Occupational Fake Series 2 Dagger

[bdc]

I think this is an occupational fake. I've searched quite a bit but couldn't find any other examples. Maybe that's because no one collects them, but I think they have an interesting history of there own. The man who owned this was a military policeman in Trieste in 46. I found a pass authorizing him to visit Germany from that time and like to think he bought this dagger then, but who knows. I'd love to hear people's opinion on this fake. Greg

[paulscoot]

Check this out B&A daggers " Bolte & Anschutz" Post War Producer or Type B & A daggers in the search engine and see what comes up. Regards, Paul

[oberhaig]

i think the big giveaway is the "Germany" stamp. The Germans have a very whimsical way of spelling it .....Deutschland

[bdc]

Thanks Paul, that's the perfect thread and I should have posted to it. Unfortunately I've added ad blockers to my browser and even though I try to turn them off here, I'm no longer able to use the search feature. It's time for me to read some more posts, I've missed some really good ones. Greg

[Anderson]

The post WW2 souvenir market production is an interesting story. Occupation troops arriving in Europe after end of hostilities probably had high on their buy list a Nazi dagger or SS uniform to take home. There were plenty of German entrepreneurs ready to step in to supply original or reproduction products to fill the demand in exchange for hard currency. B & A is a good example of one such entrepreneur.

[Larry C]

For those GIs or the family who inherited their bring backs or just started cleaning out the attic ...come to find out that with these particular daggers ...that they were made post war or with existing fittings from bombed out factories.

B & A seemed to have a production going on in supplying the need for souveneirs. The kicker here is that the GIs..did not know the difference of what they were getting since they had no knowledge that there were many producers prior and the real daggers were the ones found on the ground....left in houses or dead bodies..etc.

Grandpa never knew what he had or the families who inherited ..until collecting became a hobby and study ensued there after bringing a community together until today. Come to find out that these B & A daggers were never owned by any soldier except what had been parted together.

I will pin the B & A thread at the top of this forum.

Regards Larry

[MAP]

Interesting. I could see the desire to have one of these in a collection. Not as the sole example of course but more as a curiosity of "what really happened". Part of the story as Larry notes above.

Like in the helmet world. I've added a painted Vet art, a fake DD SS repo, a post war converted "biker" helmet and even the modern "decendants" of the Stahlhelm such as the PASGT.

[Anderson]

"The kicker here is that the GIs..did not know the difference of what they were getting.." Larry

And that's one of the interesting angles, they were getting conned and didn't know it. "Yes,sir genuine Nazi dagger, thank you very much sir."

The fact B & A stamped their blades "Germany" is interesting as why do it unless they intended to export directly to the US? Perhaps they did.

[AZPhil]

For the GI's who was not interested in the value in the foreseeable future and only as a memento for his time served over there. This item would be Priceless to some and Garbage for others. It would all depend on your point of view.

Semper Fi
Phil

[Larry C]

Well Put Phil

The dagger although immediate post war..yet still warm enough for those soldiers that had to endure the hell from the beaches of Normandy all the way to the capture and liberation points.

A still yet been there artifact

Regards Larry