Der Rittmeister Militaria LLC. Imperial German Merchandise Page 22: Colonial Materials: Badges, Medals, Photos, Artwork, and Tableware from Imperial Germany's Foreign Possessions. Updated 9 May 2008. Contact us at: rittmeister@earthlink.net

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33-08 EAST ASIAN NCO’S SHAKO IN FULL DRESS CONFIGURATION. This is an EXTREMELY rare shako! Although at first glance it might appear to be more common, certain key points really make it stand out. First and foremost is its condition. To say that it is excellent is an understatement. While the shako’s exterior is very fine, it is the interior that really makes a special statement. The first time I saw this I was overwhelmed by what I beheld. The basic material of the shako is an elegant feldgrau felt. The front and rear visors of the shako are of choice brown leather. The leather chinstrap is absolutely original to the shako in the fine, brown, prewar brass style. The wappen is a particularly interesting feature of this shako. It is gilt and in wonderful condition. It displays the typical Colonial Adler(Eagle), which exhibits a fine patina. However, an even more unusual trait can be seen. If one looks closely, one can see that the Hohenzollern Crown has been removed. Not broken off, mind you, but neatly and inconspicuously removed. Why? At the end of WW I, in a silent tribute to the Kaiser and to mourn the passing of the monarchy, many men removed the crown from all sorts of items. I have seen flight badges with their crowns removed. This has been done so unobtrusively that without close examination, one might not even notice it had occurred. The shako’s field badge is in place. Rising above it is the most beautiful parade bush that I have ever seen for ANY shako. It is full, complete and in sterling condition. It flows beautifully down over the shako, setting it off magnificently. Inside, the shako is also in exquisite condition. A complete enlisted/NCO style inner liner is present. All of the leather tongues are extant. A leather thong is strung between the tongues that would have allowed sizing the shako to the necessary size for the wearer. Underneath the leather liner is a paper tag that identifies the wearer of the shako. The paper tag clearly reads, "Sergeant Marte Ostasiat. Feld-Lazarett." It seems our man was a Senior NCO in the military hospital in China! This hospital was not large. Only a few men of his position would have served in this capacity with the hospital. This rare piece of headdress fits in well with several other items we are offering for German troops who served in China. A rubber stamp mark appears beside the paper tag, but I am unable to decipher it. Most likely it is for the manufacturer. This probability, along with the ID tag and the lack of formal depot markings, mean this is probably a privately purchased shako. Whatever the case, it is a real prize! $8,895.00. . . .

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04-358 NCO MOUNTED DRAGOON FOR SERVICE IN CHINA PICKELHAUBE. This week we offer a very rare example of a pickelhaube for an NCO Dragoon serving in China during the period of 1900-1910. This helmet could very likely have seen service during the Boxer Rebellion of 1900. The helmet was acquired this summer from a longtime collection. It was described as the subject helmet in the book "Pickelhauben (Spiked Helmets) The Glittering Age: German Headdress from the Seventeenth to the Twentieth Century 1650-1918" by Dr. Eric Johansson. It appears on page 170 of that book, which was published in the 1980's. On page 170 the description as written by Dr. Johansson is: "COLONIAL SERVICES MOUNTED DRAGOON NCO DRAGOON HELMET - Black leather formed body with all brass fittings, including cruciform base spike with NCO perlring and plain stud retainers. The chin scales are brass, convex and secured by matching rosettes. A single reichskokarde in the national colors is worn on the right side of the helmet. The frontplate consists of the colonial services eagle, picked out in brass."
The helmet is in very fine condition for its age, and for having seen service in China. The leather body is supple and well preserved. The left rear quarter shows some scuffing, but overall that is not detractive. All of the furniture is gilt and is quite handsome, especially the wappen and the chin scales. As mentioned in Johansson’s description, the single reich’s kokarde is present on the right side of the helmet. The interior of the helmet is also quite pleasing, with all tongues of the liner in place. The sizing thong is not present. All in all, this is a very fine example of a scarce variation of a Dragoon helmet. Its status as a "textbook example" adds a certain cachet to its value. This is the third time that I have been able to acquire an article of headdress that was featured in this book. They always prove quite popular. If you would like a copy of the section of the book that describes this helmet, I would be very pleased to enclose one. $4,895.00. . .

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04-371 XPB POSTAL SERVICE IN CHINA PICKELHAUBE. This week we offer a really unusual consignment piece that comes from the premiere collection of colonial items in the USA. The owner of this pickelhaube put together a truly amazing display at the 2004 MAX Show in Charlotte, NC. He brought an entire truckload of items to the show to share with other collectors. He had examples of headdress, tunics, etc. from every major German colony (German East Africa, German Southwest Africa, and China) and even some of the VERY minor ones that the average collector would not recognize. This gentleman is known as an authority on the German colonies. He has been of tremendous help to me as I try to become more knowledgeable about the subject. He has helped edit my descriptions for this site in order to give you more complete and accurate information about colonial items. Items from German colonies are becoming increasingly interesting to me. Whenever possible, I am seeking out interesting colonial items for you. We have even added a separate "COLONIAL" page to our web site to further this truly interesting segment of collecting. The pickelhaube we are offering this week is quite rare. It is for a Postal Serviceman who served in China. Pause just a moment and ask yourself, "How many men could have been involved with the Imperial German Postal Service in China?" How quickly one realizes the singularity of this particular helmet! Germany began its Chinese colony in the 1890's. As a part of that development, She established postal service for those Germans based in China. {In an interesting aside, one of the German concerns established in China was a brewery, which was then known as "Germania Brewery". This business evolved over the years into the brewery (and beer) that we in the West know as Tsingtau. [Germany had a naval base in the city with the same name. I would add that Tsingtau is an excellent beer. I always thought it was good beer, NOW I know why]!} As Germany expanded its influence in China, postal service was established in Peking, Shanghai, Tientsin, and other cities. This helmet would have been worn by a Reich’s Post Administrator serving in China. The body of the helmet is felt, instead of the leather that would have been used in Germany. It has all gilt-furniture. The wappen is typical of colonial service wappens, with the exception of the addition of a postal horn in the eagle’s talons at the bottom. Interestingly, this same style of postal horn is used by Deutsche Post in Germany today. The helmet displays a beautiful set of chin scales and a short spike. It has a single reich’s kokarde on the helmet’s right side. The helmet’s felt body is in generally good condition. A spot of mothing shows on the helmet’s left front, which will be detailed in our photos. Furthermore, some moth tracking shows on the rear visor. Even with these two minor imperfections, this is an amazingly fine appearing helmet on its exterior. The interior of the helmet has the enlisted man’s style of liner, which is a leather-tongue affair. The sizing thong, by which the wearer could adjust the size, is not present. This liner shows substantial age, but nevertheless is complete. All of the helmet’s interior hardware is present and original. The helmet would date from the period of 1900 to1914. It likely could have been present during the Boxer Rebellion of 1900-01. The owner has provided an interesting historical description of Germany’s time in China and of this helmet, both of which will be conveyed to the new owner. If you are looking for something truly unique for your collection, you can’t miss with this pickelhaube. $3,895.00. . . Reduced To $3,495.00!!0

 

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22-31 PATENT FOR AN OFFICER SERVING IN GERMAN SOUTHEAST AFRICA SIGNED BY KAISER WILHELM II. This is an ultra rare document that served as a promotion patent for an officer serving in the German colony of Southeast Africa. The officer was Hauptmann Hugo Freiherr von Nordic zur Rabenau. The document was signed by Kaiser Wilhelm II on 13 September 1911. A quick look at the Rangeliste for 1914-1918 indicates that von Nordic zur Rabenau did not serve in Africa during WW I. I did find mention of two men named Rabenau. One served on a staff and one was with an artillery regiment, but I cannot tell if either was our man (Please see below for additional information on this officer). In the document it mentions twice that this man was attached to the Schutztruppe in German Southeast Africa. The document has been folded in half. It shows a slight separation of about two inches in the fold. All of the information on the document is clear and readable. It sports a very bold signature of the Kaiser. This is an exceptional document. We have received additional information on Hauptmann a.D. (retired) Hugo Freiherr von Nordic zur Rabenau from a regular reader who enjoys doing research. Hugo Freiherr von Nordec zur Rabenau was born 25 October 1873 and was originally assigned to Kurhessisches-Jaeger Battalion Nr 11. After promotion in 1895 he was assigned to the Schutztruppe in German East Africa (Deutsche Ost Afrika) in September 1900. While he was promoted to Hauptmann in 1911 as indicated in the description above he retired from the army in either 1913 or 1914. With the beginning of WW I he was recalled and was a company commander in Reserve-Infantry-Regiment Nr 81. He fell at Vassincourt on the Western Front on 10 September 1914, barely a month into the war. At the time that he fell for the Fatherland, von Nordic zur Rabenau was forty years old. I appreciate this additional information from this reader who has shared his research with us in the past. $650.00

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22-56 NOVEMBER 1914 NEWSPAPER - WAR NEWS FROM SUPREME HEADQUARTERS - ACTION - TSINGTAU. This is a special extra edition of a Nürnberg newspaper, announcing an action at the German colony of Tsingtau, another against the Russians in the East, and one against the French on the Western Front. The single-sided, special edition newspaper measures 15 3/4" x 9 1/2." It comes from the Nürenberger Anzeiger, and is dated Monday, 9 November 1914. It describes special news from all three fronts. $55.00  

 

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22-57 MINI GROUPING - CHINA EXPEDITION COMBATANT’S MEDAL & MILITÄRPAß - NAVY SAILOR. This is a wonderful mini grouping including an enlisted sailor’s militärpaß for service in China during the Boxer Rebellion of 1900/1901. The man was born in 1877. He joined the Kaiserliche Marine in 1899. He was assigned to Kompagnie Nr 5 of the II. Werftdivision. In the militärpaß’s section Nr 10, his receipt of the Combatant’s Medal during the Boxer Rebellion in China is mentioned. The militärpaß makes mention of other service, after he completed his compulsory service. He was recalled to the Navy at the outbreak of WW I. I see entries in the militärpaß through 1917. The second piece in the mini grouping is the actual China Combatant’s Medal. The Combatant’s version is gilt-toned, whereas the Non Combatant’s version is silver-toned. The decoration is set up as a one-place medal bar. The ribbon is court wrapped, although it has no mounting pin on the reverse. Both the ribbon and the decoration are in very fine condition. The militärpaß is a very important addition. It will enable the new owner to do research on the sailor. $695.00RH

 

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23-237 PAIR OF HAUPTMANN SHOULDER BOARDS - SCHUTZTRUPPEN. This is a pair of hauptmann’s shoulder boards from the German Schutztruppen in Germany’s African colonies. The literal translation of Schutztruppen is "protectorate troops." In certain areas outside of Africa they were police forces rather than army units. The officers and NCO’s in the African units were German. In many cases the soldiers they commanded were native Africans called "askaris." As is correct, no regimental designation or cypher is on the shoulder boards. Only a hauptmann’s twin gold pips are present. The underlay and material on the reverse are black. The boards were worn on the khaki-colored, daily-use tunics (unlike the pair described below, which were worn on a white dress tunic). They are sewn-in rather than slip-on shoulder boards. Both are in excellent condition. $350.00  

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23-238 PAIR OF HAUPTMANN SHOULDER BOARDS - SCHUTZTRUPPEN. This is a pair of hauptmann’s shoulder boards from the German Schutztruppen in Germany’s African colonies. The literal translation of Schutztruppen is "protectorate troops." In certain areas outside of Africa they were police forces rather than army units. The officers and NCO’s in the African units were German. In many cases the soldiers they commanded were native Africans called "askaris." As is correct, no regimental designation or cypher is on the shoulder boards. Only a hauptmann’s twin gold pips are present. The underlay and material on the reverse are blue. The boards were worn on a white dress tunic, whereas the pair above was worn on the khaki-colored daily-use tunic. Also, please note the naval-style black extensions on each end of the board, which is how they were mounted on the white tunic. They are sewn-in rather than slip-on shoulder boards. Both are in excellent condition. $350.00  

 

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22-52 COLONIAL WATCH FOB. This is a very engaging watch fob from the German colony of Südwest-Afrika. At one end is a silver-toned veteran’s medal measuring X" in diameter. It shows Kaiser Wilhelm II in his Garde du Corps Hohenzollern Eagle-topped helmet. On the reverse it states "zur Erinnerung an die Aufstände in Deutsch-Südwest-Afrika." Attached to that are four square links that measure 2 1/2" x 1/2." Inside the individual links are circular portraits of Hauptmann Franke, Major Vestorft, Oberst Leutwein and General von Trotha. The last link (General von Trotha) has no further attachment on it. This is a very unusual colonial item from the lesser-known of Germany’s two African colonies. $325.00  

 

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22-53 EIGHT REPRODUCTION MAPS - GERMAN SOUTHWEST AFRICA 1904-1907. This is a set of eight maps used in German Southwest Africa in 1904. They are REPRODUCTIONS, yet well-made and highly-detailed. The areas chronicled are Windhuk, Otawi, Warmbad, etc. They originally were produced in 1887 in Africa. The maps are housed in a folder. This is a great item for you colonial collectors, to help you track campaigns. $50.00  

 

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22-51 COLONIAL LION BADGE 2nd CLASS WITH RIBBON. The Colonial Badge was awarded after WW I’s end to all men who had served in Germany’s colonies overseas. The badge was awarded in two classes. The 1st Class award was a pinback. It is the one that we see most often. Although we do see the 1st Class level more frequently, it IS still difficult-to-find. The 2nd Class award, while a lower level of award, is actually FAR more difficult-to-find than the 1st Class award. The decorations are identical, with the exception that the 2nd Class has a jump ring to which a ribbon is added. The correct and original ribbon is attached. It is narrow and yellow, white, red, and blue in color. This is, I believe, only the second of these that I have encountered. It is in attractive condition. It would make an excellent addition to any colonial or medal collection. $450.00

 

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22-16 AWARD DOCUMENT FOR THE KOLONIALAUSZEICHNUNG BADGE. This document is for the award of the very popular Colonial Lion Badge in silver. The document measures 11 3/4" x 8 1/2" and is quite ornate. It displays numerous views that would have been appropriate for the colonies. The document is dated and bears the signature of Ritter von Epp, a well-known figure during and after WW I. The document has been reinforced on its reverse with period tape. $250.00 . . . .

 

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18-111 GOBLET FOR A SWIMMING COMPETITION FROM CHINA. This is a most interesting and unique small loving cup with twin handles. It stands 2 3/4" tall. It is 2" in diameter at the rim and 1 3/8" at the base. This cup was awarded at the German colony of Tsingtau for a military swimming competition that was held on 16 August 1913. This cup was for 1^st place in the competition. The cup comes with a wooden base that stands 1 1/8" tall. The cup can be set on the stand or not, as the new owner wishes. The cup has a heavy silver patina and has not been cleaned in decades. One must look very closely at the engraving on the cup to determine what it says. The cup was made in china and bears the name in both English and Chinese of the Chinese firm that produced it. A really attractive item from the German colonies. $295.00

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22-39 SWIMMING TROPHY FROM THE GERMAN CHINESE COLONY. This is a small silver loving cup used as a swimming award in the German colony of Tsingtau. It is from August 1913. It was first-prize in one of the swimming events. $295.00

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22-46 COLONIAL LION BADGE - MINIATURE. This is a dazzling miniature example of the Colonial Lion Badge. The full size of this decoration was given to men who had served in the various German colonies. It features a magnificent lion on the obverse. This miniature is a faithful reproduction of its full-sized counterpart. It is well made and in excellent condition. $160.00 

 

 

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18-66 SMALL SPOONS MADE FROM 1/4 RUPIE COINS FROM GERMAN EAST AFRICA. These are the most interesting and delicate spoons I have ever encountered. They are handmade. The bowl of the spoon is actually a 1/4 Rupie coin from German East Africa. They are hammered into a bowl-like shape, which would allows them to be used to stir a beverage. The coins are dated from the early 1900's. The obverse shows Wilhelm II in his Garde du Corps helmet. The reverse has the denomination of the coin, date, and location. The shaft of the spoon is knurled and is topped by a small ball. I have four of these and each is a bit different. There is some obscuring of the coin markings where the hammering took place. $110.00 EACH

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Badges: Wound, Veterans', Shooting Prizes, etc.	Bala's Bargain Bin: Sale and Discounted Items
Boxes (Patriotic) & Cigarette Cases	Bronzes, Busts & Figurines
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