Description
Product Description: This beautiful 25″ German Train Eagle is an extremely impressive and desirable display object. The front side of this textbook original is gorgeous, with minimal wear and patina, and wonderful visual appeal. The crisp original detail is intact. The reverse of the eagle shows a light, uncleaned patina, and is complete with 3 original and uncommonly encountered studs. These studs used a spacer cap and retainer screw to secure the eagle, and were not threaded like those seen on most other rail eagles, which utilized large male threads and fastening nuts. The left stud has a series of small dents that likely resulted from the process of removing this from the train car to which it was affixed in the time period. There is a veteran applied, stranded steel wire affixed to all three studs to hang the eagle on a wall. This wire has been there for a very long time and we have opted to leave it intact. This hard to find eagle has typical markings, with the material composition mark “Al-Mg-Si.” It is also maker marked with a more uncommon maker “B” as well as “RZA 10, BLN.” These sought-after train eagles continue to become harder to find. The overall condition of this 25″ German Train Eagle is excellent.
Historical Description: During the Third Reich, all rail transport was nationalized and organized under the German Reichsbahn. Reichsbahn rail cars were state property and included everything from the locomotives used for transporting freight, to passenger cars, street cars and trolleys. In the Nazi era, and during WWII, the Reichsbahn adorned their locomotives and passenger rail cars with large metal decorative German eagle and swastika national emblems. These were made in various sizes and had a variety of finishes to suit different purposes and vehicle types. Generally, these eagles were manufactured from aluminum or zinc alloy, with integral threaded studs on the reverse that were used to affix these to the fronts of rail cars. These eagles had a striking and imposing appearance and were an iconic part of Nazi regalia. After the war, Allied denazification policies required these to be removed. Many were destroyed, though these were eagerly sought after by Allied troops hunting for souvenirs. They are extremely collectible and desirable artifacts today.
With nearly 30 years of expertise handling, collecting, and studying some of the finest and scarcest military collectibles, Empires Past offers the best prices for your collectibles.
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