Persian 4" Mauser Luger

[alanint]

While down in Argentina some years ago I saw several, different WW2 era German presentation pistols. I wrote down the names engraved on each pistol and they all turned out to be bona fide Nazi personalities. Not all engraved presentation guns are post war.

[Maestro]

Originally Posted by alanint

While down in Argentina some years ago I saw several, different WW2 era German presentation pistols. I wrote down the names engraved on each pistol and they all turned out to be bona fide Nazi personalities. Not all engraved presentation guns are post war.

i'm going off topic as far as the Persian contract Lugers, etc.. however, worthy of mentioning since it was brought up.. here's a remarkable example that fetched $74,750 in December 2010. I love the fact that even the screws are engraved! such attention to detail

"One Of A Kind" 1939 WWII German Mauser factory engraved and gold plated Luger pistol. This Luger pistol was owned and presented by two prominent Nazi party members with long time association or affiliations to Adolf Hitler and his rise to power in the early 1930s. Joachim von Ribbentrop was the son of a German Army officer who was born in Wesel Germany in 1893. He served in WWI with the 125th Hussar Regiment where he won the Iron Cross. After being seriously wounded in 1917, Ribbentrop joined the Germany War ministry and became a member of the German Delegation that attended the Paris Peace Conference after WWI. In May 1932 he joined the NSDAP, National Socialist German Workers Party, where he quickly rose in rank and eventually became Hitler's foreign affairs advisor in 1933. Later the NSDAP would evolve into the standard "Nazi Party". He was eventually appointed as the Ambassador to London. He was instrumental in the various pre-war negotiations with France and Great Britain and was also instrumental in the negotiations and signing of the Nazi-Soviet pack in 1939. In June 1945 he was arrested and charged with war crimes but denied any knowledge or involvement in the German Concentration camps and racial extermination policies. He was later tried at Nuremburg at the Nazi War Trials, found guilty and was executed in October 1946. Franz von Papen was born in Werl Germany in 1879, the son of a wealthy landowner. In 1914 he was posted to Washington as a military attaché, however in 1915 he was accused of being a saboteur and was forced to leave the US. He joined the German Army and served as a general staff officer at the outbreak of WWI. After WWI he joined the Catholic Centre Party (BVP) and in 1921 was elected to the Reistag. Two years later he purchased a controlling interest in the leading newspaper "Germania" he attempted to use the paper as means to promote his right-wing policies and was later ousted. He remained a low level political figure until May 1932 when he was appointed as the Chancellor by Hindenburg. Later he lifted the ban on the Sturm Abteilung (SA) and gained considerable support from the Nazi party. Later von Papen persuaded Hindenburg to appoint Hitler as the new Chancellor, and then became the Vice-Chancellor. Later after supporting Hitler after the "Night of The Long Knives" he was appointed as ambassador to Austria in 1934-1939 with an additional posting to Turkey in 1939-1944. In 1945 he was charged with conspiring to start WWII but was found not guilty. In 1947 the German Government charged him with crimes and offences while Hitler was in power and was sentenced to eight years in prison. He served only two and was released in 1949. He died in 1969 in Obersasbach. This pistol was procured for the German Ministry as a standard Commercial Police model, that has the sear safety over the side plate, along with the "Eagle C" police proof on the right side of the barrel extension and the standard "Crown over U" proof on the left side of the barrel extension. The chamber area is stamped 1939 for the year of manufacture with the standard Mauser Banner logo on the front toggle. The entire pistol has been just meticulously engraved with a traditional German Oak Leaf, Acorn and scroll engraving with a punch dot back ground for shading, that covers 99% of the exposed surfaces of the pistol. The only noted area that is NOT engraved is the very upper portion of the rear grip strap. The engraving on this pistol was obviously performed by a Master Engraver as the overall layout and attention to detail it just fantastic and meticulous. The side plate also has a small coat of arms of the Von Papen family. The dark walnut grips have also been hand carved in a large Oak Leaf and Acorn pattern and the left grip carries a small 1 1/2 X 2 1/2 inscription plate that reads; "Seiner Exzellenz/Herrn Botshafter Franz von Papen/in tiefster Verehrung/uberreicht von Joachim von Ribbentrop/Aussenminister des Deutchen Reiches", translated reads, "His Excellency/the Honorable Ambassador Franz von Papen/in deepest dedication/given by Joachim von Ribbentrop/Foreign Minister of the German Reich". This Luger is accompanied by a copy of short letter dated 1986 from Dr. Rolf Gminder a consultant to the Mauser-Werkes factory who had viewed the pistol noting that it was fully engraved in a very high quality style probably executed in Suhl Thuringia and that the gun itself has been gold-plated in the old fashion done around the 1939/1940 in the heat process (Feuervergoldung). This Luger is accompanied by an original Mauser factory leatherette case with green felt interior, that has individual compartments that holds two gold plated magazines the gold plated and carved handle cleaning rod, the gold plate take down tool and a gold plated punch.

[Maestro]

and for the Krieghoff collectors, one of my favorites

This exact Luger is photographed on pages 208, 209 and 211 of the "Krieghoff Parabellum" by Randall Gibson. This pistol as noted in the referenced book, is theorized to be "One of Three" factory presentations Luger that were lavishly engraved, fitted with a set of carved ivory presentation grips and fitted into a special walnut display case. The two other Lugers that were considered as part of this original grouping were found at the Krieghoff factory in Suhl after the war while the third example went missing for years. It is assumed that all three were intended as special Presentation pistols for high ranking German/Nazi officials or specifically for Herman Goering himself, as Goering had close ties to the Krieghoff factory. A copy of a letter dated March 29, 1979 from a former owner of the gun sent to an individual in Midland , Texas, briefly describes the gun and states on page two that "This Luger was purchased from the estate of a close personal friend of General Eisenhower, who obtained it as a gift from the General. At the time it was represented as being one of several owned by Goering. I might further add that the gift was made while General Eisenhower was still in Europe." All three of these pistols have similar embellishments and engraving with slightly different markings and factory finishes. It appears that the other two were also early "P-Code" series 1 Lugers, same as this one, except those had a side frame inscription while this one does not. This pistol is lavishly engraved on over 90% of the entire pistol with a fantastic example of the traditional deep relief, German Oak Leaf and Acorn pattern, with a punch dot back ground with a delicate geometric engraved pattern for the border. The only section of the Luger not engraved is the short center or middle section of the barrel. The layout and level of detail is just phenomenal, superbly executed with minute detail with no over runs or mistakes anywhere, typical German fashion. The actual engraving covers the front and rear grip straps, the sides of the frame, the top of the breech block and toggle assembly, front and rear section of the barrel and the top and sides of the barrel extension. As noted the pistol has been fitted with a set of rear ivory grip panels that have a matching Germanic Oak Leaf and Acorn pattern carved into the grips themselves, which have then been filled with a black enamel in the background to accentuate the detail of the carving. Obviously the final finish is an original gold plated wash that covers the entire pistol. Due to the extensive amount of engraving and embellishment, the only markings on the pistol are the full serial number on the front of the frame, the late "P" type Krieghoff Markings on top of the front toggle assembly with the extractor and safety marked "GELADEN and GESICHERT" respectively. The only proof marks on the pistol are a single "crown N" proof on the underside of the barrel and left side of the extension with a single Eagle 2 Luftwaffe proof on the side of the breech block and the backside of the side plate hump. The pistol is complete with two Gold plated magazines, both unmarked and un-proofed aluminum based magazines, a gold plated takedown tool and the actual walnut display case that the pistol is housed in.