Adolf Hitler - large size silver bow for review

[butschekantiques]

Hello everyone,

Can anyone help with comments on this large and heavy bowl. Any idea regarding the markings and engraved emblem?

Thanks!
Klaus

www.butschek-antiques +++ www.ratisbons.com

[Br. James]

Hi Klaus,

This is one of those cases where a little dab of silver polish would be very helpful! It appears that someone recently applied a bit of silver polish to the eagle etching on the bowl's obverse rim...to make the symbol more visible.

To my knowledge the only manufacturer of these tableware pieces was the Sachsen firm of August Wellner's Sons, and most similar trays, dishes, bowls, etc. were silver-plated, not of solid silver content. This was done for purposes of strength and rigidity, as it still is today. So if you do want to take a swipe at this piece with some silver polish, do it ever so gently! As it is, all we can see on the reverse is a symbol -- unknown to me as I see it -- and what appears to be a product and design code representing this style of tableware. The well-known Wellner name or logo is not seen, at least by me under all that oxidation, so that is all I can say for now.

As an overall comment, this piece looks good to me at this point...but I would want to see move, after a quick, light application of silver creme.

Cheers,

Br. James

[Br. James]

Provenance is always a key factor in judging such pieces.

Br. James

[fredswiss]

My knowledge on these items is very limited but aren't the RK pieces marked with and "R" and a "K" where the "A" and "H" are located on either side of the wreath?

[CPB]

Yes, this is an AH not an RK piece. The monogram looks a little crude and perhaps not roll stamped, which you'd expect. These were utilitarian pieces but, even still, you'd expect better quality.

No idea about the maker mark, but not textbook AH for sure.

There are a lot of good known Wellner roll stamped examples in the market, and they're not particularly rare - so I'd personally prefer to own one of those, than take the risk of owning this one.

[Br. James]

Thanks for your note, CPB. At the time I wrote, I hadn't noticed that the spacing of the "A" and the "H" in balance to the wreath is off. Your note got me to take a second look, and the monogram does appear to be a bit hand-done.

I could see no visible maker's mark on the bottom of the piece, given the oxidation, so I couldn't say anything about that.

Since both AH and RK-marked pieces were apparently used at the Reichschancellery in Berlin, and perhaps at the Berchtesgaden Chancellery, too, there is much less known about the pieces monogrammed "RK" than those marked "AH," at least in my experience.

Br. James

[Erich B.]

I cleaned up this thread by deleting 2 posts.
Erich

[butschekantiques]

Thanks everyone.

I feel like we better leave this one for auction right now until we know more about it. Any more input more than appreciated. Thanks!