Hi Everyone. Deliberated long and hard about posting these items. Previous similiar threads have attract some negative responses and questions such as "why?"...so at the risk of opening a can of worms....pun intended...here goes!<br>All I can do is show you the items, tell you what I know about them and see if anybody is highly schooled in these matters as I seek information and opinions.<br>These were purchased at a market in France from a gent aged 50ish who had inherited his dad's farm locally. He said his father had travelled around Europe at wars end and had visited Buchenwald where he had collected many items. He said he had 3 and had decided to sell 2. He refused to sell all 3 when asked and was given I was given choice which 2 to have. He said he would forward picture of the rest of the collection, and he was good to his word.<br>First used in California in 1880 as a pesticide, Cyanide was produced by Degesh as a subsidiary of IG Fabern in the 20s for delousing and other pest control applications. IG Fabern was the biggest single contributor to the nazi party during the election of 1933 and had joined with several large industrialists to create a secret personal slush fund for AH <br>In 1922 Degesh was bought by Degussa who then devised a new method of packaging the cyanide into sealed tins and changed the formula which was called zyklon b to differentiate between the two variants. Its use in camps began circa 1942. They were supplied in cardboard boxes with a complimentary black, flat handled can opener on some occasions. Example of box can be found on Auschwitz musuem website, will respect their copyright. <br>The cans where opened this way by the ss guards and then poured through the opening of approx 2ft square and the lid was closed. The pellets fell into the chamber where they began to breakdown. Rate was reliant on heat and humidity so with very cold conditions that process could take up to half an hour with obvious horrific consequences.<br>With all ww2 items the question of authenticity arrises. I have included a shot of tins under UV light and they appear to be negative.<br>After many hours examaning labels and tins from lots of sources I can spot obvious differences from some examples including differemt wording and layout for the 2 different types of labels, as well as physical differences in the can desigm. When Degussa started manufacturing the contemts where put into comtainers of rolled steel welded dowm the seam with rippled lids applied to the top amd bottom, as seen in many museum examples. These tins would appear to be resealable with an airtight seal and is stamped from one piece of steel with no joint to the bottom. I wonder if this was an earlier example intended for domestic use as you would only require small amounts at any one time?<br>Anyway, if they're fake he put on one great show and I have been conned by a master lol.<br>As to the whys...I struggle to see how people comment after drawing their own morale lines across the collecting landscape...most people think its a bit weird to be interested in "nazi memorabilia " but surrounded by the like minded its easy to forget...its not "normal" to be fascinated by that period of history and the events that took place. This is uncomfortable history and to dismiss it as too macabre or near the knuckle is the worst thing that you can do to the memory of all those who died...surely? Are people who pay to tour Auschwitz etc or go to look at a Lancaster or V2 in a museum revelling in the mass slaughter these machines or places inflicted or are they paying respect to the events and respectively remembering the people and places who were caught up in it all. I know these items connect me to the darkest hours of humanity and make me humble and grateful for all that we now take for granted.<br>Please dont comment if the items offend you or you are not well versed in the subject.<br>Many thanks.
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