Memorabilia

Imperial German Gewehr 88 "Commission" Rifle

Gewehr 88/05 S (7.92×57mm S round) serial numbered "2655S".  Blued finish has thinned and blends with a dark patina.  Receiver ring is stamped "S / (crown) / Erfurt / 1890". Sheet metal covering on the clip ejection point stamped with an "E" logo over "1914." Buttstock stamped on the right side with Imperial inspection proofs.  Barrel band has crossed out German unit marking to the 24th Infantry Regiment Ersatz Battalion, 3rd Company, "24. R.E. 3. 100". Distinctive "double jag" cleaning rod is present.  Bolt is heavily greased.  Bore is just a bit dirty, with deep, sharp-twist rifling.

The Gewehr 88 marked a turning point in military firearms as Germany's first smokeless powder bolt-action repeating rifle. Adopted in 1888 in response to France’s revolutionary Lebel rifle, the Gew.88 combined a Mauser-influenced bolt action and Mannlicher-style en-bloc clip system.  Originally chambered for the round-nosed Patrone 88 cartridge, the German rifle testing commission adopted a dimensionally redesigned 7.92×57mm Mauser 'S Patrone' cartridge in 1903.  This cartridge was loaded with a pointed (spitzer) bullet and more powerful double-base smokeless powder, marking a significant improvement over the earlier round.  Gew.88 rifles in service were converted by an enlarged chamber in the barrel, thus ensuring the continued usefulness of this rifle long after it was superseded by the Gew.98.  The vast stocks of Gew.88 rifles armed second-line, colonial, and allied troops throughout World War I, supporting Germany’s rapid wartime mobilization and providing essential firepower across multiple fronts.

$200 - $300

German Gewehr 71 Mauser Rifle: Amberg Arsenal 1880

Manufactured at Amberg Arsenal in 1880, complete with all matching numbers, and marked with the "Crown / L" proof for Ludwig II of Bavaria.  Butt plate tang is has unit marking for the Bavarian 17th Infantry Regiment.  Stock shows numerous dings and scrapes but remains solid.  Interior of the chamber and underside of the bolt that rested there in storage are nice and clean, but the exterior of the metal surfaces has a light coat of rust throughout from neglect and poor storage.  Bore is dirty but shows strong rifling.  

$200 - $300

German WWI Hebel Flare Pistol

36 cm overall, 16.5 cm barrel, Hebel Pattern flare pistol has hints of blued finish blending with overall dark even patina, has some pots of light pitting.  Breech break lever is mounted below trigger guard, frame has serial number "2030", "5/263" large stamped markings in several places, and is also marked with Imperial proof stamps.  Walnut grips show scuffs and dings from service wear, initials "HC" carved on one side, base is complete with lanyard loop.  There is a small screw protruding from the frame on the grip which is either 'boogered' or a replacement.  Action is tight but functional.  This was the workhorse flare gun of the Imperial forces, and as such they tend to be in pretty rough condition - this one is about average as far as that goes, but what it lacks in pristine condition is more than compensated for with legitimate wartime service character.

$200 - $300

Imperial German P08 Luger Semi-Automatic Pistol: DWM 1914 (Imported Parts Rebuild)

9mm Luger caliber, 3.9" barrel, S/N 9463. NRA Fair. Retains ~40% blued finish blending with patina, checkered hardwood grips show extensive service wear but no breaks or damage. Barrel has some light pitting but is clean with strong rifling.  Chamber is dated "1914", toggle with script "DWM" logo, Imperial proofs on right side of chamber. Safety marked "GESISCHERT", grip frame with stock lug.  Example appears to be rebuilt from original parts, with the frame serial number "3164", "8968" on the barrel, and partial numbers "02", "64", and "21", along with a small import marking "GERMANY". Includes a single unnumbered wood base magazine.  Has some light pitting in spaces with finish loss on the high edges and points of contact.  Includes an original brown leather holster which has no visible markings, but the tool is still present in the pouch inside the flap. US sales only, FFL required.

$300 - $400

Imperial German Shelter Section Lot: WWI Kit Bag & Contents with 1918 Dated Zeltbahn

Field gray cotton rectangular bag with dish utility buttons, has "1916" maker date stamp and "B.A. XV / 1916" 15th Army Corps issue stamp. Complete with three pole sections, and three of the metal zeltbahn stakes. Bag has good pliable leather attachment straps. Has service wear and stains, fine overall.  Includes a M1915 field gray canvas shelter section with zinc grommets and utility buttons.  This is missing ten (five pairs) of the buttons and has a stained portion that has weakened the fabric in that spot, but very good overall condition with nice strong color.  There is no visible issue stamp, but it does have a good 1918 dated maker stamp.  

$100 - $150

Very nice condition field telephone has folding speaking funnel and black cushioned leather earpiece, metal portion retains the majority of feldgrau and black painted finishes.  Base is fitted with original cloth covered cord, lacks the attachment plug end as is almost always the case with these. Black leather carrier lacks shoulder strap; it has also lost the lid hinge strap on one side, but the lid remains and the leather is in good condition.  $150 - $250

Imperial German Fernglas 08 Binoculars Lot: Three Sets

Three sets of Fernglas 08 binoculars, includes one in an oval profile black leather belt case with metal top lid, complete with instructions on the interior of the lid.  Second and third sets are in brown leather rectangular box belt carriers; one with an intact neck strap on the binoculars and instructions on the interior of the lid, field repaired belt ring on the carrier.  Third set has contrasting brown eye pieces, has a portion of the broken leather neck strap, and the carrier lacks instructions and has damaged closure tabs, but has nice painted unit marking on the lid.  Optics on all three sets are functional - not crisp and clean, but not 'cloudy' either.  

$300 - $400

Imperial Front Line Canteen Stein

Half liter stoneware stein has gray salt glaze finish with blue slip Iron Cross motif and inscription "1914-1917 HEERESGRUPPE KRONPR. RUPPRECHT VON BAYERN" and "0.5L" incised below lip, nice example! 

$50 - $100

German Stein Lot: One Original and Two Reproductions

Includes a nice original .5 liter stonewear stein depicting Imperial German martial scenes with Hindenburg figure on the lid.  Also includes a modern Hoffbrau House 1 liter stonewear stein, and a reproduction reservist souvenir for JR 127.  

$100 - $150

WWI US 347th Field Artillery Soldier's Souvenir Insignia Belt with Several Scarce German Cockades

Often described as a 'hate belt' or 'trophy belt', these were common souvenirs among the doughboys of WWI: a mixture of insignia from friend and foe alike, mounted on a German belt.  In this case, it is a brown leather Imperial German belt with a nice feldgrau Prussian buckle, but interestingly the internal buckle billet has been relocated to the exterior of the belt.  Belt is mounted by 25 insignias, mostly German uniform buttons and NCO rank collar buttons, with the better pieces being a Baden cockade, a scarce Saxe-Weimar cockade, and a similarly desirable Hamburg & Lübeck (Hanseatic) cockade.  The belt also has a US "347 / Artillery / B" numbered collar disc, and is inscribed behind the buckle billet with the service number and unit of the doughboy to whom this belonged: Jean Domeco of Oakland, California, who served as a Cook in Battery B, 347th Field Artillery.

$100 - $200

Imperial German Infantry Regiment 29 Reservist's Pipe

JR 29 Reservist's souvenir pipe has a short but nice quality stag horn stem.  Bowl is adorned with martial vignettes and a roster of this reservist's unit: 3rd Company, Infantry Regiment Nr. 29 'Von Horn', from 1902 / 1904.  Bowl has a pickelhaube motif metal lid.  Includes a collector's custom made display stand.  

$100 - $200

Imperial German Motif Desk Statue / Ornament Lot

Four pieces, the largest of which is the bust of Paul von Hindenburg at 12cm (4-5/8") wide x 18cm (7-1/8") tall, of bronze tinted spelter on a black marbled base.  Also of the same materials is the helmeted head of an Imperial soldier.  M16 helmet over crossed swords is of cast brass on a black polished stone base, and the Baden helmet appears to be cast resin on a green base.  

$100 - $150

Imperial German Reservist's Souvenir Flasks: Lot of Five

Includes a very nice Imperial Kaiserliche Marine example, as well as flasks from JR26, JR143, and a very elaborate example with lithograph printed color panels and a frame of rifle cartridges. 

$200 - $300

Imperial German Motif WWI Souvenir Lot: Cigarette Cases, Letter Openers, Match Safes & More

Eleven items total.  Includes four cigarette cases with Iron Cross, spike helmet, or artillery shell motifs, two match safes, a shell splinter letter opener,, Iron Cross motif letter opener with measuring scale on the blade, a large Iron Cross paperweight, trench art made from a shell casing, fired bullet, and aviation fleschette, and a nice Iron Cross motif locket style coin holder with two spring-loaded interior pfennig dispensers. 

$200 - $300 

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

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

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

British M1912 Webley & Scott .455 Semi-Automatic Pistol

NRA good, with areas of light rust and pitting, ~50% blued finish blended with oxidized patina.  Left side of the slide is marked "WEBLEY & SCOTT LTD. / PISTOL SELF-LOADING 455 MARK I / 1913".  Top of the frame and chamber has inspector proofs.  Side of the frame has serial number "98406".  As appropriate for the Mark I, this has fixed sights.  Though the exterior has age blemishes, the internal mechanics are fine, with a nice crisp bore and tight action.  Includes a single magazine.  Brown plastic grips show wear but are intact.  The pistol is often referred to by collectors as the Model 1913 because the date is included in the marking, but the company labels it "Webley & Scott .455 High Velocity Automatic Pistol, Naval and Military Model" in their 1921 catalog. 

The pistol was the first automatic pistol in British military service, adopted by the Royal Navy in February 1912, though production did not begin in earnest until 1913.  The first 20 examples were delivered in April 1913, with another 60 in May.  Navy contract pistols were marked with an upper case "N" after "MARK I" on the slide, whereas those produced for commercial sale were not.  According to one author, commercial production ran from 1913 until the opening shots of the Great War shuttered commercial production which did not resume until May 1919.  In the end, the Navy purchased 7530, while a total of 1260 were sold commercially.  The markings on this example identify it as one of the 426 pistols made for the commercial market in 1913.

$600 - $800

British WWI Lewis Light Machine Gun: Original Parts on a Non-Gun Receiver

Original Model 1914 Lewis light machine gun parts (non-matching) including an obstructed barrel on a solid aluminum billet non-gun 'dummy' receiver with an original pan magazine; a very impressive display and perfect for collectors who live where posession of a registered live gun is legally possible, or who simply don't have tens of thousands of dollars wandering aimlessly about in their bank accounts!  Very nice example with legible markings, and more importantly the thin aluminum catch on the receiver is perfectly intact.  (Of the run of aluminum receiver Lewis guns out there on the market, the catch seems to be broken more often than not.)

The Lewis M1914 light machine gun was one of the most recognizable automatic weapons of the First World War, widely used by British and Commonwealth infantry units. Designed by American engineer Isaac Newton Lewis and manufactured primarily in Britain, it featured a distinctive top-mounted pan magazine and air-cooling shroud that made it both portable and reliable under battlefield conditions. Capable of sustained fire while remaining light enough for a single gunner to carry, the Lewis Gun revolutionized infantry tactics by providing mobile automatic firepower at the squad level. Its effectiveness in trench assaults and defensive positions made it a defining weapon of the modern battlefield.

$1000 - $1500

British WWI / WWII MK VII Ground Sheet

Original example in excellent pliable condition, has inscription with a soldier's number, name, and designation "18 B / HUT.436" on the interior, otherwise unmarked.  The narrow folded edge at the base would tend to indicate that this is an early WWII example, but my (limited) attempts to verify that by running the service number did not yield results.  The inscription should be researchable should the next owner wish to invest the time and effort.  Regardless, original examples in such good condition are rather scarce, and it would work well in either a WWI or WWII BEF display. 

$150 - $250

WWI Princess Mary Gift Box, Trench Art Lighters & Match Safe Lot

Includes an (empty) Princess Mary gift box, two nice trench art lighters, two match safes, a trench art cigar case with a US Infantry machine gun company collar disc, a wood trench art box inscribed "K. Stoiber / 1914-18 / Ingolstadt", and a napkin ring with "GOTT MIT UNS" roundel.  

$100 - $150