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March 17, 2020
- Droog Magazine periodical for
investigative journalism
A 'Dönitz'
baton in Kent
Fake letter betrays forgery Introduction | Provenance | The Letter Conclusion | Sources 2019
| 2020 | Auctions | Press
On December 10, 2019, a 'replica Nazi admirals baton' was auctioned by C&T Auctions in Kent (UK). According to the Daily Mail it was bought by a British militaria collector for £24,800 (hammer price £20,000 plus £4,800 auction house fees).
When
confronted
with photos of this item, several Nazi
militaria experts from America and Europe told
us that this baton looked like a rather low
quality and recently made replica.
So, why would any collector pay almost £25,000 for an item that elsewhere is explicitly sold as a replica for less then £500? And such a miserable one for that? The answer is simple: because of the alleged provenance.
The provenance
The provenance - according to the letter and C&T
But is this letter authentic?
Question: How do the written ciphers on this letter compare with ciphers the real Dönitz wrote? Answer: They are totally different.
Question:
How does the signature on this letter compare
with signatures the real Dönitz placed on
authentic letters and cards dating from
1973-1979?
In this image the difference between the signatures in the letter and an authentic one (from 1974) is clearly visible. When comparing signatures, it is important to use comparison material from the same period, as the signature of a person changes as he ages, as can be seen on the following comparison of authentic Dönitz's signatures.
Question:
How does the written 'Ihr' (in English:
'Yours'), before the signature compare with
authentic 'Ihrs' written by the real Dönitz?
Question: In
the letter 'Dönitz' states that he was given
this baton by his closest comrades ("von
meinen engsten Kameraden"). Who were they? Question: In the letter
'Dönitz' thanks Mr. Mathias von Werthern for
his help in executing his projects. Who was
this Herr von Werthern?
The translation given by C&Tis misleading: It should have been: "As a sign of my great gratitude for the great help in carrying out my projects .... .... .... I leave this bar to Mr. Mathias von Werthern." With the .... .... .... representing the missing words.
• Kreuzerfahrten
der
Goeben und Breslau
(with co-author Theodor Kraus), 1933. • Zehn Jahre und zwanzig Tage, 1958 (memoirs, appeared in English translation as: 10 Years and 20 Days). • Mein wechselvolles leben, 1968 (second revised edition was published in 1998, titled Mein soldatisches Leben. Autobiografie). • Deutsche
Strategie
zur See im Zweiten Weltkrieg. Die Antworten d.
Grossadmirals auf 40 Fragen,
1970 (written in German, but appeared first in
a French translation (by Bernard George) as La Guerre en 40
questions,
1969.
Conclusion
Amelia Wynne. Replica ceremonial baton made for Adolf Hitler's successor Grand Admiral Karl Donitz sells for nearly £25,000 at auction (but original that was swiped as a souvenir by a British soldier is worth up to 10 times its value). Daily Mail, London, 23-12-2019. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7821893/Replica-ceremonial-baton-Adolf-Hitlers-successor-sells-nearly-25-000-auction.htmlC&T Auctioneers and Valuers Ltd, Kenardington, Kent (UK) https://www.candtauctions.co.uk/Lot #126. Books, Ephemera & Photographs Auction. C&T Auctioneers and ValuersLtd. 10 Dec 2019. The Saleroom.com [seen 13-03-2020]. https://www.the-saleroom.com/en-gb/auction-catalogues/candt-auctioneers/catalogue-id-srct10118/lot-1932538c-b0d6-4140-a3b0-ab0a0160af31W.C. Stump. The Karl Dönitz baton – just how many were there? Part 1. W.C. Stump Militaria Blogspot, [2011]. http://wcstumpmilitaria.blogspot.com/2011/11/karl-donitz-baton-just-how-many-were.htmlReplica Dönitz baton.Militaria (Italian webshop) https://www.warmilitaria.it/en/field-marshal-batons/1836-grossadmiral-karl-doenitz-baton.htmlCatalogue German National Library (deutsche Nationalbibliothek), Frankfurt am Main / Leipzig. https://portal.dnb.de/Nuremberg trial – Karl Doenitz. Trial International. Geneva, 2016. https://trialinternational.org/latest-post/karl-doenitz/Manfred Roeder. Ein
Kampf ums Reich. Eine Dokumentation und politische
Streitschrift um die Nachfolge des Reiches.
Freiheitsbewegung Deutsches Reich,
Schwarzenborn/Knüll, Haus Richberg,[1979].
Hitlerjunge mit
Tränensäcken. [about Manfred Roeder]. Der
Spiegel, Hamburg,#18, 27-4-1998. Authentic Dönitz
signature. Deutsches Historisches Museum, Berlin. Authentic Dönitz
letters. History for sale. Las Vegas, Nevada (USA).
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