knights cross + diamonds cash value

[Oberst Klink]

because there are only 28 (or how many) recipients of the diamonds, how much are these medals now worth in 2003?, it is not like they are going to surface on ebay or whatever, but have any gone to christies auctions etc?

would they be like $100,000, $200,000 etc?

[Brig]

I imagine that all 28 are not remaining. Those that are not still in the possession of private recipients are probably all in private collections. Therefore, that value is extremely high

[Bryan Poon]

Hi

If only talking about Ritterkreuz des Eisernes Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub, Schwertern und Brillianten, there are only 27 awarded - 11 for Army, 2 for Navy, 12 for Air Force and 2 for Waffen-SS.

For more information there is ONE awarded to Oberst Hans-Ulrich Rudel in the class Ritterkreuz des Eisernes Kreuzes mit Goldenem
Eichenlaub, Schwertern und Brillianten.

If I am a good military dealer, I should clearly know & state from the reply about how many awarded and what classes of awarded.

Cheers
BP

[Paddy Keating]

There is a dealer who has two or three genuine sets of RK Brillanten, one of which came from Adolf Galland's estate.

I believe that Galland's Brillanten have been for sale for perhaps three years but with no takers at a reputed $250,000.00 US. They are undoubtedly the real thing and it is surprising that none of the super-rich collectors like Bill Gates, Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks or Clint Eastwood - to name a few you'll have heard of! - have snapped them up for what amounts to, for these guys, chump change.

Of course, Galland had more than one set of issue Brillianten, as his biography explains. It is reasonable to presume that some of the other Brillantenträger had an extra issue set too. By "issue", I mean the proper ones by Klein. Some recipients certainly had jewellers' copies made up but if buying one of these, you need either to be very sure of the provenance and to be paying a price far, far lower than $200k!

Of course, $200k would be the price of an issue set with a cast-iron provenance like the one in the photo. A set without provenance would not command that sort of money. Even then, one wonders about attributed sets. If Galland's set haven't been sold yet, then could they be said to be 'worth' a quarter of a million dollars? Would Ramcke's set be worth more, as a paratrooper? Can ordinary mortals breathe up here?

PK

[Oberst Klink]

Actually I suppose that if you dropped a quarter of a million on the diamonds, that you would hope someone in the future would want to pay EVEN MORE to purchase them off you... I suppose folks who have lazy millions lying around aren't really interested in medal collecting, maybe vintage ww2 airplane collecting!

[Mark Costa]

The dealers in question are Wolfe and Hardin from Santa Monica CA. They in fact have FOUR Sets --- One of Galland's type 1 set, Gollobs type 2 actual award set, Graf's type 2 award set and an unissued award set. I have had the opportunity to examine them personally and they are magnificent.

[Bryan Poon]

Hello Mark

Did you make any photos with those diamond stuffs? May we have the chance take a look?

Cheers
BP

[Mark Costa]

I did not personally make photos of them but a beautiful color photo that appeared in the Max program of 2002 shows all of them. i will try and post that for you later tonight. They are gorgeous!!! And it was an absolute thrill to actually handle them.

Mark Costa

[Oberst Klink]

I would really like to see that!

[Oberst Klink]

would the combined pilots observers badge in gold/diamonds be more expensive because of the number of diamonds it has?

How much did these awards cost to produce in 1940-45? Jeweler/Diamond value etc

[Sgt. Reese]

I wonder where goering's "Grand Cross" is now?

Come to think of it I've never seen a/his Grand Cross.

[Xavier]

according to Gordon Williamson's book "The Iron Cross"

The original Grand Cross (Goering's) was lost during an air raid on berlin.

"..then goering had an elaborate replica made, with an onyx centre and platinum frame."

also, altought never awarded, the only example of the star to the 1939 grand cross was found in austria by us army intelligence officers after the war, and is now housed in the museum of the us mil academy at west point.

Xavier
the link scrounger

[Emerson Begolly]

I bet you can find Goring's Grand Cross on Manions!

Em.

[Mark Costa]

Here is the photo of the diamond badges owned and for sale To Bill Gates types by Wolfe and Hardin.
Top row left: Combined Pilot Observer badge with Diamonds (Sapphires) dress wearers copy. Many recipients of this award had a dres copy made to save the original award version from damage.
Top row right: The actual award presentation price. I believe this to be the most magnificent of all Third Reich Awards.

Center: German Cross in Gold with Diamonds-- only 20 made by Rath company. Unawarded.

KC diamonds-- Left Gollob's type 2 award piece. Center Graf's type 2 award piece. Right Galland's type 1 award piece. Galland had rceived several sets of each type.

Lower left -- Spanish Cross with Diamonds.
Lower Right -- Gau Wartheland badge with Diamonds. Only 1 or 2 know to exist.

Should anyone ish more info on recipients of the Pilots badge with diamonds etc. please see several previous posts by myself.

Mark

[WCSTUMP]

Here is a tray of "eye candy" for sure.