Erich Mielke's personal DDR medals and documents on German eBay!!!!

[redjames2004]

Hello,Fellow DDR collectors!!! While surfing on German eBay earlier today,I noticed a interesting eBay.de auction that featured Stasi head Erich Mielke's personal belongings being on auction block on German eBay. Please take a look at this link: http://cgi.ebay.de/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?...112981874&rd=1 Erich Mielke's original DDR medal documents and his DDR diplomatic passes,medals and personal photos!!! Very interesting eBay auction to watch! It already passed 1,600 Euros! What do you think of this interesting eBay.de auction? Thanks Redjames2004

[Ralph P]

Redjames thanks for the heads up...just got finished reviewing the site. For the others just reading this thread...there is four days left before the bidding ends.

[Mike G.]

The Documents certainly are impressive and of interest. The coins and paper money mean absolutely nothing relevant the other, and I don't comprehend why they are inclusive in the auction. The medals certainly are a question mark. They represent but a small handfull of his decorations, and cannot even be guaranteed to be his without their respective Urkunde, which I see no mention of. The briefcase also is of no relevance, unless it is monogramed with his name. So all in all, not as impressive as it at first glance seemed. Given that only the documents seem relevant, I think the price, when it finally reaches its limit, will be excessive. But that is just my opinion. Maybe I'm missing something?

Other comments and observations welcome.

[Roy Queen]

Certainly very interesting! Sure will be interesting to see what the winning bid will be.

[Ralph P]

Panzer Fuehrer...My thoughts...You make interesting points about the medals that could have come from anywhere...so putting that point to the side. I think from a historical stand point that the current price or a higher price maybe worth it for the collector who may have one chance or the potential of owning documents and photos of significance from one of the past four leaders of the MfS.

[Mike G.]

Agreed. I was just reflecting on the fact everything outside of the documents appeared to be eyewash and irrelevant to the estate sale.

Definitely, the documents themselves are historic. The bidding however still has several days to go. We are talking EURO and not dollars. I envision these articles will go for a hefty price when the debris settles and the smoke clears. But when all is said and done, I will be standing on the side lines, and I will be one of the very envious watchers, who 10 years from now, will wish he went ahead and threw everything at this auction to include my wife's kitchen sink.

It is after all MIELKE.

Afternote: Curiously, I note only one German Buyer/Seller who specializes in this type of thing responding to this auction: Andre Suchanek, Ebay name: “Geldnotrot”.This does give cause to ponder and think.

[Roy Queen]

One medal in the group in my opinion would be disturbing if I were to sink a chunk of money into this group. I've noticed there is a Soviet Victory Over Germany medal in the set. Unless I am wrong, didn't Mielke spend the war years in Belgium working as a laborer for the RAD?

[Ralph P]

Roger that on your comments...but since I no longer own a kitchen sink anymore...I am currently thinking about it from the side lines warming a bench.

[redjames2004]

Yep, Its very interesting comments about my posting about Erich Mielke's personal grouping! The coins in that auction made me wondering.... I find the coins very strange unless they came from Mielke's estate. Yeah,I noticed a German Ebayer Geldnotrot bidding on that auction. I bought a couple of early medals from Andre Schuranek last year. He did selling massive amounts of older DDR medals and other items on German eBay. I will watch this eBay auction with big interest because Erich Mielke was notorious Stasi boss. Mielke killed a German police captain in 1931 with another German communist companion. He was convicted of that old crime shortly after the reunification. He served only short time before released from jail due to failing health. I learned from the book "The Stasi" by John Kohler. James

[Mike G.]

RE: A Second Look

I think this auction needs to be revisited. I have again looked at it and looked at the only articles that are noteworthy - the alleged authentic passports, and again have come away thinking this is something that needs to be walked away from.

a). The seller infers this is an estate sale. Okay, so why is this being sold on ebay instead of at an auction house? Property of Mielke, Hoffmann, Kessler (just to name of few) certainly warrant that.

b). Where are the other choice articles? Uniforms, his real medals, awards, and uniform accoutrements?

c). I stay away from TR because today fake items are extremely well produced. All along, we DDR Collectors have been aware that really rare and invaluable DDR articles eventually could be subject to forgery, if and when the time was right, relevant cost. Well we are approaching that window, and certainly the name Mielke is well known and articles from this individual would bring a hefty price. Enter an enterprising TR Forger into the DDR arena, and you have what might just be represented on this auction. Something to think about. I've looked at the passports, and honestly, they look questionable. The photos certainly appear poor and second rate, and don't fit properly. Not what you would expect of a passport - particularly one belonging to this person. The stamps mean nothing - they are auctioned off on ebay.de all the time. And they can be reproduced any time at a place that makes stamps.

Add to this the cheap low end medals, and that just a spattering few are being offered and not one single Urkunde (Certificate), the unremarkable briefcase, shoulderboards that could come from any ebay site, and no certification whatever to validate any of this as being authentic - and you have to wonder. Certainly not convincing enough to throw good hard earned money at. Way too much risk. You win it and then what. Try and prove it is real. Where's the pedigree that proves it is genuine? Estate acquired? Well that is exactly what is missing.

And finally, where are all the knowledgeable German Seller/Buyers? They are notably absent. This has to count for something. These guys never miss a trick. So where are they?

Even if I won the Lottery, I'd pass. Okay, I'm done. Promise.

[David H]

Interesting thread, I must say I am mainly with Mike on this one. I think the paperwork is real enough, but the rest could well be salting.

Mike, your right about the abscence of the big boy dealers, that will be because there is a MASSIVE collection of Mielke items up for auction at the moment in Germany, this includes a lot of his high end orders with documents ie. Karl-Marx, scharnhorst etc. Also there are a lot of presentation items and even one of his early Generals uniforms!

I notice in the ebay auction there appears to be a 'treue dienste' in Gold, interesting, there is also one in the other auction listed as 'Medaille fur treue Dienste in der NVA in Gold, silber vergoldet ( 900" mit Interimsspangen, verliehen am 01.07.1960)

[David H]

Here are a few pictures from the catalogue,
One of his uniforms

[David H]

certificate 'Karl-Marx'

[David H]

Medal 'Scharnhorst'

[David H]

medal 'Karl Marx'