Lot 544

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Description:


A rare war souvenir, a bottle of cognac originally captured by Erwin Rommel's Afrika Corps in North Africa, then recaptured by American soldiers during the invasion of Italy. According to the bottle's history (included), during the Afrika Corps' traversing of North Africa, a vast wine and spirits cellar was uncovered which included over a million and a half liters of top quality scotch, gin, rum and cognac. After Rommel and his troops took their share, the balance, over a million liters, was sent to the Italian port city of Nettuno in the holds of empty Axis cargo ships. On Jan. 22, 1944 the nearby city of Anzio was assaulted by Allied forces, and shortly thereafter the battle-toughened soldiers discovered, much to their glee, over 250,000 gallons of booze still resting in the Nettuno warehouses! The local Delva Distillery stepped in, bottled the liquor in the bottles in which it now rests, and applied descriptive fancy labels. Eventually, the bottles were transferred to Linz and sold privately in 1976 when reproductions of the original labels were made. This particular bottle has leaked, and less than 20 percent of the liquor remains; it should be properly re-corked, as the wax at the top is also slightly loose. A few tiny tears and a scuff to the green label with fanciful scrolling, but otherwise in very good condition. It is NOT sold for consumption, only as a relic, and all local and interstate liquor laws apply. With a copy of the original booklet with history.

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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.

February 8, 2021 10:00 AM EST
Chesapeake City, 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