Hauptmann

Hi Paul, Many thanks! Silly me... just been getting bits and pieces through the years... never thought of it as much more than that. I guess because I concentrated so much on my TR and then on my Soviet. I've studied a bit of the CW collectibles but never became an expert per se. I can't tell one miniball from another as far as their names and history. But I do have a reference showing same. I suppose one of these days I need to go through and match them up and name them, etc. And yes, the Enfield I've always thought rather highly of. When I picked it out the snakes on the stock, etc. really appealed to both Kim and myself. Alot of history there. I looked through several that Cohen's had and this was the pick of the crop at that time. It's so funny... I went back just before we moved... and well before all the flooding and such down there. We stopped in a Cohen's and oh my Lord how the prices had gone up! I'd figured they'd have gone up some... but at the level they were at... even if I'd had the wherewithall I once had I would not have spent that kind of money for what was on offer. I think they had one revolver that I definitely would have described as "relic" condition... and it was nearly $400! And missing parts and all. And not a particularly rare piece either. But then again shops in that area have for a long time catered to the tourists who supposedly all have money trees and unending supplies and can afford to pay such prices. But I will say, if you or any of the other members are ever in New Orleans (or N'awlins as we Southerners say!) you should definitely stop in and check it out. Well worth a bit of drool time if you like firearms and blades although they do have a few other odds and ends. And alot of cased pistols... more than I've ever seen outside of references and museums. Also, in the same area of the French Quarter is a little shop called the Petit Solder Shop who also carry some militaria. A friend of Jack Angolia runs it... in fact he recommended I go there on our return trip around the country that first time through. Well worth the visit and the owner is very nice and very helpful. Dan

Hi Pat, Many thanks! The first of the group shots was what I had up until a few years before we moved from North Florida. Only kept the HJ and the Orts. The second two... these were actually a set of photos from a box. It's the one I mentioned in my post on my cased WWII IC 1st. There's another photo that I haven't posted that had the 50 year Faithful Service medal. Sadly it's so small in the pic you can't see any detail. But the guy who had the box had all that stuff and more in it. He didn't want folks rummaging through it so he did the pics to show what was in there. Had a couple of fellow collectors with me, one of which was the one who knew a ton compared to me... the one who ended up with the 50 when all was said and done. So right off the bat we split up the box and I got nearly all of my investment back. Then over time much of the rest of it was sold or traded. I do wish I'd kept the black and white pennent with the eagle. I really liked that one alot and should never have let it go. No idea what it was for but I suspect something to do with the Polizei... perhaps Weimar. Knowing my luck something really rare and worth a ton now. On the white on the Orts... when you see it in person it's just a "tiny" bit into off white with age. You have to remember that everyones color and monitor settings are set just a bit different. What one person sees is not what another does. Plus, the scanner or camera affects things as well. I also did a bit of color correction before posting it. When it first scanned the deeper red was showing as rather washed out. I compared the band with the pic in front of me and adjusted it as best I could to get it right. But when I do this it's basically fooling with the white and black spectrums leaving the middle ground alone. And it ended up making the whites just a bit whiter than they are. But it has aged exceptionally well. I can't remember how the shop owner had it but believe it was in a riker or something to keep it protected. I have it framed but in a stack of framed stuff and rikers and out of the light. I only take it out when I want to show it to someone. So that helps to keep the colors looking nice, etc. I just can't say enough about it. I've handled quite a lot of them, both in what I had and in others I've seen and handled. The contruction on this is... well, fit for a political leader in such an organization who would have wanted the best if he could afford it. And luckily it was well stored and cared for to make it this far looking as nice as I think it does. I wish they all could look like this. Hopefully on some not too distant day you'll be able to visit and see it in person. I think you'll like it even more. Dan

Hi Laurence, Many thanks for nailing it down. My poor befuddled brain got it wrong. I knew I should have looked it back up in my refs but thought I'd remembered correctly. Bad brain! Bad!!!! Really appreciate the info. Thanks, Dan

Hi Pat, Well, here's the scoop. My father got the birthday card with some other pieces and gave it all to me years later. The stationary and envelope came from a guy I used to deal with in the Tampa Bay area. Have had them all forever and a day. All from several lifetimes ago. Thanks, Dan

Hi Jim, Many thanks for your kind words. And I totally agree... it always gives me an awful pain to see folks selling stuff on Ebay that belonged to their dad or uncle or grandpa, etc. I actually wrote one guy once who was selling off his grandpa's or dad's (can't remember which) WWII stuff... including a set of binoculars he'd used in the war. I tried to talk him out of selling explaining that this stuff was more important in his family than to just get a few bucks for it that he'd probably end up blowing eating out or something. He agreed but went ahead and sold it anyhow. Go figure! I've managed to keep alot of our family history together but so much was lost that was beyond my control. It's irreplaceable. And with this sword I was so proud to carry it. Only one other member of our unit was given the same privilege. He carried his father's USMC NCO sword as he'd been a top Sergeant who died in the service when his son was still fairly young. I can certainly understand Japanese officers and even some NCO's who carried family blades during the wars. There's just a continuation that's hard to beat. Again thanks so much for your compliments on our humble collection. I say our as I really put it together for my wife. There are other pieces such as souvenir type items, reproduction black powder pistols, etc. I wish I had more original pieces but hope to keep adding to things over time. I do have a pocket watch but haven't had time to scan it and add it here yet. I bought it having been told by the seller that it dated to the turn of the century. I later dated it and found out it was made during the Civil War. And although not militaria it certainly was a piece that may have been carried by an offier or soldier during the war. Thanks again, Dan

Hi Dan, I take it you mean the second one? Jeez... I always thought it was just another WWI... perhaps an NCO's or something. Had no idea it was anything special. Thanks so much for passing that along. You made my night! Dan

Hi Gents, All I can say is... WOW!!!! Those displays are fantastic! Thanks soooo much for sharing them. When I started I think my first actual Soviet piece was my Moisen Nagant revolver and that was before the wall fell. Then the pictured medal and doc and a few of the little tinny type pins. I managed to find the bookmarks with the Soviet stamps at a large discount book store over in Panama City. I was always finding Soviet coins and currency at my local coin dealers junk box. After a few years I managed to do those big trade deals and got nearly all the basic and mid range medals and Orders in basically one fell swoop. Since then I've just been adding... and adding. Never seems to end. One of these days I've "got" to do a group shot like that... perhaps with my DDR and Bulgarian added in as well. That should just about cover my living room floor! But such a large display is soooo impressive to me and I'm sure alot of the membership would be in full agreement. Just fabulous! Dan

[attachmentid=50912] Well, hope ya'll enjoyed the show. Dan

[attachmentid=50911]

And here it is in all it's glory with a couple of friends. The sword was carried by a member of our family and my father had it restored in 1979 and I received special permission to use it as a Lieutenant in my NJROTC unit whenever swords were called for during a given ceremony. [attachmentid=50910]

[attachmentid=50905] Original British markings from the stock. It's my understanding this was original issued during the time of the Indian mutiny and was then purchased by the Confederacy for their use during the Civil War. [attachmentid=50906] And this one which appears to be 1914. Perhaps a unit or stocking number? I can't believe they had these ready as a reserve for WWI. [attachmentid=50907]

Closeups of our Confederate Enfield. I purchased this for Kim at J.M. Cohen & Sons in New Orleans over twenty years ago... I believe I paid just under $300 for it at the time and it was the pick of their Enfields they had in stock. [attachmentid=50899] Closeups of the date: [attachmentid=50901]

[attachmentid=50893] And the makers marks from the central medal: [attachmentid=50894] [attachmentid=50895]

Some GAR (Grand Army of the Republic) medals and insignia: [attachmentid=50892]

Not sure of the exact period of this piece but I've seen many of these small pocket pistols from the Civil War and post Civil War period. It's only marking is the name Reliance on the top of the barrel. It's still in perfect operating condition: [attachmentid=50890] [attachmentid=50891]

[attachmentid=50888] And the makers mark: [attachmentid=50889] Eastmann and Sons Philladelphia

This is a cutdown NCO sword which I can only assume had been damaged so was remade into a dagger. I got this one at a small antique/junk shop that was about a half mile from our home in Dunedin Florida. I believe I paid $14 for it at the time which again was well over twenty years ago. [attachmentid=50887]

And some miscellaneous miniballs that hit their targets and were flattened or otherwise mutilated: [attachmentid=50886]

Here's some mini balls and bullets... first off, a grouping my father found at Gettysburg when he was a boy: [attachmentid=50884] A grouping I purchased there over twenty years ago: [attachmentid=50885] Some dug (by others) at various sites along with some buttons. The larger button (only the back) is Confederate and marked as having been made by a company in Richmond Virginia. [attachmentid=50883] The bullet on the bottom is a pain bullet showing teeth marks of a wounded soldier who chewed it to help ease the pain during surgery.

Here's what I'm guessing was a cap insignia showing the unit to which the individual belonged: [attachmentid=50877] [attachmentid=50878] These are Civil War Tokens minted and used by shopkeepers to make up for the absense of small change during the war as folks tended to hoard hard money during the conflict: [attachmentid=50879] [attachmentid=50880] The one on the left is unusual in that the reverse is rotated out of alignment from the obverse of the coin. This is a set of pocket knives dug from an encampment (again not by me): [attachmentid=50881] And a round of shot I purchased in Gettysburg many moons ago: [attachmentid=50882]

These on the other hand I did find... on our old property near Bristol Florida and not far at all from Torreya State Park... about five minutes or so as the crow flies. I believe the first three items may have been from a cartridge box/pouch: [attachmentid=50864] [attachmentid=50865] This next item is a heel plate from a Cavalryman's boot: [attachmentid=50866] [attachmentid=50867] These were all found just outside our house. At the Torreya site there are six gun emplacements which were used for cannons covering the Appalachicola River in case the Yanks decided to come inland from the blockade fleet. The C.S.S. Chattahoochee was a major presence on the river in helping to keep the Yankees out. But in 1863 she blew her boilers off Bristol and sank. She was raised and towed to Columbus Georgia, site of the iron works which are still there... however now being used as a civic and convention center. She was repaired just in time to be burned and sunk at the end of the war. The Confederate Naval Museum is nearby and has information and relics from her and several other wrecks discovered in the area as well as the raised remains of one of the Confederate ironclads as well as the Chattahoochee. [attachmentid=50876] Here's links to a couple of sites on her history: http://www.hnsa.org/ships/chatta.htm http://home.ozconnect.net/tfoen/tragic.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CSS_Chattahoochee There were other Confederate units, both Infantry and Cavalry in our area and there are even legends of a payroll as well as much buried wealth from when there was a threatened Yankee invasion of the coastal areas and folks moved into our area to escape such a threat.

Hi all, Here's a few odds and ends I've collected over the years for both myself and Kim as we're both very interested in the American Civil War... or as we Southerners prefer to call it: "The War Between The States" or "The Late, Great Unpleasantness". First off, a cartridge pouch insignia: [attachmentid=50859] [attachmentid=50860] This was dug (not by me) and is in very good condition. A hammer, most likely from a Springfield rifle... also dug (again not by me): [attachmentid=50862] [attachmentid=50863]

Here's another view of the buttons showing the material and thread that is still attached: [attachmentid=50856] And here's a wheat cent found there on that same day: [attachmentid=50857] [attachmentid=50858] I was a late comer to this site. Many detectorists had gone before me and made alot more impressive discoveries... training grenades, canteens, helmets, bayonets, etc. You name it they probably found it. But it amazes me to this day that one could still find cloth and thread intact after sitting out in the weather for all those years. And also that you could still find things on the islands from the invasion practice after Lord only knows how many major storms, hurricanes, tourists, etc. had been through the area. If you're ever in North Florida near Tallahassee I urge you to try and visit this site. Also, over near Hosford which is near Quincy and Tallahassee is the site of a POW camp. Men of the Afrika Korps were held there and worked the local farms. There's nothing left from what I understand but once in a while a relic of those men pops up in the farm fields... a belt buckle or button, etc. Sadly I never was able to visit that site... I wish I had but perhaps I'll have another chance when we go back to visit with friends from time to time. Here's some sites on the Camp: http://www.campgordonjohnston.com/ http://www.kilroywashere.org/004-Pages/Gor...D-GJohnson.html I hope you've enjoyed my little journey through time. Dan

Hi all, Here's a few things I found back in 1995 with my detector. They're from Camp Gordon Johnson which was set up and used to train U.S. troops for amphibious landings. [attachmentid=50854] It was on May 21st 1995 that I detected part of the main Camp. There are still roads, the remains of concrete buildings and other structures, albeit overgrown in varying degrees. It was a chilly day and the wind was blowing. I was alone listening to my detectors signals in the headphones. As I started to find things I could almost see men in olive drab running, jumping... shooting at the range. The sounds of rifle and machine gun fire. Small squads of men taking breaks to eat and rest. I found one such spot where I found all of the buttons pictured. I also found the remains of their meal wrappers, cans, etc. where they'd been buried all those many years before. It was eerie and the closest thing I can think of to traveling in time. [attachmentid=50852] It's down not too far from Tallahassee, the Florida state capitol. A large part of the old Camp was long ago converted to homes, etc. and it's been very popular for retirees and is known as Lanark Retirement Village. Here's a shot of the converted officers quarters: [attachmentid=50853] The Camp was originally named Camp Carrabelle after the community it took over. Then it was renamed Camp Gordon Johnson after A Cavalry Colonel by the same name who was awarded the Medal of Honor in WWI. He was the son of Confederate General Robert Daniel Johnston. http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/gjohnstn.htm It was in use from 1941 to 1946 and covered 165,000 acres in North Florida and also encompassed St. George and Dog Islands which were uninhabited at the time. They were used as the sites for invasion training/beach landings. We once stayed on St. George Island for a family reunion. I walked the dunes and beaches with my detector and found one of the bullet shells in my collection. At the main camp I found the rest of the artifacts including buttons with canvas material and thread still attached! Most of these items were on or just below the surface and as you can tell by the buttons in excellent condition even after all these years. [attachmentid=50855]

Hi all, Seems we have a new section... hope these are appropriate here. First off is a birthday card which was sent out by Hitler's staff thanking folks who sent him greetings, presents, etc., on his birthday: [attachmentid=50844] A piece of stationary... like a note card I believe: [attachmentid=50845] Closeup of the eagle: [attachmentid=50846] An envelope: [attachmentid=50847] Closeup of the address: [attachmentid=50848] A view of what the interior looks like where it was originally opened: [attachmentid=50850] And a note that I can only assume was from the GI who originally took this as a souvenir... or traded for it at some point. Seems it was filled with various ribbons: [attachmentid=50851] One can only imagine how many such things were brought back by all those GI's and various allied troops at the end of the war. Dan