT.
Last Entry - For God's sake look after our people.'
In memory of Capt. Robert Falcon Scott, Edward Wilson, Henry Bowers, Lawrence Oates and Edgar Evans. South Pole Expedition, 30th March 1912.
So from whose ring would AH pluck his napkin then?
Could there have been a Second order placed for follow up additional pieces after the initial delivery? It is not unknown for a list of other desired pieces to be made up and sent for upon the delivery of the first grouping. Supporting paperwork may no longer exist? Some one should contact Alexander and see what the provenance for the piece that they sold was.
William
"Much that once was, is lost. For none now live who remember it."
Yeah i would think there would be additional pieces. Think of all them high ranking leaders drinking and such and pocketing something. Perhaps not intentional, but then there would be others who may want a momento of dining with the Fuhrer
I have recently found an article in the Corunna News (Michigan), dated February 14, 1946. The article, entitled ¨Yank Colonel Says He Has Hitler´s Napkin Ring,¨ is located on page two of that issue. The article says:
Camp Shanks N.Y. - The 208th. Field Artillery Group arrived from Europe to disband. Its commanding
officer believed he had Adolf Hitler´s personal napkin ring in his pocket.
Col. Eric A. Erickson said he found the silver ring, engraved with the initials ¨A. H.¨ in German script
in a pile of rubbish when his unit went through Hitler´s mountain home in Berchtesgaden.
That's a good story but it's still just a story, unless there is a period photo of the vet holding up the napkin ring I wouldn't plunk down 1000 bucks for one without solid proof. I've seen photo's of GIs with AH silver and never saw napkin rings in any of the hoards...even in period photo's of the place settings you can see the napkins neatly folded over and not in rings..I think it will always remain a mystery, and my money doesn't get spent on mystery it gets spent on history!
There is a list of flatware that Hitlerś Adjutant purchased for Haus Wachenfeld in 1934. It included the price of each utensil, as well as the price of engraving for each piece of flatware. There may be napkin rings included on this list, but I cannot find my copy. This list is located in the Adjutantś Records in the Bundesarchiv in Koblenz, Germany.
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