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Hungary
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Imperial Hungarian Sword (Prince Esterhazy) (Item HUNG 1-1) |
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| DESCRIPTION: This is one of the most beautiful swords we have ever had the pleasure of offering to the collecting public. Last year we managed to purchase two of the swords of Prince Esterhazy of Hungary. He was said to be the wealthiest and most cultivated member of royalty in the world of that time (1765-1833). He once was offered the Crown of Hungary in 1809 by Napoleon I, but refused it. In 1764, his uncle, Prince Paul Esterhazy, opened the Grand Palace at Esterhaz, a place credited with having cost several millions of dollars and would be comparable in magnificence with the palace at Versailles. This became the habitual residence of the prince and there he was surrounded by a circle of friends and guests attracted from all parts of the world. The uncle sponsored Joseph Hayden, and most of the famous and immortal works that were composed at Esterhaz. Most of his chamber music and numerous symphonies as well as operas were also accomplished at Estarhaz. It was the desire of the princes of Esterhazy to have the best musical establishment in Europe and they looked to Hayden to give it to them. The wealth of the family was inestimable. The famous Esterhazy jewels remained in the princely house for three quarters of a century and were the wonders of the age. All the pieces of armor worn by the family men were covered with jewels. The effect of their splendor was remarkable and Prince Estarhazy in particular became distinguished throughout Europe for the enormous extravagance of his costumes. Among the splendid ornaments was an aigrette of diamonds that Prince Nicholas Esterhazy wore on his Hussar busby. It contained 5,000 brilliants. A sword and sheath that went with this Hussar garb of this earlier prince was covered with rare jewels. Other swords such as the one we offer are more plain, but still ever beautiful. The family and the succeeding princes fought against and were largely responsible for the act of driving the Turks out of Holy Christian Europe. Nicholas Joseph (1714-1790), a brilliant soldier, is best remembered as the supreme patron of the arts in Europe. It was Prince Paul Esterhazy (1786-1866) who was the Austrian Ambassador for the Austro-Hungarian Empire who owned the swords we purchased. As a fancier of fine weapons this prince amassed many fine swords; some made for him and others were from other times. This particular sword was either his or one of the later princes. It is a truly magnificent sword with elegant fittings throughout. The Esterhazy’s of Galantha were a noble Magyar family and the style of their swords was always reminiscent of these ancient warriors. So the scimitar motif in the weapons is evident. The curvature is pronounced in this the brass-fitted sword. Nobles at this time were invariably cavalry and the swords are always horsemen’s sabers in style. The admiration of France and especially Louis XIIII was prodigiously evident in not only the princely house Esterhaz, but it appears in even this weapon. Louis was called the “Sun King” and the sun was shown in much of the décor at Versailles and here we have the celestial orb staring at us from the grip of this weapon. The sun figure has a face and is similar to the entrance décor to the palace in France and Esterhaz in Hungary. Another face appears on the pommel and this one wears the hood formed from the head and mane of a lion. The cross guard has mythical bird beasts from whose beaks come symbols that emulate in their design the stylized marshals’ batons of the early military leaders. In the center of the cross guard in a wreath is the coat of arms of Hungary surmounted with the Royal Hungarian Crown with the cross of St. Stefen at the top that leans to the side (there’s a whole historical episode to this). St. Stefen was the first Christian king of Hungary. He organized the church in1,000 AD. The scabbard is decorated with floral leaf design that from its look and feel seems to be hand cut. The blade is decorated also with etched floral design and in the middle is a quarter crescent moon. This moon design is often found on swords of Austria, France, and Hungary. The sword in the scabbard measures about 40 inches long and the blade is 31 inches long. The scabbard is 1 ½ inches wide. The grip is 6 inches long. The cross guard is 6 inches across. The condition throughout is extra fine to excellent. The blade etching is rather worn, but can be seen clearly. Seldom has any finer and more important sword been offered. This is a museum-worthy treasure now brought to you for your investment consideration.
PRICE: SOLD |
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Hungarian Hussar (Item HUNG 1-2) |
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| DESCRIPTION: Here are two large scenes of a Hungarian Hussar and wife in the 1870’s. They are magnificent prints in wonderful color. They are 44 inches high by 31 inches wide. The actual pictures are 21 x 28 inches. They are in a canvas-type cloth with fine wooden framings. The soldier goes off to war and returns. Sold only as a pair.
PRICE: $350.00 |
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Prussian/Austrian/Hungarian Medal Group (Item HUNG 1-3; KMEDAL 4-1) |
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| DESCRIPTION: Here is an excellent group of medals that is in two parts--a six-medal group and a two-medal bar, in addition. This is a very handsome group, indeed. The family that sold it found later the two-medal set and was kind enough to send it along later, and this was much appreciated. The medals are as follows:
From right to left they are listed as: 1. The Iron Cross 1914, Second Class. 2. The War Service Cross awarded to all participants in the Great War, 1914-1918. 3. The 25-Year Faithful Service Medal for officers. 4. The Centennial Medal for Wilhelm, the first German Kaiser and Prussian King. This medal was said to be struck from captured French cannon from the Franco-Prussian War. 5. The War Remembrance Medal for Austria-Hungary with Spange of Swords for Combatants, 1914-1918. 6. The Silver Military Faithful Service Medal of Hungary, 1892-1918. In addition to the above we have, as we stated, another short bar that contains another of the man's 1914-1918 war service medal and a medal for true service and loyalty from the German state of Wurtemberg that is with bust depiction of Wilhelm II of Wurtemberg. PRICE: SOLD |
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Hungarian Medal, Order of King Mathias (Item HUNG 1-4) |
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| DESCRIPTION:This is an extremely rare Hungarian medal named for King Mathias of Hungary. He was born in Transylvania in 1443 and reigned from 1458 to 1490. He was the most popular of all Hungarian kings. He was the monarch who organized the Black Army, 2,000 tough and courageous Hussars who fought alongside this king endlessly during his reign to rid Hungary and Europe of the Turks. King Mathias was the greatest of all royal patrons of the arts. He created at the end of the 18th century a library consisting of 2,000 volumes, the largest grouping of books on the arts in the world of that day. It was said of King Mathias that he was wise, just, patient, brave, quickly decisive, self-reliant, self-assured, and last, but not least, one of the most cultured men of Europe. Thus it obviously became evident that any medal for the arts and sciences such as this one would bear his name and image. The condition is excellent, plus in silver. The likeness of the king is on the front, while there are words in Latin to the back. This is a beautiful medal and a historic treasure.
PRICE: $325.00 |
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Beautiful Hungarian Fire Department Dagger (Item HUNG 1-5) |
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| DESCRIPTION:This is one gorgeous dagger from the Hungarian Fire Services issued to high-ranking officers of the fire brigades as a sign of honor and recognition of faithful service. The flat of the blade has the stamped Hungarian shield logo with the words "Meszaros Lajos Budapest". On the blade is the Hungarian shield with St. Stephen's crown in a gold escutcheon followed by the words "Nagy Janos-Parancsnoht Umak. 1932." On the cross guard is another Hungarian shield with silver St. Stephen's crown on fine enamel that sits upon a circular motif of crossed fire axes; above this flames emit. The top or cap is a fire helmet-European style. A really fine piece of European history and an example of fine workmanship. It measures 23 inches in its scabbard. Condition is fine except grip is a little loose.
PRICE: SOLD - BUT we found another but not as glamorous as this one but original and nice (please make inquiry). |
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Hungarian WWII Youth Shooting Award (Item HUNG 1-6) |
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| DESCRIPTION: Levente youth. This was a Young People's organization equivalent to the Hitler Youth in Germany. This was the national shooting award circa 1930's. Extremely rare! This youth organization formed the nucleus of the later volunteers in the Hungarian Waffen-SS, of fighting fame and glory. The St. Stephen's Crown over an enameled Magyar crest dominates the center and around this the golden words, "Magyar Országos Céllövo Szövetség," "Magyar Regional Shooting Competition Association" with "1871." The year commemorates either the institution of the award or the event giving rise to the Levente Youth. It measures 2 x 1 ¼ inches. A nice and a rare badge.
PRICE: $175.00 |
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Hungarian Pilot's Qualification Wings in Gold Bullion (Item HUNG 1-7) |
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| DESCRIPTION: This is an extremely rare Hungarian wing insignia for the flyer's uniform. This wing belonged to bomber pilot Captain Emery von Myiradi Szabo, who flew a Ju-88 for the Luftwaffe This very item is shown in the book on the captain's uniform. Throughout Hungarian history, the symbolic bird of the nation was the turul which, when rarely captured, would fight to the death to regain its freedom. By the twentieth century the turul was no longer found in the Carpathian Basin. It is now only found near the Caspian Sea area. Consequently, by 1929, when the former Hungarian WWI pilot officers and sergeants designed a new pilot badge, they passed over the traditional turul and devised an eagle, which they named the Hunter Eagle. The design which was accepted was gold-embroidered eagle in horizontal flight surmounted by St. Stefan's Crown. Under the top portion of the eagle's horizontal wings was a row of gold metallic sequins. The crown is inset with red and green silk and the background is black wool. To avoid confusion, it must be pointed out that the Hungarian Air Force hat badge was very similar to the pilot breast eagle. The hat badge had the eagle's wings turned down whereas the flight-qualification breast badge (eagle) had horizontal wings to the wingtips. The hat badges were in gold embroidery for officers and silver for sergeants. It was issued to all Hungarian Air Force personnel and was, therefore, a standard part of the uniform irrespective of whether the air force personnel were qualified to fly an aircraft or not. Considered extremely rare today and this one is in extra-fine condition. It measures 3 ½ x 1 ¾ inches. PRICE: $385.00; Rare? |
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Badge and Stickpin for Officials of Hungary (Item HUNG 1-8) |
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| DESCRIPTION: This is the coveted badge for members of the organization named after the Treaty of Trianon. This was the patently unjust treaty that reshaped middle Europe and the Balkans after WWI to favor the interests of France, England, and Russia. The terrible fallout of this disastrous "peace" treaty remains with us even today, perhaps especially today. This grave injustice has continued to foment bloodshed and wars that continue now. It is mainly about people without any plebiscite who were placed under hostile jurisdictions of countries that they were not born into. Their suffering is compounded by endless bombing carried out by the very countries who created the situation in the first place. The members of this distinguished and noble order were mostly Hungarian nobility who backed statesmen and regent, Miklos Horthy, in his struggle for revision of this monstrous Treaty of Trianon. Failing to accomplish this objective Horthy turned to Germany and Italy. In 1938 Adolf Hitler gave Hungary back some of her lost territories now pieced from Slovakia and Rumania. In return, Hungary agreed to field its armies on the side of Germany and Italy in WWII. Much of these historic events had to do with that organizations influence. This is a very beautiful set of badge and stickpin with great enameling and silver work throughout. The Hungarian crest is fantastically detailed both on the badge and the stickpin. Fabulous!
PRICE: $385.00 for the set. |
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Party Pin for Germans in Hungary, 1930s (Item HUNG 1-9; GEN 10-11) |
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| DESCRIPTION: This is the official badge of the Volksdeutsche, Germans who settled in Hungary. It says along its edges: “Volksbund der Deutschen in Ungarn.” It’s nicely enameled with the manufacture’s name, Redo, on the back and the usual ‘Ges. Gesch.” It’s 25-cent sized and in very nice condition. We made a trade for these at a German military show and we have a green-edged model, plus a red-edged type both with the same marking on the back. There is a black-edged one, as well.
PRICE: $49, red; $49, green; $49, black |
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Hungarian WWII Flag (Item HUNG 1-10; AXIS 4-20) |
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| DESCRIPTION: Here is a real rarity. This is a beautiful Hungarian WWII-era flag. It is just as nice as you will ever see. It measures 40 x 85 inches and is in great condition throughout. The crest bears the crown of St. Stephen with the tilted cross. This was the crown used in the coronations of Hungarian kings. In the 18th century the cross was bent and since then it is so depicted on the Hungarian arms. The design is double sided and the Stephen crown is done in the finest of gold bullion weave. This is probably a flag for special ceremonies. It’s in beautiful condition throughout. You can consider it an extremely rare Axis item.
PRICE: $475.00 |
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Six-Piece Medal Bar (spectacular) with Ribbon Appurtenances (Item HUNG 1-11; WWI 8-18; WEHR 22-13) |
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| DESCRIPTION: Here is a fine medal bar with six awards including a Hungarian medal. Present are the Iron Cross Second Class, the WWI Cross of Honor, the 4-year Wehrmacht Medal, the NSDAP Faithful Service decoration (Treuedienst Ehrenzeichen) in silver, the 1914-1918 Austrian Service Medal, and the 1914-1918 Hungarian Service award. The wearer was obviously a WWI veteran from Austria-Hungary, who also was a loyal early party member who entered the WWII Wehrmacht where he faithfully served. This group is rather great in that it has the ribbon bar with it with all the medals represented. They are extremely rare when found this way.
PRICE: $595.00 |
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Austro-Hungarian Assault Troop’s Badge (Item HUNG 1-12; WWI 10-7) |
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| DESCRIPTION: Origin: When the Austro-Hungarian (AH) War High Command decided to raise assault units and squads it was first planned to introduce special collar devices for Stormtroopers, similar to the insignia of infantry gun crews. The AOK (high command) thought like the German army that these badges or insignia could motivate soldiers to attend assault courses and join the different assault formations as volunteers. Later, it was generally planned to train the whole infantry in special trench warfare. When the new assault battalions were instituted on the divisional level the idea of assault insignia was again taken up; however, this new badge should not be part of the actual uniform worn by every member of an assault battalion, but was planned to be a decoration for special skills and bravery during a mission. It was decided that besides excellent skills in weapons handling, good results in physical education, and assault tactics, at least one mission against the enemy should be a must to receive the award. The soldier should be proposed by the assault unit’s commander; the decoration should be awarded by the superior command. But it was also stated that there should also be a special badge for all trained Stormtroopers to raise their reputation and show their importance. This uniform badge would only be worn in the hinterland, but not during missions. Later it was decided that at least two successful missions should be necessary to get the award; this was the beginning of a whole tradition and liturgy. Thousands of different badges were produced all falling into the category of awards and were worn on the cap and tunic. The most popular was the human skull with the word ‘Sturmtrupp.’ The largest of these carried this legend, but did not contain any numbers of particular units. This one that we offer also has crossed hand grenades under the macabre-looking skull. The assault badge without numbers was produced always with the same general design, and was produced both with vertical or horizontal pin fastening devices. The one we have is the middle-sized 5.5 cm high, which was the type sold most. The badges were cast in brass for the most part. We have seen at least one in copper color. The one we offer is die cast in pure ‘800’ silver and is so marked. It is much heavier than the ones in brass and the detail is brilliant; much finer than the cheaper ones. Ours is not World War I issue or even bought in this time. The veterans would proudly wear various insignias such as this one as a badge of honor and in this case, supreme prestige. No veteran could be more proud of his service to Kaiser and Fatherland more than the Stormtrooper. It is no wonder that when the NS/SA was formed they took on the name “Sturmabteilung,” (storm sections) or Stormtroops. These were truly Germany’s and Austria’s elite. The badge is rather macabre as we have stated, but in its eerie look it is also beautiful. The detail is stupendous; you can count the teeth and each tooth is separately detailed. Here is a great reminder of trench warfare—horrible yet noble. Background information can be garnered from the academic genius of Mr. Christian Ortner in his great dissertation known as AUSTRO-HUNGARIAN ASSAULT TROOP’S BADGE. The picture credits go to the wonderful website of Christian Ortner and are a treat to look at. Congratulations Christian.
PRICE: SOLD |
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Hungarian Stormtroop’s Badge (Item HUNG 1-13; WWI 10-8) |
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| DESCRIPTION: This badge is another of the types of Stormtroop badges as enumerated above. This one, however, is strictly for the Hungarian elite soldiers. Unlike the one above this badge identifies the unit as the 155th Assault Battalion. The skull is similar, but the crossed grenades are of the fragmentation type rather than the concussion type. This badge is also a die struck in silver, and the detail is wonderful. Each of the Hungarian words stands out in relief—clear and sharp. They were wear by veterans of the Austro-Hungarian Stormtroops to proudly wear at veterans’ conventions etc. It's clearly marked with the ‘800’ silver mark on the back of the badge. For background on this badge’s origin and purpose see the information that is available in the writing accompanying the badge just above. Photo credits go to Christian Ortner’s website.
PRICE: $328.00; rare! |
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Helmet Badge from WWI Hungary (Item HUNG 1-14) |
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| DESCRIPTION: This is a very unusual pin that honors the 32 Division of Hungary’s field forces. The helmet is depicted with the ‘32’ in a wreath carried by a hovering angel of victory. At the rim of the helmet are words in the Hungarian language that we cannot attest to. The pin in white metal measures about 2 inches wide and 1 1/2 inches tall. The front is nice and clear and with sharp detail. The back is a bit distressed. The pin device is a bit soft. This article was found in a place that was rather damp and this accounts for the attachment’s being rusted, but the badge is still in very nice displayable condition and is after all intact.
PRICE: SOLD |
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Please refer to item designator in parentheses in all correspondence.
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