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December 21, 2020 - Droog Magazine periodical for investigative journalism

The Hitler Forgery Industry

to Hitler Forgery Industry main page - to Droog Magazine

2006  | Auctions |  Certificates of Authenticity


The strange business of selling fakes, forgeries and other concoctions attributed to Adolf Hitler (1889-1945) and other Nazi criminals.

Content

"Hitler's rifle" sold for 140,025 dollar (USA,February 2006)
"Huy Hitlers" auctioned by Jefferys
(UK,February 2006)
Fake Hitler surfaces at Germania (USA, May 2006)



"Hitler's rifle" sold for 140,025 dollar (February 2006)


Bloomington (USA) – In the United States, a rare German rifle that might once have belonged to Adolf Hitler was auctioned for $ 140,025 (EUR 116,960). 60 bids were submitted for the Krieghoff Drilling, and the website set up for the auction was visited 13,400 times. If the rifle, engraved with the initials A.H., really once belonged to Hitler has not been established with absolute certainty.

Mögliches Gewehr Hitlers. Walliser Bote, Brig (Schweiz), 11-02-2006.
https://www.e-newspaperarchives.ch/?a=d&d=WAB20060211-01.2.10

This rifle surfaced again 2015, when it was auctioned by the US auctioneer Wagman. War History Online:


"Researchers have investigated the authenticity of the shotgun and believe it to be traceable back to Adolf Hitler. They believe it was given to Hitler as a gift by the gun-maker itself, Kreighoff, prior to the war. The shotgun has the initials A.H. engraved on its side. After the Nazis surrendered, the gun was taken from Hitler’s Bavarian retreat, known as the Berghof, by Allied troops. Eventually after changing hands several times, it turned up in a veteran’s belongings after he had died.

The auctioneers hope the sale of the gun will do some good. They acknowledge that its sale is controversial, however, they hope that whatever money it raises, the seller will be able to donate some money to a good cause.The auctioneer, Wagman, is a US Army veteran and says he would like to donate some of the proceeds to the Disabled American Veterans. It is hoped that the gun will be sold to someone who is interested in the history of the artefact and will go into a private collection.”

Craig Bowman. Krieghoff Drilling shotgun owned by Hitler up for auction. War History Online, 10-01-2015.
https://web.archive.org/web/20201116110835/https://www.warhistoryonline.
com/war-articles/krieghoff-drilling-shotgun-owned-adolf-hitler-auction.html


There are many critical remarks to make about this story. Even if the researchers (who were they?) were correct about the provenance, this particular hunting rifle was in all likelihood never used by Hitler, as he was vehemently opposed to hunting. Having humans killed didn't bother him, but hunting? No, sir.

The story on the donation has been told many times before by American auctioneers who traded in Nazi related objects. If they ever actually donated anything remains the question.

According to the American Shooting Journal in 2019 the rifle might be authentic, but there's no evidence that it was ever used by Hitler. Yet the article was written by a team of an auction house -which makes the article itself suspect.

Is it really Hitler's shotgun.
American Shooting Journal, 20-11-2019.

https://americanshootingjournal.com/nazi-booty-is-this-hitlers-shotgun/

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"Huy Hitlers" auctioned by Jefferys (UK)

In September 2006 Jefferys (Lostwithiel, Cornwall) auctioned twenty-one watercolors and drawings allegedly made by Adolf Hitler. The auctioneers stated that the works were “probably made by Hitler”and that in their opinion the signatures were authentic.
The works sold for £118,000 (€176,000). 

Needles to say: all works were obvious fakes.

See: The Huy Hitlers.

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Fake Hitler surfaces at Germania International (US)

A watercolor titled "Wien Stephansdom" (Stephen's Church, Vienna) allegedly painted by Adolf Hitler in 1910-1912, is offered on the site of Germania International, an US based Militaria dealer.






It's a clear fake: the figures on it are too well painted to be made by Hitler and the Hitler signature on it is an obvious (and very bad) forgery. The work is accompanied by an Certificate of Authenticity issued by the notorious Austrian swindler Peter Jahn, on February 26, 1972, in English.


It is listed in Price as number 211.






It is sold later in 2006 for an unknown amount to an unknown collector.

The work resurfaced in 2017 at "Militaria Tedesca", run by the Italian Militaria dealer Antonia Scapini. According to Mr. Scapini "it belonged to an Italian collector who lives out of Italy. He got it from the USA in 2012." The work was sold in 2018 for an unknown amount to an Italian collector.


Sources


Germania International, Lakemont (GA, USA), 05-05-2006
https://web.archive.org/web/20060505150013/http://www.germania
international.com/hitler14.html

Antonio Scapini. Militaria Tedesca, Verona (Italy), 20-12-2020
https://web.archive.org/web/20201220121828/http://www.militaria
tedesca.it/en/miscellanea/1258-adolf-hitler-watercolor-painting-acquerello-adolf-hitler-sold.html

Militaria Tedesca, Verona, [seen 20-12-2020].
http://www.militariatedesca.it/

Antonio Scapini, Verona, [seen 20-12-2020]

http://www.antonioscapini.it/
 
Antonio Scapini, e-mail to Bart FM Droog, 21-12-2020.


© Compilation Bart FM Droog, 2020.