Memorabilia

Imperial German & Austro-Hungarian WWI Service Souvenirs & Patriotic Tchotchkes Mixed Lot

Lot features a nice Imperial German WWI Veterans Organization Iron Cross Motif Flag Pole Top, a miniature officer's dress saber letter opener complete with knot, Iron Cross motif jewelry box, another jewelry box with enamel Hohenzollern eagle insignia, a set of silver Imperial eagle motif cufflinks, and a trench art carved souvenir box with crossed Imperial German and Austrian flags.  The latter is filled with shrapnel pieces, a shell casing, and a pair of Austrian Machine Gun collar insignias.  

$200 - $300

Imperial German & Austro-Hungarian National Hero Plaque, Portrait, and Table Medal Lot

Ten pieces in total; includes bronze table medals, wall plaques, and small oval portraits of notable central powers figures including Paul von Hindenburg, General Alexander Heinrich Rudolph von Kluck, General Erich von Falkenhayn, Austro-Hungarian Emperor Franz Joseph, and Franz Xaver Josef Conrad von Hötzendorf (Chief of the General Staff).  The largest piece is the bronze wall plaque of Hindenburg, which measures 17cm x 26cm (6-5/8" x 10-1/4")

$200 - $400

Imperial German Soldier's Edged Weapon & Accoutrement Lot

Includes a well-loved "MERCATOR" soldier's pocket knife with with chain and attachment tab, dark steel patina and a blade that shows sharpening from extended use.  Deer foot handle close combat knife has 14.5cm (5-3/4") blade with dark blemishes, slight edge nicks, and signs of sharpening, recurved guard, and deer foot handle which has lost more hair than Don Rickles and Telly Savalas combined; includes a simple brown leather sheath without provision for attachment or carry.  S.98 bayonet has Erfurt arsenal stamp on a dark gray quillback blade with dark blemishes and areas of minor pitting, spine has 1903 date and Prussian inspector stamp.  Hilt has a poorly repaired grip, unit markings to the 31st Infantry Regiment on the guard.  Steel mounted leather scabbard is heavily oiled and has been put into a Third Reich era dress bayonet frog.  

Lot further includes a Prussian buckle and waistbelt: combat waistbelt lacks the internal buckle adjustment billet, fitted with a wartime Prussian buckle with traces of feldgrau finish blending with patina.  Carrying Case For Aviation or Driving Goggles is the issue pattern laminated fiber case with hinged lid, belt loop, and closure strap.  Pebble grained brown leather remains in nice condition.  Also includes a nice wartime M.1915 breadbag strap, feldgrau canvas with no visible markings but very good overall condition.  

$200 - $300

Steyr Mannlicher Argentine Modelo 1905 Semi-Automatic Pistol

Mannlicher Model 1905 is a 7.63x21mm delayed blowback single action semi-auto with an external hammer, fed from a fixed 10-round internal magazine loaded with stripper clips. This example was made for Argentina, designated the Modelo 1905.  NRA Good condition, with the Argentine crest removed and blued finish reapplied, as is commonly encountered on these; retains "RA" Republica Argentina acceptance stamp on the beavertail.  Bore appears to have some light pitting in the grooves on the upper portion near the breech.  Left side of the frame, action cover, and barrel has serial number "5471", with "71" duplicated on all numbered internal components.  Right side of the barrel and underside of the cover plate also have "1291" Argentian "Numero de Dotacion" accountability numbers.  Butt has lanyard loop and serrated wood grip scales showing normal wear.  Action is good and tight.  Barrel has strong rifling.  US sales only, FFL or C&R required.

$300 - $400

Austro-Hungarian Artillery Shako for Senior Officers

M1878 shako has lion bosses on either side supporting a gilt finished brass chain, which with the horsehair plume distinguishes it from the nearly identical shako worn by other branches.  Body of the kepi has three wide rows of gold bullion braid denoting a senior (field grade) officer.  Plume has bullion cockade with Franz Joseph cypher.  Interior has brown grained leather sweatband and salmon colored silk crown lining with gilt embossed maker label.  Lacks only the internal strap.  Shako retains nice shape and shows only light wear. 

$200 - $300

Austrian WWI M17 Helmet

Germanic pattern helmet retains 80% military brown finish.  Interior has metal liner band with two of the three original liner pins and brown leather three pad liner system which show stains and wear as well as some minor material loss with loose grommets, one ear broken off and another pulled through.  Leather is Pecard-free.  Helmet is complete with the khaki heavy canvas Austrian style chinstrap with intact metal grommets; lacks the roller buckle.

 $400 - $600

Austrian WWI Berndorfer Helmet

Distinctive shaped Austrian designed helmet body retains ~40% earth brown finish blended with a mellow patina on the worn areas, with top ventilation disc and correct rear projecting liner band screw.  Interior has metal liner band with three brown leather liner pads, several of which exhibit old (quite possibly period) repairs of two fingers of one pad that had at one time torn through.  All have steel grommets in the 'fingers' which have oxidized but remain intact.  Helmet is complete with the thick linen adjustable Austrian style chinstrap with metal cam buckle and leather reinforcements.  Chinstrap is stained and worn, but intact.  Reverse interior skirt has the Berndorf bear logo stamp and size "66".  Original Austrian pattern helmets by Berndorf Steelworks have always been scarce, but have become quite rare over the past few decades.

$4000 - $6000

Triangular steel armor plate for the unique Austrian pattern Berndorfer helmet, with better than 80% original earth brown painted finish. Plate has hinged strap upper attachment intended to anchor to the ventilation cover on the top of the Berndorfer helmet, with compound pivoting attachments on the lower left and right for attachment via hooks to the visor, and via a strap which was to be held to the helmet via a clip mounted on the protruding screw on the center of the back helmet crown.  The brow plate retains its complete original leather reinforced fabric chinstrap with grommet holes that are oxidized but intact. 

These were not universal issue items, but rather were unit property, in a prescribed ratio to helmets.  According to the Emperor's Coat, brow plates were produced for only 3% of the helmets in use.  So of the roughly 140,000 Berndorfer helmets made between May 1917 until the end of their production in November 1917, we can estimate that approximately 4,200 brow plates were made.  A very, very rare piece of WWI trench armor. $3000 - $4000

Austro-Hungarian WWI Haversack & Canteen

Austro-Hungarian haversack of lightweight feldgrau linen haversack has two belt hook straps, one of which is missing the hook portion.  Interior is divided into several pockets, with the innermost featuring a pocket for the enameled iron water bottle (included.)  Interior front portion has partially legible stamp with 1918 date.  Edges of the material is frayed in spots but it remains solid, and the metal grommets for the adjustment buckles are intact.  Reverse is marked with a name.  Very scarce piece of WWI Austrian gear! 

$300 - $400

Austrian WWI Wire Cutters

20.5 cm (~8") long small size hand wire cutters with side action cutting teeth. Has traces of blued finish with spots of light surface oxidation, partially legible marking "PATENT" on one side, complete with brown leather combination lanyard and retaining strap.  $50-$100

Austro-Hungarian WWI M17 Trench Knife

M.17 close combat knife has 20.4 cm blade has gray patina with some scattered dark age spots and tool marks; ricasso has "Z" maker's stamp.  Hilt has straight oval crossguard, marked on the handle side with a small Austro-Hungarian eagle stamp, and two-piece wood scale grips which show normal dings and scuffs from field service.  Metal scabbard has feldgrau painted finish. 

$100 - $150

Austrian WWI Trench Mace: Original Head with Replacement Handle

55cm overall, cast iron striking head features eight small conical protrusions around the sides and one at the top, attached to the turned hardwood handle by round head wire nails.  The Austrians had a wide array of variant cast iron trench mace striking heads.  A number of these specific nine-point Austrian heads were discovered many years ago, all original, but they all magically 'grew' handles, some convincing, others somewhat less so.  I have had a few that I was thoroughly convinced had been together since before the guns fell silent, others that were clearly new to each other, and plenty more where you honestly just can't tell.  Having had a bunch of these over the years, I believe this is one from the cache of original striking heads, married up to a handle that is turned to pattern and aged to look old.

$200 - $300

Austrian M95 Steyr-Mannlicher Rifle

M95 'straight-pull' Mannlicher rifle does not exhibit any visible date or military issue stamp markings, marked "STEYR / M95" on the receiver, along with the "S" marking indicating that it was converted to chamber the 8x56mmR M30 ammunition, adopted by the Austrian Republic in 1930 and Kingdom of Hungary in 1934 as the more powerful replacement for the 8x50mmR Mannlicher cartridge.  Frame and barrel have serial number "1468", mismatched where visible on the bolt and wood stock components.  Stock has normal surplus rifle dings and dents but remains in good overall condition.  Bore is good with strong rifling.

The Austro-Hungarian M95 Steyr-Mannlicher rifle, adopted in 1895, signaled a dramatic advancement in military weaponry with its straight-pull bolt-action mechanism—distinctly increasing rate of fire over traditional turn-bolt systems. Originally chambered in 8x50mmR, the rifle armed Austro-Hungarian forces throughout the First World War and became one of the most recognizable service rifles of the empire. In the 1930s, large numbers of these rifles were upgraded for the more powerful spitzer-type 8x56mmR M30 cartridge; examples so converted are marked with an “S” on the barrel shank—a detail indicating their compatibility with modernized ammunition and increased ballistic performance. Emblematic of its robust design and adaptability, the M95 continued to see active service through the Second World War with Austria, Hungary, Bulgaria, and other successor states—used both as a frontline and reserve weapon well into the mid-twentieth century.

$300 - $400

Austro-Hungarian WWI M1907 Roth-Steyr Semi-Automatic Pistol

Austro-Hungarian WWI M1907 Roth-Steyr Semi-Automatic Pistol, manufactured in 1910 and chambered in the proprietary 8mm Steyr cartridge.  NRA Excellent with 95% original blued finish; has a few age discolorations on the serial number side of the frame, but very nice overall.  Bore is excellent with strong rifling.  Diagonally ribbed wood grips show normal light wear.  Frame side has serial number "43131", and the barrel legend indicates manufacture by Österreichische Waffenfabrik (Steyr).  Action remains good and tight.  Excellent example!  Rear of the frame is marked with manufacture date "W.n/eagle/10".

This pistol was adopted by the Austro-Hungarian Army in 1907 and manufactured by Osterreichische Waffenfabrik-Ges in Steyr, Austria, from 1907 to 1914, with approximately 70% of the production handled by Österreichische Waffenfabrik in Steyr, and the remainder in Budapest by Fegyvergyár.  The Roth-Steyr M1907 was a technological milestone as the first semi-automatic pistol widely adopted by a major military, specifically the Austro-Hungarian cavalry. Its advanced rotary-barrel locking system and striker-fired trigger mechanism enhanced safety and reliability, features crucial for mounted troops. The M1907’s integral 10-round magazine was loaded by stripper clips, streamlining reloading compared to earlier sidearms, though its fixed magazine slowed the process in combat. Chambered for the 8mm Roth cartridge, the pistol was robust and dependable in harsh field conditions, but its heavy trigger pull and moderate stopping power were considered drawbacks. Despite these limitations, the Roth-Steyr served extensively throughout the First World War and remained in use into the interwar period, marking a significant step in military handgun evolution.

$800 - $1000

Austrian WWI Zeitzünder Rifle Grenade

Inert.  34-3/4" overall length including the proper threaded rod.  Cast iron heavily segmented warhead has dark patina and retains traces of black painted finish, base retains lead ball pull on cord for the time fuze mechanism. 

$200 - $300

British & Canadian WWI Uniform Lot: Costume House / Display Items

Mixed lot, includes original WWI Canadian issue trousers with a nice 1915 dated Toronto maker's stamp among numerous postwar costume house markings.  This set of trousers has numerous sewn repairs along the waistband suggesting that a waist adjustment strap has been removed, among other injuries and past size adjustments.  Other original items include an olive wool knit sweater vest and two pair of gray wool socks.  Pattern 07 service coat we believe to be a costume house piece from beginning to end, made with the double dart collar feature but without rifle patches.  One of the British general service buttons is hanging loose where the fabric has torn around the attachment point.  Interior has costume house stamped markings.  Lot further includes a pair of shoes that appear original to the period and look good for display as B5 boots, but it is our assessment that they are simply period 'trade boots' and not a pair of military issue shoes with spurious date and BroadArrow markings added to the soles.  They would be excellent candidates to use on a mannequin, leaving your good original pair of B5 boots for separate display.  Boots do not include laces. 

$100 - $200

This distinctive pattern coat was introduced during the war.  It differed from the issue greatcoats; shorter in length and featuring a double-breasted front closure.  This example has British general service buttons, of which two coat size and both epaulette buttons are missing.  It has clearly seen extensive service, as the back of the collar is thoroughly infused with the grime of the unwashed, though with the exception of a torn pocket corner the coat itself shows little damage.  Mostly just soil and pet hair, as it was clearly somebody's favorite sleepy spot at some point in the chain of custody (we did our best to remove as much of that as possible.)  Interior has a full-length off white wool flannel lining which is torn in several spots and heavily stained; has purple laundry pen name "PLATT" at the skirt and numerals in the upper portion.  The collar has become separated from the lining in several places due to weak stitching.  

Lot also includes an unlined khaki wool overcoat with British general service buttons; interior has combined white and light olive facings and pockets, marked with a New York costume company stamp.  $150 - $250

British WWI Pattern 07 Enlisted Service Jacket

Pattern 1907 khaki wool service dress jacket has five-button front closure with British general service buttons, "R.W.KENT" Royal West Kent Regiment metal shoulder titles on the epaulettes.  A pull or hole above each of these indicates that these titles were not the first insignia to be in place here.  The coat has the distinctive pre-1918 'double dart' construction feature under the collar.  Interior has drab cotton facings and lower pockets, with a faint laundry pen name on one of the pockets.  This shows light stains, wear and fading, with a sewn repair on the front face of the collar stand on one side.  There are a few small moth holes but nothing conspicuous or detractive.  A good British / Commonwealth P07 tunic. 

$200 - $400

British / Commonwealth WWI Mounted Soldier's Issue Breeches Lot

Includes two pair of the enlisted issue khaki wool breeches 'Pantaloons, Service Dress'  prescribed in regulations for all soldiers not on foot or in a kilted regiment.  First example is of khaki Bedford cloth, as originally prescribed when these were introduced in 1902, with the leather interior leg facings that were discontinued in 1907 and then resumed in 1914.  These have a mixture of replacement buttons, but appear to have always been set up for single point suspender brace attachment rather than the doubled arrangement that was adopted in 1915.  Example remains in very nice condition with just a few inconspicuous holes.  Interior waistband lining has an inked name.

Second example is of khaki wool cloth with self-fabric reinforced seat, cuffs with an interesting fabric billet and vest buckle attachment system.  Interior has natural cotton pocket and waistband lining with faint stamped markings.  These also appear to always have been set up for single brace buttons.  With the exception of one riveted replacement, all zinc utility buttons are retained. 

$150 - $250

Enlisted issue khaki wool breeches 'Pantaloons, Service Dress' have waist with doubled pairs of suspender buttons as was introduced in 1915, interior thighs with leather facing reinforcements, and olive green cotton drill sections at the end of each leg as was introduced in early 1918.  Interior has drab white cotton waistband and pockets, with BroadArrow issue stamp.  Leather is stained, and there is one large eraser size hole on the inseam but overall very nice condition.  These were prescribed in regulations for all soldiers not on foot or in a kilted regiment.  $200 - $300

British WWI 1918 Pattern Service Coat with Duke of Cornwall Light Infantry & Pioneer Insignia

Simplified 1918 pattern khaki wool service coat has brass strung horn insignias and "CORNWALL" titles on the epaulettes, Pioneer insignias on the collar, and British general service buttons.  Interior has khaki cotton pockets, olive and khaki cotton facings with a partially legible service number and purple laundry pen name inscription.  There are 'shadows' indicating where battle flash insignias were once on the center back and also on the arms, but have subsequently been removed. Shows normal light service wear, with a dime size moth hole in the left cuff and several more on the right skirt near the pocket and buttonstand; good condition overall.

$300 - $500

British WWI Pattern 07 Enlisted Service Jacket w/ Paper Label

Pattern 1907 khaki wool service dress jacket has five-button front closure with British general service buttons, no sign of collar insignias or shoulder titles ever having been installed. The coat has the distinctive pre-1918 'double dart' construction feature under the collar.  Interior has drab white cotton facings and lower pockets, with most of its paper label intact, though the date is not visible.  Light wear and a bit of light moth tracking, but no readily apparent holes or anything else detractive.  A very nice P07 coat! 

$300 - $500

British WWI Jerkin Lot

1915 pattern brown leather jerkin has three plain and one embossed knot leather covered buttons secured by rings on the interior; jerkin is lined in gray blanket wool with a large but illegible stamped marking on the base at the interior.  Leather shows stains and light wear but remains in very good pliable condition, with some stitching that has given way in places around the shoulder and collar.  

Lot further includes a heavy khaki cotton duck jerkin with visible but illegible BroadArrow stamp between the third and fourth buttonholes on the light olive blanket wool lining.  Buttons are leather covered metal, secured by rings on the interior.  Exterior shows stains; interior has a large worn hole in the bottom right corner of the lining.

US WWI jerkins are quite common, and post-war British Jerkins are as well, but the WWI British leather jerkin as easily distinguished from it's American cousin by the wide shoulders is nowhere near as easy to find!  $300 - $500

WWI British / Commonwealth Highland Troops Kilt & Uniform Coat Lot

Includes highland cut khaki wool service dress coat with Sergeant rank chevrons and British General Service buttons, stray stitches and pulls in the fabric indicate where additional insignia was once located above the chevrons.  Epaulettes are pierced where shoulder titles were once installed, but have been removed.  Interior has drab white cotton facings and pockets, slight traces show where a paper label was once attached.  The coat shows stains and normal wear, but no conspicuous mothing or anything detractive.

Second is a nice example of an issue kilt in Black Watch tartan, nicely marked with a soldier's name and date on the interior band "K.G. Frazier 6/5/15".  

Lot also includes a khaki cotton cover for wear over the kilt in the field.  This is BroadArrow marked on the interior side of the band.  It shows a few stains and small holes. 

$400 - $600

An officer's service coat from a premier unit in His Majesty's service.  Khaki olive wool twill open-lapel coat has subdued Captain rank pips on the epaulettes, Royal Welsh Fusiliers regimental buttons, and subdued regimental collar insignias.  Back of the collar features the black ribbon queue flash that is used solely by this unit.  Has several small holes in the back, a few more around the bottom buttonhole, and an area of (paint?) discoloration on the base of the right lower pocket and skirt.  No name or initials.

The Royal Welsh Fusiliers, one of the British Army’s most distinguished regiments, served with exceptional valor throughout the First World War. Comprising both Regular and Territorial battalions, the regiment fought in nearly every major theater of the conflict, including the Western Front, Gallipoli, and Mesopotamia. Their ranks included both seasoned professionals and wartime volunteers drawn from across Wales. At battles such as Ypres, the Somme, and Passchendaele, the Fusiliers endured appalling conditions yet maintained a steadfast reputation for discipline and courage.

$500 - $600