SS suicide pill

[Lance Waterman]

The SS had a pill of cyinide in a small brass tube that had a screw top. I've seen one only once and another time in a book about Goring or Himmler and how they killed themselves. How do you tell a fake? and How much are these things worth?
On the end of the one I've seen, was written

"Tesch u. STABENOW, SS, HAMBURG 77/42 SS".

It is 44mm long
or in German
AMPULLEN-BEHÄLTER f. Giftkapseln etc., zylindrisch, Messinghülse m. Schraubverschluß, in Boden eingepr. SS-Runen, Deckel bez. "Tesch u. Stabenow Hamburg, 77/42 SS", Ø 13, L. 44 m

[Lance Waterman]

you can see a picture of one here

www.berliner-auktionshaus.com

[Lance Waterman]

This one in Berlin is currently going for over 600 Euro

600 Euro for this and the auction hasn't even finished yet

[Lance Waterman]

I tried to upload a picture here but seems I'm not allowed at this stage of my membership. Pity

[jacquesf]

You can proof it is original by licking the inside. Good luck. Jacques

[SSgentleman]

SS don't take poison, they will only harakiri themselves in true japanese style just wondering why would one pay so much for this type of collectible...

[Bob Hritz]

Fantasy item.

Bob Hritz

[Bob Hritz]

The chemical of choice, for suicied at that time, was potassium cynaide. That is safely kept in a sealed glass container. I think it is laughable that the SS was going to make fancy marked containers for suicide poison.

Bob Hritz

[byterock]

Actually there never was a pill.

The poison for choice for most of the high party staff was Prussic acid which is the general name given this most nasty of the cyanide family, which in the world of nasty stuff is very nasty stuff indeed.

The SS made examples used a little glass Ampoule (about 1/2 the size of one you can see here) that would be bitten into causing instantaneous (I mean very instantaneous as in less that an eye blink) rigor then death basically by Apnea in a few moments.

The poison is a liquid and highly volatile and reacts very quickly with air and produces a tell tale smell of bitter almonds.

From what I have read over the years they were in small padded little cardboard boxes and not glass bottles. If it was broken it would most likely be fatal to anyone standing about for a few moments so the I am not keen on the idea of it been carried in a glass tube like the one on the auction.

The so called L-pill did exist and used by British agents for sure and this is the one that contained potassium cyanide. Just a little less nasty than Prussic acid but much easier to handle and produce as it is a solid. When present it produces no order (so it is very nasty in that regard) but in water it will produce a very light sent of bitter almonds. This is the stuff they put in your coffee. It also turns you a lovey shade of red depending on the amount ingested.



By the way the idea that Hitler bit down on potion while shooting himself in the head is laughable as more recent research has shown. Despite my best efforts wikipedia still propagates this myth.

[sgstandard]

Great response by Byterock. Thanks for the info.

[Bob Hritz]

Sorry, I should have said hydrogen-cyanide, which of course is prussic acid.

Bob Hritz

[bwanek1]

I think it is laughable that the SS was going to make fancy marked containers for suicide poison.

Bob Hritz

Oh yeah? Well, here is your proof they existed!:

http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...d.php?t=263380

[byterock]

I stand corrected.

[james m]

From Hitler and the Nazi leaders by John Lattimer, Physician at Nuremberg:
Page 105:
Jim

[bwanek1]

I stand corrected.

Sorry, I realize that news was a bitter pill to swallow.