Wooden SS presentation case, need some help please.

[Ben]

Hello all,

I don't know if I'm posting this in the right section but today I acquired this wooden SS presentation case together with some medals belonging to the former owner. Engraved is are the words "Geschenk der 17SS Standarte". It has a lock on it and is lined with red cloth/velvet. Does anyone here have any idea what this might have been for? The family said that they thought it once contained a plaque of some sort.
I would appreciate any info on this UFO.
Thanks!

[Ben]

Inside

[MH184]

Isn't that the 'Prinz Eugen' division symbol on the box ?


I've just read it's the opler-rune too. Which symbolises self sacrifice and was used on Veteran badges, badges to commerate Nazi martyrs of the 1923 Putsch and formed the design on the SA sports badge.

As it's a self sacrifice symbol , could this SS guy have been killed and this a presentation box in his honour of sorts ?

Don't know? The SS collectors I'm sure will be able divulge more on it.

[Ben]

Hi Marcus,

I believe it is but I suspect that this case is pre-war.
It might be Allgemeine or VT but I'm not really into pre-war.

Best wishes,
Ben

[MH184]

I think I'm way off base 'Geschenk' means gift dosen't it ?

[Ben]

Marcus, it does. It literally says "Gift of the 17th SS Standarte"

[Ben]

No one has seen one of these before? Anyone has an educated guess?

[MH184]

Where's Robin ? He may have an idea.

[Gary Wood]

Just an observation;
it may be the photo but why does the runic emblem and the last part of the lettering look much newer than the rest of the lettering?
also again from the photo it looks like the runic emblem is carved into the box where as the rest of the lettering is rased
cheers
Gary

[Ben]

Hi Gary,

that's because they (the family) tried to remove, in their own words, the "nazi" inscriptions.
All the lettering is actually raised script,they tried to sand off the Sigrunes and the SS inscription, this only partially worked. The box,and the medals with packages, came directly from the family (son and grandson of the original owner). Price paid couldn't even buy you a meal at Mc D's. As a matter of fact they were ready to throw it all away which, unfortunately, already happened to some of the other items. The box is all they thought of keeping but since their " de-nazification" didn't work out as expected they were ready to toss that as well. Crap like this still hapens.

Best wishes,
Ben

[Robin Lumsden]

The 17th Standarte was in Celle, northern Germany. A lot of stuff from that area fell into the hands of allied (esp. British) troops in 1945.

I have never seen anything like that before, but it looks legit to me.

I have no idea what it would have contained, but the thing just looks 'right' to me, for one of those unofficial gifts that the Standarte would have had put together by a local craftsman to give to one of their members on a special occasion.

The Odal rune was a symbol of kinship and family, so perhaps this box contained some sort of wedding present.

[Anthony Evans]

maybe it was a unit present for a newly married troop? did the SS have any books that promoted marriage?