Auction 85 Part 2 Historical Militaria and Autographs - Day 2
Oct 29, 2020 (your local time)
USA
 98 Bohemia Ave., St. 2, Chesapeake City, MD 21915
Nearly 1,600 lots of historical militaria from all conflicts; historical autographs and ephemera from all fields of collecting.
The auction has ended

LOT 788:

CAPTAIN'S KEY FROM ADOLF HITLER'S 'AVISO GRILLE'

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Sold for: $500
Start price:
$ 200
Estimated price:
$400 - $600
Auction house commission: 30% More details
tags:

CAPTAIN'S KEY FROM ADOLF HITLER'S 'AVISO GRILLE'
A fine relic from Adolf Hitler's yacht, the 'Aviso Grille', a brass key belonging to the vessel's captain, measuring 3 in. long, tied with twine to its original brass lock plate, itself measuring 3.5 x 1.5 in. One side of the key bears the engraved lettering 'Res. Schl. K. 238', while the reverse side is engraved: 'Kommandant Bucherschr.' ('Commander's Bookshelf'). This may relate to a map room, library, or locked set of bookshelves. The items bear two heavily-weathered tags, one split through. These pieces were taken from the 'Aviso Grille' when she was scrapped at in New Jersey in 1951. Sold with a copy of a notarized letter of provenance from the son of the original owner, who notes: '...My father...was a close friend with the owners of the Doan Salvage Yard [where the vessel was sold for scrap in April 1951]. The yard owner personally invited him to the yard and gave him the opportunity to purchase items still aboard the vessel. My father selected a number of important relics and souvenirs, including the items being sold with this letter...These items have remained in the possession of my family since the day my father purchased them from the Aviso Grille...' This copy of the original letter of provenance is again initialed by the consignor at bottom, and is witnessed by our auctioneer. Fine condition. The 'Grille' was a dispatch boat built in Nazi Germany for the Kriegsmarine in the mid-1930s, for use as a state yacht by the dictator Adolf Hitler and other individuals in the Nazi regime. 'Aviso Grille', would entertain the the highest echelons of the Nazi administration and military. Her 30+ staterooms housed guests including Benito Mussolini, Hermann Goring, Joseph Goebbels, Miklos Horthy, Hess, and many others from Germany and the Axis countries. Hitler was the most frequent visitor, showing off his ship and usually spending three or four nights on board. On May 1, 1945, Grand-Admiral Donitz announced the death of Hitler from the foredeck of the vessel.

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