Product Information

A VERY RARE HEER MEMORIAL DRESS DAGGER, MEASURING 398 MM IN TOTAL LENGTH WHEN INSERTED INTO THE SCABBARD. IT FEATURES A 260 MM-LONG POLISHED MAGNETIC STEEL BLADE WITH NO SHARPENING. ACID-ETCHED ONTO THE OBVERSE OF THE BLADE IS A FINE ACID-ETCHED INSCRIPTION OF “OBERLEUTNANT DRAEGER – ADJUTANT DER AUFKLÄRUNGSABTEILUNG 328 – IN AUSÜBUNG SEINES DIENSTES ALS SCHWADRONFÜHRER GETÖTET AN DER DONETZ AM 23. AUGUST 1943” (“OBERLEUTNANT DRAEGER – ADJUTANT OF AUFKLÄRUNGSABTEILUNG 328 – KILLED IN THE EXERCISE OF HIS SERVICE AS SQUADRON LEADER ON THE DONETS ON 23 AUGUST 1943). THE INSCRIPTION IS FLANKED ON BOTH SIDES BY ACID-ETCHED ARABESQUES, WHILE THE REVERSE RICASSO BEARS A MAKER’S MARK OF “ORIGINAL EICKHORN, SOLINGEN”, CIRCUMSCRIBING THE FIRM’S CLASSIC LOGO OF A SQUIRREL CLUTCHING A SWORD. THE BLADE SITS FIRMLY WITHIN A NICKEL-SILVER PLATED CROSS GUARD. THE HANDLE GRIP IS COMPOSED OF A SINGLE PIECE OF RIBBED LIGHT BROWN CELLULOID. COMPLETING THE DAGGER IS A ROUNDED NICKEL-SILVER PLATED POMMEL, ALSO DECORATED AROUND THE OUTER CIRCUMFERENCE WITH RAISED OAK LEAVES. THE DAGGER IS ACCOMPANIED BY ITS PERIOD ORIGINAL SCABBARD, CONSTRUCTED OF A PEBBLED MAGNETIC METAL SHAFT. DUAL INTEGRAL BANDS SURROUND THE UPPER THIRD OF THE SHAFT, ARE DECORATED WITH RAISED OAK LEAVES, AND EACH COMPLETE IN A LOOP FOR THE ACCOMMODATION OF A HANGER. THE THROAT IS SECURED TOGETHER WITH A SINGLE SIDE RIVET AND RETAINS A FUNCTIONAL SPRING CATCH, SECURELY HOLDING THE DAGGER IN PLACE DURING STORAGE. IT IS NOTABLY ACCOMPANIED BY A MATCHING HANGER, CONSISTING OF DUAL SILVERED ZINK LOOPS FROM WHICH DESCEND FIELD-GREY VELVET STRAPS, DECORATED ON THE OBVERSE WITH SILVER ALUMINUM WIRE TRESSES. EACH STRAP IS ADJUSTED WITH A FUNCTIONAL SILVERED ZINK BUCKLE AND COMPLETES IN A SPRING CLIP OF IDENTICAL CONSTRUCTION. THE HANGER DISPLAYS AGE-APPROPRIATE OXIDATION AND LOSS OF FINISH TO THE ZINK FIXTURES. THIS HISTORIC AND ATTRIBUTED HEER MEMORIAL DRESS DAGGER IS IN AN OVERALL EXTREMELY FINE CONDITION.