Description:

ADOLF HITLER PERSONALLY-OWNED N.S.D.A.P. BULLION EAGLE PATCH
A superlative personal Hitler item, a large, brilliantly embroidered N.S.D.A.P. eagle with swastika patch recovered from Hitler's Munich apartment by an American soldier, possibly Jewish, and apparently on the very day Hitler committed suicide. The eagle measures 7.5 in. wide and 5.2 in. tall and is (ironically) identical to those used on sashes offered by Hitler at funerals of the most important German military officers and civilians. It is constructed of heavy gold bullion applied to a red felt backing, and bears a black cloth mobile swastika at the bottom, trimmed in gold wire and set on a white gabardine field. The reverse bears a protective paper covering, and the patch appears to be unused. We speculate it was kept on hand for sentimental reasons, or perhaps for emergency use. This piece has a well-known provenance. On or about April 30, 1945, Lt. Philip Ben Lieber of the 692nd Tank Destroyer Battalion was one of the first soldiers to enter the private Munich apartment of Adolf Hitler at Prinzregentenplatz 16. He seized the best 'souvenirs' he could find, including Hitler's visor cap and Nazi 'brown shirt', his 'Blood Order' and other medals, a portrait of Hitler's mother, a shaving mug (previously sold by us), and this impressive patch. Lieber's discovery was heralded in newspapers at the time and was examined by respected dealer Ben Swearingen III. In the meantime, in 1970, the balance of Lieber's collection was purchased by Mohawk Arms and then resold to dealers Wolfe-Hardin in 1994. At some point prior to 2014, Wolfe-Hardin also purchased other Lieber items in the collection of David Mathes. In 2014, Wolfe-Hardin sold the Lieber Collection in its entirety to dealer Craig Gottlieb, from whom our consignor purchased this relic. Included with the patch is an original affidavit citing the origin of the patch, signed by prominent Third Reich militaria dealers Stephen Wolfe, his business partner Neil Hardin, and Craig Gottlieb.

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Shipping

*SEE ADITTIONAL SHIPPING ABOVE* -Shipments are sent via FedEx and DHL (for most overseas shipments) or FedEx Ground at the auctioneer's option. Due to complications from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, we will ship with USPS Priority Mail only if the buyer submits their request to us in writing and accepts responsibility for delayed shipments. Signature is always required, unless other arrangements are made. Handling and shipping charges will be added to the invoice in one entry. Buyers should be aware that large, framed, fragile or odd shaped items can incur substantial shipping and packing charges. International shipments are invoiced by DIMENSIONAL weight, not the item weight. Please contact us for an estimate before bidding NOTE: Large, heavy or bulky items may not be shipped by the auctioneer - arrangements for shipping of these items via a third-party shipper may be arranged through the auction house. Customers who supply their own courier account number will still be charged a handling fee. Please allow 2-3 weeks for shipments after receipt of payment due to the high volume of packages being shipped.

January 26, 2023 10:00 AM EST
Elkton, MD, US

Alexander Historical Auctions LLC

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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $499 $20
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 $999,999 $10,000
$1,000,000 $1,999,999 $50,000
$2,000,000 + $100,000