Militaria Price Guide
How can I see prices?
Welcome to the ratisbon's MILITARIA PRICE GUIDE!
To access all prices, pictures, and descriptions please subscribe to our MILITARIA PRICE GUIDE at www.ratisbons.com/militaria-price-guide. Save 25% when subscribing for one year! Get full access for just 75€!
We are buying single items and entire collections! Call +49 8541 9053699
HOW CAN I PAY FOR MY ORDER?
You will receive an e-mail confirming your successful bids the day after the auction has ended. In your personal my ratisbon's you will be able to inform us about your most convenient payment method for this order or tell us about an alternative shipping address.
If we don’t hear from you within 24 hours, we will send an invoice choosing the payment and shipping options which we think are the most comfortable ones to you. If you decide to change your shipping or payment method after receiving your invoice, just drop us a line or visit my ratisbon's/ORDERS for any more details.
Choose your payment method when ordering and submit your order. Once your order has been received we will send an invoice including your shipping costs and your payment instructions.
After receiving the invoice, the order must be paid within 7 days.
Please contact us to discuss layaway options.
To learn more about paying at ratisbon's, please see your FAQ pages.
HOW DO YOU SHIP MY NEW TREASURES?
We usually send out orders within 1-3 working days after your payment has been received. In most cases, we are faster than this! We will inform you when your goods are being dispatched and provide a tracking number, In addition, you can always check your order status at my ratisbon's/ORDERS. Delivery times will vary depending upon the delivery destination and type of shipping service you have chosen.
If you prefer to have your order shipped to your work address or a friend during your absence, we will happy to arrange this for you. Send us an email letting us know about your new shipping address and we will be happy to send an updated invoice to you.
OUR GUARANTEE!
We only offer collectables which to the best of our specialists knowledge are authentic. About 15% of all consignments are returned to the consignor after extensive research due to authenticity issues.
Unlike traditional auction houses we do offer a full right of return. If you are not satisfied with what you won or bought, you may return it within 14 days. Please inform us and we will instruct you on how to return the goods. For more information, please visit FAQ pages.
Important note: Cancelling bids after an auction may disappoint the consignor, who like you is a collector. This situation is easy to avoid. We encourage you not to bid on any collectable if you are unsure if it fits into your collection. Ask us to cancel your bid 24 hours prior to the end of an auction to avoid this situation.
Important grouping to Hauptmann Martin W., born on 29.10.1914. The grouping came directly of his son in November 2020 and was never available on the market before. More evidence on the provenience will be given to the buyer.
Hauptmann W. was awarded the Knight's Cross on 5.2.1945 as commander of I./Pz.Gren.Rgt.35 which was attached to the 25.Panzergrenadier-Division.
-
Personal four-pocket field tunic to Hauptman W. which is exactly the same show on period time portrait photos of W. which are part of this grouping. A fine privately tailored example with 100% period time attached insignia.
Breast eagle and infantry officer's collar tabs are attached by hand. Hauptmann Infantry shoulder boards. W. was promoted a Hauptmann in January 1945!
Four loops for a 6cm long ribbon bar in place. However, pinned a large two-place ribbon bar above it which is also shown on the portrait photos.
Two pair of loops for his Iron Cross 1st Class and the Wound Badge in black. The loops for the Infantry Assault Badge are missing.
Two foldable catches underneath the collar to attach his Knight's Cross!
Room for dagger hangers to go through the lower pocket.
No moth damage. Signs of use.
A scarce Knight's Cross winner's tunic proven by original photos! Extremely rare!
Medium size. Condition 2.
1939 Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. A nicely worn example made by Klein & Quenzer. Including the original neck ribbon which shows to small hole were W. has attached the ribbon to two foldable catches underneath his collar.
Magnetic iron center. Nice original paint. "800" marked to the reverse of the upper cross arm as well as "65" maker marked and "800" silver stamped to the ring. Good condition 2. The ribbon is about 17cm long.
An extra piece of original ribbon. Length: 21cm
1939 Iron Cross 2nd Class with ribbon. Excellent condition. Unmarked but most probably a Wächtler & Lange made piece. Including the original wrapping paper. An additional 94cm (!) long ribbon!
1939 Iron Cross 1st Class. A nicely worn "26" maker marked example. Iron core.
Case for a 1939 Iron Cross 1st Class. Apart from the missing inlay, opening and closing correctly.
Infantry Assault Badge in bronze. Zinc. Unmarked. Including the original wrapping paper.
Wound Badge in black. Unmarked.
SA Sport's Badge in bronze. Missing catch.
Early tombak Westwall Medal with original ribbon. Inside its "Mortisch Hausch" maker marked bag with a note "1.Kp." (1st Company).
Personal compass in an original leather bag. Busch maker marked. Working condition. Personal leather medical bag. Maker marked.
Well worn "wiesengrün" color Panzergrenadier shoulder boards for a Hauptmann serving with Grenadier-Regiment 35. This would be his late war 1945 shoulder boards he had worn when being awarded the Knight's Cross in February 1945! Slip-on pattern. Signs of wear and age.
Seven original portrait photos including six showing W. wearing his Knight's Cross as well as his Hauptmann uniform. It is exactly the same tunic we can offer you inside this lot. Of course, it is also exactly the same Knight's Cross, Iron Cross, Infantry Assault Badge and Wound Badge which is included in his grouping!
Three additional period time photos. Every photo shows W. in a group of comrades.
A Heer service manual as well as a booklet on uniforms.
Two postwar magazines with stories about a court case on a murder that happened in April 1945. The murderer was W's. adjutant. A picture of W. is shown inside one magazine who was a summoned witness.
Documents & certificates
- 1940 dated Leutant promotion document
- 1942 dated "Auszug" confirming his rank of an "Oberleutnant der Res."
- scarce 1.5.1945 (!) dated "Dienstleitungszeugnis" signed by the regiment commander of Pz.Gren.Rgt.35 Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves recipient Oberstleutnant Karl Pröll. The statement praises W's. excellent service and character as a Knight's Cross recipient and batallion commander.
- a list with addresses of members of Inf.Rgt.35 / Pz.Gren.Rgt.35
- July 1945 dated "Korpsgruppe von Stockhausen" document of discharge
- July 1945 dated POW document of discharge
- 1962 dated WaSt document confirming ranks and units
- 1961 dated Bundesarchiv document confirming ranks and units
- postwar form confirming award dates as a Knight's Cross winner of 25.Pz.Gren.Division
Pre 1945 national flag. 120cm x 400cm. Signs of age and patina.
Personal field leather boots. Soft leather. Sole length: 31cm.
NAME
Knights Cross of the Order of the Iron Cross
DATE OF INSTITUTION
1. September 1939 as the third and new grade of the re-instituted Order of the Iron Cross
AWARD CRITERIA
The Knights Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded for exceptional bravery in the face of the enemy and for outstanding merit in troop leadership. The awarding required the previous awarding of the two lower grades. The Knights Cross was solely awarded by the Führer upon the proposal of the soldiers unit and issued by the Heerespersonalamt. The Knights Crosses were stored at the Ordenskanzlei in Berlin, to be sent to the awardee after approval. There were no Knights Crosses stored at any level of the Wehrmacht before the end of April 1945.
MANUFACTURERS
The Knights Cross of the Iron Cross was produced by seven manufacturers, not including variations amongst the individual companies. The Knights Crosses can be found either unmarked (early Juncker and 3/4 Ring), with a silver content mark, with an LDO number (L/12 and L/52), and later on with the company’s Präsidialkanzlei number (2, 20, 65, and 4). Private sales were forbidden after October 1941.
AWARD NUMBERS
Accurate numbers are not known but the closest estimation is around 7,200, and most likely another couple of hundred on stock at the Präsidialkanzlei.
AWARD DOCUMENTS
The awardee received a preliminary document in A5 format and issued in the name of the Führer by the responsible personnel offices of the three branches of the Wehrmacht. The formal document (Große Mappe) was issued later and only until date of late 1942 / early 1943 due to the huge backlog.
WEARING METHOD
The Knights Cross was worn around the neck on a wider red white and black ribbon which came within the black award case of the Knights Cross.