![online Militaria dealer - Antique-Militaria [UK]](/images/antique-militaria.jpg)
Antique Militaria Home
Site map
Historic commentsmilitaria
This field covers uniforms, headdress and badges from the 18th century through to Third Reich items from the 20th century. Much of this material can be seen in context in contemporary prints/drawings and other art work, eg bronzes and photographs. I keep a very sharp eye out for, and a photographic record of, all the particularly convincing Third Reich fakes that come my way. Good reference books include: The Emperor's Coat by Rest, Ortner & Ilming (Verlag Militaria) on Austro-Hungarian militaria, Great War period; Shoulder-belt plates and buttons by Parkyn on British militaria; two volumes by King on British military headdress badges. The National Army Museum (Royal Hospital Road, London SW3) has an excellent bookshop and display covering the British side of this great subject.
|
| |
|
KuK officer's button - Austrian
This little gilt tunic button (2.5cm diameter) is of two-piece construction, with a brass back and gilding metal face. It bears the coat of arms of Leopold II, Emperor of Austria, who reigned 1780-92. Apart from the fighting with the Turks, this button might have seen service in the winter campaign against the French of 1793-94 in the Netherlands.
|
|
Fake tropical SS BeVo cap eagle, 1938 pattern - German/Pakistan?
This is a modern copy of the classic eagle in rayon produced by BeVo of Wuppertal in 'sand' colour for the Mediterranean theatre. It would have been worn on a sand-coloured schiffchen or possibly on the Afrika Korps kepi. Perhaps one of the rarest of the SS cap eagles, for obvious reasons mostly found on sliced up pieces of roll like this.
|
|
Fake tropical SS BeVo sleeve eagle, 1938 pattern - German/Pakistan?
This is a modern copy of the classic eagle in rayon produced by BeVo of Wuppertal in 'sand' colour for the Mediterranean theatre. It would have been worn on a sand-coloured tunic. Perhaps one of the rarest of the SS sleeve eagles, for obvious reasons mostly found on sliced up pieces of roll like this.
|
|
Baden-Powell photographic buttonhole - British
This shows quite a nice head-and-shoulders portrait photo of Baden-Powell wearing the hat popularised later by the Boy Scout movement, which he founded. His original glory came from the defence of Mafeking. There were great celebrations throughout the Empire when Mafeking was relieved and this is an example of what this euphoria produced.
|
|
KuK Central Alliance officer's Carpathian Campaign 'tinnie' - Austrian
This commemorates the winter and spring campaign in the Carpathian mountains in 1915, when Austria battled manfully against Russian assaults, initially with very little German support. Austrian losses by this point reached nearly two million men in dead, wounded and taken prisoner.
|
|
KuK enamel 'tinnie' for Sanatorium Grimmenstein - Austrian
This enamelled officer's badge would have been worn by personnel serving at the Grimmenstein Sanatorium in 1917. It is a magnificent example of what perhaps is the earliest display of Art Deco motif, predating the widespread use of this sort of imagery by some years.
|
|
17th Lancers veteran's buttonhole, unhallmarked silver - British
The 17th Lancers gained eternal fame in the Charge of the Light Brigade, along with other Light Cavalry regiments, but their use of the skull and crossbones as an emblem goes back to the 18th century. According to King & Kipling's Head-Dress Badges of the British Army vol. 2, this exact design was a sealed pattern of 30th July 1927.
|
|
Miniature buttonhole for the Order of Vitez - Hungarian
The Order of Vitez was instituted in 1921 by Admiral Horthy's government (1920-44) for distinguished veterans from WW1. It came with a small grant of land, sufficient to keep body and soul together. The original badge was pin-backed and worn without a ribbon. These miniatures were probably privately made jeweller's pieces.
|
|
KuK veteran's buttonhole - Austrian
This, I am fairly sure, is an Austrian example, though there is an outside chance that it could be generic, produced for both Austrian and German veterans. There is apparently a Hungarian example, very similar to this but with Hungarian wording on the cross and more detail, which makes it more likely that this badge is Austrian.
|
|
KuK enamelled buttonhole, 19th infantry regiment? - Austrian
This may be merely a commemorative buttonhole for the first two years of the war, but the central position of the number 19 on a red ground within a white cross and the colour of the wreath in white metal suggests that this might be Archduke Franz Ferdinand's regiment number 19, a Hungarian regiment based on Gyor.
|
[ << 131-140 >> ]