Description
Product Description: This Luftwaffe Honor Goblet with Award Document is in overall excellent condition. Being produced of Alpaca, a nickel silver, this Luftwaffe Honor Goblet and has taken on a pleasant patina throughout. A few small dings can be seen on the goblet, but these are very minor and do not detract from the appearance of the goblet. The seam of the cup is slightly noticeable, with a faint trace of the solder showing. The base of the cup is engraved with the awardee’s name, Alfred Berger, and the date of the award; 30 April, 1942. The bottom of the cup is maker marked with the manufacture’s name Wagner, as well as Feinsilber, and ALPACA (nickel silver). The base of the cup rests on a flat surface, with a very very slight wiggle. A rare addition to this set is the actual award document, which from the help of a friend, we were able to acquire and reunite with the goblet after many years. The document exhibits the typical light yellow patina throughout, from age. The edges have slight wear, and it has been folded down the middle at one point. The crease of the fold remains strong and is not in danger of separating. The document is also dated 30 April, 1942, and addressed to Oberfeldwebel Alfred Berger. Ofw. Alfred Berger served as an Observer in a JU88 attached to Kampfgeschwader 3. He and his fellow crew were shot down near Bripore, Russia, and wounded during the incident. The pilot of his aircraft was also awarded the Ehrenpokal, and went on to earn the Knight’s Cross. This Luftwaffe Honor Goblet set, complete with the award document, is a set that doesn’t come up often on the market. Don’t miss you chance!
Historical Description: Pilots of the German Luftwaffe, who had distinguished themselves in aerial combat, were recognized with a special, non-portable award. The practice of this began in WWI, with the institution of the “Ehrenbecher für den Sieger im Luftkampfe” (Honor Goblet for the Victor in Air Combat). The cup was originally made of silver, and initially presented to a pilot for his first aerial victory. Although, as the war continued and the skill of the pilots increased, more aerial victories were needed to earn this award. By the end of the war, only the certificates for the goblet were issued. The total number of these goblets awarded during WWI is thought to be around 2,411. The practice of awarding goblets to pilots for aerial victories resumed in February 1940, when Hermann Göring introduced the “Ehrenpokal für besondere Leistung im Luftkrieg” (Honor Goblet for Outstanding Achievement in Air War). Over the course of the war, roughly 58,000 German pilots were entitled to the award. However, only around 13,000-15,000 goblets were actually awarded, due to war shortages and the need to emphasize efforts in war production, rather than awards themselves. In WWII, the goblets were awarded to pilots and air crew who had already earned the Iron Cross 1st Class, but whose achievements had not yet earned them the Knight’s Cross, and later after 1941, the German Cross. This goblet was made in two versions, with the first pieces being made of fine “835” silver. The later examples, beginning around March, 1942, were changed to “Neusilber” (German silver), or “Alpaca”. These awards were prized by the men to whom they were awarded, and they are eagerly sought by collectors today. Each cup bears the name of the recipient, and most can be researched.
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