Description
Personalized 2nd Navy Dagger & Medal Grouping Belonging to LT. z.. S. Karl-Robert Belz. This rare, personalized Navy dagger and medal grouping was originally obtained from the family of Leutnant zur See Karl-Robert Belz complete with his personalized 2nd Model “Funeral” dagger. Ranklist entries included with the grouping confirm Herr Belz entered the Navy on “1.12.39.” and is listed as a Fähnrich zur See in the 1940 edition of the Rangliste der Deutschen Kriegsmarine. Additional entries in the 1941 and 1942 editions of the Navy ranklist show Herr Belz as a Leutnant zur See with a date of rank of “1.4.41”. Information from the family indicates Herr Belz was killed in action in February 1943 while serving aboard a U-boat. Items included in the grouping include:
Personalized 2nd Model Navy Dagger w/Hammered Scabbard. E. & F. Hörster TM. Gilted brass hilt fittings show light surface wear/age patina with traces of gilting remaining in recesses of the eagle/swastika pommel and crossguard with fouled anchor motif. Off-white celluloid grip shows light surface wear/age but no cracks or chips. Grip is complete with twisted brass wire wrap. Double-etched fouled anchor motif blade grades excellent, showing uniform graying and minor shallow surface pitting on lower obverse (probably the result of salt air). Blade is complete with red felt blade buffer pad. Dent-free gilted brass hammered scabbard shows light surface wear to the highlights, with portions of the fire gilting remaining in the recesses of the hammered pattern. Scabbard features “figure-of-8” rope bands and rope pattern eyelets. Reverse center of scabbard, between the scabbard bands, is jeweler-engraved in shaded letters with the initials of Herr Belz, “K.B.”. Exc/Exc+
Cased Personalized 2nd Model Navy “Funeral” Dagger. No maker. Gilted brass hilt fittings show only minor surface wear to highlights with much gilting remaining on pommel and crossguard. Black celluloid “Funeral” grip shows only light surface wear with no cracks or chips, and is complete with tight twisted brass wire wrap. Plain plated double-fullered blade grades excellent+/excellent++, showing minor surface wear with some faint speckling primarily to reverse ricasso. Obverse blade is jeweler-engraved, “Lt. z. S. K.-R. Belz (Runic symbol for death) Febr. 1943”. Blade is complete with red felt blade buffer pad. Gilted brass lightning bolt pattern scabbard shows light surface wear with much gilting remaining and one faint depression to lower obverse. Scabbard is complete with “figure-of-8” suspension bands and rope pattern eyelets. Upper obverse scabbard is personalized with the jeweler-engraved inscription, “K.-R. Belz” in script letters. Dagger is complete with black leatherette presentation case with unmarked exterior lid featuring gilt impressed border. Interior lid of case is lined in royal blue padded silk with lower portion of case covered in royal blue velvet and fitted to display the dagger outside of the scabbard. Attached to the lower portion of the case are blue enamel/gilt initials, “K.B.”. Interior edges of case are covered in white leatherette with lower edge stamped in gold, “Rd No 440297” (the manufacturer number of the case maker). Exc+
Cased Medal Grouping Awarded to Karl-Robert Belz.
Medals listed below are stored/displayed in a black leatherette case with impressed gilt border on unmarked exterior lid. Interior lid is lined in padded white silk with lower fitted section covered in black velvet. Case shows only minor surface wear to leatherette with no rips or tears. Exc++ Medals included in the grouping are:
Kriegsmarine Uniform Breast Eagle. Gilted stamped brass eagle shows only light age with 100% of the frosted gilt finish remaining on eagle’s feathers, wings, and background of swastika. Eagle is complete with hinged horizontal pin attaching device. Near MINT
Personalized 1939 Iron Cross 1st Class. Standard issue pattern Cross shows light age patina to silver frame with virtually no wear to the enamel on the Iron center. Cross features a “coke bottle” shaped pin maker marked, “50” (Karl Gschiermeister, Wien). Reverse Cross is personalized with the jeweler-engraved inscription, “Leutnant zur See Karl-Robert Belz”. Exc++/Near MINT
1939 Iron Cross 2nd Class w/Ribbon. Standard cross shows age patina to silver frame, perfect black enamel on both obverse and reverse, and is complete with MINT ribbon. Near MINT/MINT, Unissued.
1939 Black Wound Badge. Hollow-backed badge retains 100% of black enamel, with no wear to the enamel on the needle-style pin. Reverse badge is maker marked, “L/56″ (Funcke & Brüinghaus, Lüdenscheid”. Near MINT/MINT
Personalized Submarine War Badge. Heavy quality gold-plated badge shows light surface wear to highlights, retaining 100% of the factory frosted gilting in the recesses of the oak leaf wreath and eagle/swastika. Reverse badge shows light surface wear to gilting and is personalized with the jeweler-engraved inscription, “Lt. z. S. K.-R. Belz”. Badge is complete with flat attaching pin and is maker marked, “Schwerin Berlin 68”. Exc++/Near MINT
M-1937 DRL Sports Badge in Bronze. Badge shows minor surface wear to the highlights of the oak leaf wreath with swastika over a bow at the bottom surrounded by intertwined initials, “DRL”. Reverse of badge retains much of the original dark factory finish and is maker marked, “Wernstein Jena” and “DRGM, 35269”. Badge is complete with proper barrel-hinged flat pin. Exc+/Exc++
Unique 2nd Model Navy dagger/cased medal grouping, complete with ultra-rare cased 2nd Model Navy “Funeral” Dagger. (24930) $9,950.