Lot 1097

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Description:

Fine pair of relics belonging to Captain NOBLE W. ABRAHAMS (1900-1991), a career Navy officer who graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1920 and rose in the ranks until his retirement. During World War II he received a Letter of Commendation from the Secretary of the Navy for his command of the Naval Damage Control Training Center, Philadelphia. The first item offered is his bicorne hat, constructed of pressed black felt with a dashing 2.5 x 6 in., fold of gold cloth held over a black cockade by a gilded U.S. Navy insignia button. Adorning the front and back are five rows of 2 in. braided gold filigree. The interior bears black silk lining, a maker's tag for Wm. H. Horstmann Company of Philadelphia. Affixed just beneath the intact brown leather sweatband is a size ‘7' sticker. A few minor areas of wear to the felt, else in beautiful condition. WITH his full-dress epaulettes displaying the pre-World War II silver fouled anchor of an officer of the line and the rank emblem, a gold oak leaf, for a Lieutenant Commander. The edges are trimmed with finely-braided gold filigree, with markings on the bottom identify the left and the right epaulette. Though a few of the filigree pieces hang loose, the epaulettes remain very bright. All items are housed in an original black painted metal box, 19 x 8 x 7 in. deep, also maker marked by the Wm. H. Horstmann Company on the lid. The gold lettering on the lid reads ‘N.W.A. U.S.N.A. 1924', Abrahams calling card inside. Sold with this lot are four promotional documents for Abrahams from 1924-1973, promotions include that of an ensign (1924), lieutenant (1935), lt. commander (1939), and Admiral in the ‘Navy of Nebraska' (1973). All documents are framed, none larger than 17 x 21 in. Overall, very good. Accompanied by a folder with paperwork on Abrahams, includes: 8 x 10 in. b/w photo of him in uniform from the chest, up; 8pp. listing his military history and duties during his career from 1925 to 1954; and a 2pp. synopsis highlighting his achievements. Reads in part: ‘...Abrahams was appointed to the Naval Academy from the state of Texas in 1921 and graduated in the Class of 1924. His first assignments were with the Battle Fleet Pacific during the revolution in China...designated Engineer Officer to oversee the fitting out and commissioning of several cruisers and battleships. His most notable achievement was guiding the construction, outfitting, and commissioning of one of the first of the super battleships, the U.S.S. Iowa...served as Commanding Officer of the Naval damage control schools in San Francisco and Philadelphia. He was also CO of the U.S.S. Amphion. When the war ended in 1946, Captain Abrahams was assigned as Senior Naval Liaison Officer at High Command Headquarters in Heidelberg, Germany. There followed designation as Chief Naval Staff Officer with the High Command in Tokyo, where one of his assignments was to initiate the building of the Japanese Coast Guard and Coastal Security Force. He finished his naval career as Intelligence Officer, Headquarters Potomac and Severn River Naval Commands in 1954...secured an appointment in the Mechanical Engineering Department of Cornell University in 1957 where he taught Graphic Science and Descriptive Geometry...' Also with a newspaper article bearing an account from Abrahams of the incident on the U.S.S. Iowa in which a torpedo was fired on them accidentally from another U.S. ship, all while President Franklin Roosevelt was aboard.

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November 30, 2023 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