Fleur de Lys marked lugers

George Anderson · 03-14-2011, 03:34 PM

This is a very interesting set. If I collected commercial or contract Lugers I would not go near this pair. As Doug(alanint) pointed out, the case label is of amateurish and obvious recent manufacture. It would also pay to examine the interior of the case versus the interior closing edges of the lid; the interior is new, fresh and clean as a baby's ass. The leatherette edges of the lid show considerable age and wear from use. I would be willing to bet that the case started out life as a flat ware case or perhaps a wind instrument case, perhaps a flute.

Years ago Doug Smith and I were at the same gun show. While trolling the aisles I saw a beautifull cased 1900 or 1906 Parabellum. The pistol was marked "Holland & Holland - London" as was the perfectly fitted case. I asked Doug to take a look at it; I had no doubt that the pistol was boosted but felt that the case was 100% correct. Doug laughed at me about the gun but could not explain the beautiful case.

I have been a life-long bird hunter and was given my first side-by-side, a cased Cogswell & Harrison, for my twelfth birthday by my grandfather...I know cased English guns and the Holland & Holland pistol case was 100% original in my mind. The case, gently aged exterior leather, oak structure and original interior label just continued to nag at me.

A few days after I got back home from the show I was leafing through my latest copy of "Double Gun Journal" on one of the last pages was a full page add by a high end dealer for a great set of Holland & Holland double guns in original case and including a Holland & Holland shotgun shell case. That case, approximately 9"X9" was exactly what was used as the donor box for the bogus H&H Luger. A very skilled craftsmen had simply gutted and replaced the interior and used good aged green felt to finish it. Such felt can be easily obtained from any gaming casino in Nevada.

Donor material is crtitical to professional counterfeiting. The guy who modified the case for the set of pistols above needs to work on technique.

03-14-2011, 03:34 PM	#19
George Anderson Lifer Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: VA Posts: 3,592 Thanks: 1,773 Thanked 2,531 Times in 788 Posts	This is a very interesting set. If I collected commercial or contract Lugers I would not go near this pair. As Doug(alanint) pointed out, the case label is of amateurish and obvious recent manufacture. It would also pay to examine the interior of the case versus the interior closing edges of the lid; the interior is new, fresh and clean as a baby's ass. The leatherette edges of the lid show considerable age and wear from use. I would be willing to bet that the case started out life as a flat ware case or perhaps a wind instrument case, perhaps a flute. Years ago Doug Smith and I were at the same gun show. While trolling the aisles I saw a beautifull cased 1900 or 1906 Parabellum. The pistol was marked "Holland & Holland - London" as was the perfectly fitted case. I asked Doug to take a look at it; I had no doubt that the pistol was boosted but felt that the case was 100% correct. Doug laughed at me about the gun but could not explain the beautiful case. I have been a life-long bird hunter and was given my first side-by-side, a cased Cogswell & Harrison, for my twelfth birthday by my grandfather...I know cased English guns and the Holland & Holland pistol case was 100% original in my mind. The case, gently aged exterior leather, oak structure and original interior label just continued to nag at me. A few days after I got back home from the show I was leafing through my latest copy of "Double Gun Journal" on one of the last pages was a full page add by a high end dealer for a great set of Holland & Holland double guns in original case and including a Holland & Holland shotgun shell case. That case, approximately 9"X9" was exactly what was used as the donor box for the bogus H&H Luger. A very skilled craftsmen had simply gutted and replaced the interior and used good aged green felt to finish it. Such felt can be easily obtained from any gaming casino in Nevada. Donor material is crtitical to professional counterfeiting. The guy who modified the case for the set of pistols above needs to work on technique.