Hermann Goering hunting trophy

[MarcelW]

Hi, this is a re-post from my "new users" first post, I hope the pics can be seen here. My name is Marcel, a dutch guy living in France and in winter I trade a bit in antiques and stuff like that, on my quest for new items I came across the following, a hunting trophy from a gems,chamois or mountain goat, not sure what's the fitting English therm. Quite an usual thing and not that impressive, but the text on the trophy shied from this internet ad was: (translated from french) "Taken at Berschtesgaden May 7th 1945 at the Goering chalet by captain Briot from the 2th armored division". As you see Berchtesgaden was wrongly written on that plate. My first impression was one from "oh yeah sure, an other fake" but I started to investigate the history a bit. Well, it turned out that captain Briot, did exist, he was just a lieutenant at that moment, and yes, he and his division were there, at Berchtegaden at that date :

Berchtesgaden Mai 1945 | 2e DB - General LECLERC - 2eme Division Blindee

I did even find a pic of the lieutenant collecting " war souvenirs" at an other date and place:

La 2eme DB colorisee

Now to the connection to Goering; on the skull part of the trophy was painted: Untersberg 28 (or23) november 34. Untersberg is on the opposite of the Obersaltsberg were the Goering and Hitler chalets once were located, it was a part of an at that year already protected natural park, and probably the Nazies were the only one's who were allowed to hun there. Still no prove of course but then I did find in an archive with an photo album personal pics from Hermann Goering a pic with the following text: Consul Sachs posed with dead mountain goat after hunt with Goering in Rechenau, Nov. 25, 1934" So Goering was there at that moment and even gems hunting, maybe the gems on the pic was the same, but almost certainly shoot during that same hunt, here the pic:

[Consul Sachs posed with dead mountain goat after hunt with Goering in Rechenau, Nov. 25, 1934]


So far the identity of the trophy. I'm almost sure the shield on what the trophy is mounted isn't the original one, it's not how this would be done in 1934 by a German taxidermist, beside that, the shield looks to me something from the 50's or later, up to the 70's, beside that the inscription plate is mounted a bit crooked. I think the scull was found at the Goering chalet by Briot, possible without a shield or with a destroyed one, after all the chalet was heavily bombed at April 25, laying a few days in the open would explain as well why the (date) paint was gone in the way as showed in the pics. That captaine Briot probably did take it home and added later on the inscription plate and a new shield. fit as well with the explanation about the origine of the trophy the former owner did give me,he did told me the trophy did belong to his late father who recently did die at the age of 92 and that father did buy the trophy in the 60s or 70s on a charity auction for war veterans.
So that's my story, just let me know what you think, real or fake, what do you think?
In time I think about selling it but for now I'm just curious about your reactions, just look at the pic, the links and my story.

[BlackCat1982]

From what I see it would appear to be an original item rather than put together - if it is put together it looks well made. The plaque is fitted to the shield with pins, the patina of the metal looks old with some tarnishing of the metal. We don’t talk about values on the forum but personally the value for me would be based more upon how much could be found out about Capitaine Briot. An interesting find.