Prussian Sword

2

2w151

New member
Greetings everyone. I am new to the board and stumbled across this website while looking for some information on a sword that I recently inherited. I believe it to be a pre-WW1 Prussian Calvary Officer's sword. My grandfather captured this sword during WWII. He was 101st Airborne and made his way from France to Belgium and Germany. The family story goes that he took it off a deceased German soldier but it may have been a war prize. Anyway I would like to learn as much as I can about it and a possible value. Its priceless to my family and I would never sell it but it would be nice to know.


















 
As Pickelhaube mentioned, it is Bavarian--the 4th Bavarian Chevauleger Regiment (I hope I am reading the number correctly, but there is a glare in the photo). It was a cavalry unit.
 
Neil Young said:
As Pickelhaube mentioned, it is Bavarian--the 4th Bavarian Chevauleger Regiment (I hope I am reading the number correctly, but there is a glare in the photo). It was a cavalry unit.

Posted twice again.
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Thanks for the info. Any idea of how old it might be ??
 
Great looking sword, congratulations! =D>

Any idea of how old it might be ??
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It's the model 1889 Cavalry Degen, used from 1889 up into WW1. Hard to say exact age, but most likely somewhere between 1900-1914 I would guesstimate. Looks like it has the Carl Eickhorn & Company maker mark of the back-to-back squirrels on the blade.

Anyway I would like to learn as much as I can about it and a possible value
Click to expand...

A retail/auction value would be around $500, maybe a bit more, maybe a bit less.

The family story goes that he took it off a deceased German soldier but it may have been a war prize.
Click to expand...

Possibly. Not to take away from your grandfather's story or service. The German civilian population was required at the end of the war to turn in weapons of all types, including swords, rifles, shotguns, etcetera. I have seen many photos of the piles of turned in swords after the end of the war, and it was a true "picker's paradise" so as to say, where soldiers could go up to a pile and pick out what they wanted as a souvenir to send home.

He was 101st Airborne and made his way from France to Belgium and Germany
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The bigger and truly much more valuable items are your Grandfather's uniform, airborne helmet, jump jacket and jump pants and any related memorabilia if your family still has any of these items. I presume he was up at Berchestgaden and the Eagle's Nest with the rest of the 101st Airborne at the very end of the war? Did he bring home any AH silverware, or other items from Hitler's residence, or Goering's residence? Just curious. If he did, those items are very valuable.

Best Regards,

Alan
 
ww1czechlegion said:
Great looking sword, congratulations! =D>

Any idea of how old it might be ??
Click to expand...

It's the model 1889 Cavalry Degen, used from 1889 up into WW1. Hard to say exact age, but most likely somewhere between 1900-1914 I would guesstimate. Looks like it has the Carl Eickhorn & Company maker mark of the back-to-back squirrels on the blade.

Anyway I would like to learn as much as I can about it and a possible value
Click to expand...

A retail/auction value would be around $500, maybe a bit more, maybe a bit less.

The family story goes that he took it off a deceased German soldier but it may have been a war prize.
Click to expand...

Possibly. Not to take away from your grandfather's story or service. The German civilian population was required at the end of the war to turn in weapons of all types, including swords, rifles, shotguns, etcetera. I have seen many photos of the piles of turned in swords after the end of the war, and it was a true "picker's paradise" so as to say, where soldiers could go up to a pile and pick out what they wanted as a souvenir to send home.

He was 101st Airborne and made his way from France to Belgium and Germany
Click to expand...

The bigger and truly much more valuable items are your Grandfather's uniform, airborne helmet, jump jacket and jump pants and any related memorabilia if your family still has any of these items. I presume he was up at Berchestgaden and the Eagle's Nest with the rest of the 101st Airborne at the very end of the war? Did he bring home any AH silverware, or other items from Hitler's residence, or Goering's residence? Just curious. If he did, those items are very valuable.

Best Regards,

Alan
Click to expand...
Alan thank you for the information. I do indeed have my grandfather's uniforms and some of his campaign ribbons. He was 101st Airborne 501st PIR, he was at Bastogne and was also at Berchestgaden. While there are no known personal items of AH or any other Nazi materials the oral history that he gave me is that when they found the salt mine loaded with stolen artwork he was one of the guys tasked to guard it.

The other interesting story that was passed down to me was that he was in Austria and wanted to go fly fishing in one of the mountain streams, he loved fly fishing more than anything else, so he had my grandmother send him his fly rod. He and another guy started walking toward the river when the mayor of the town came running over to tell him "Ein das Verboden". He said he showed him his .45 sidearm and said " You see this here.. this is the law"

Thanks Again.
Travis
 
Great to see your Grandfather's 101st Airborne uniform as well! Looks to be in excellent condition. Continue to take good care of it, because it's worth a lot more than the wonderful sword is, believe it or not.

Thanks again for posting these wonderful family treasures of yours! =D> :bravo:

Best Regards,

Alan
 
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