Description:

Fine relic recovered by an American G.I. from the ruins of Hitler's Berghof at Berchtesgaden, a 1.5 x 1.5 x 1.5 in. piece of red marble with white veins chipped away from the massive red, white, and gray marble fireplace in Hitler's living room. This piece has the same grain and coloring as other verified sections of the same fireplace sold by us in the past, and was chipped from the face of the fireplace, as one side bears a smooth, polished surface. One example sold by us was a very substantial 8 x 3 in. piece engraved: 'FIREPLACE HITLER'S HOUSE BERCHTESGADEN 1946'. Other pieces of this fireplace have come to market, most often tiny sections presented in an ashtray reading: 'Flick Your Ashes on Hitler's Hearth'. These examples also match the piece being offered here. This piece of marble was stored in a hand-carved wooden box with German crest, along with the unknown G.I.souvenir-gunter's two shoulder patches, his five 'hash marks' sleeve patch, and a period shoulder patch from the U.S. 2nd Chemical Battalion. Two notes were also present with these relics, both written by noted artist EDWARD VEBELL (1921-2018). Vebell, in later life a nationally-recognized illustrator, served as a staff artist for Stars & Stripes during World War II, as well as the official courtroom artist for the Nuremberg war trials. His notes identify the relics, and indicate that he purchased them in 1975 - but he could not recall the soldier's name. A copy of the soldier's patches and Vebell's notes were originally included with this relic, but were lost following its sale by us three years ago to recently-passed collector Bill Santora. We instantly recognized the piece, which is accompanied by a brief note from Santora's widow. We guarantee the authenticity of this piece for life.

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Shipping

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.

August 25, 2021 10:00 AM EDT
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 + $10,000