In Belfast, a silver-plated pencil ‘gifted’ to Hitler by Eva Braun will be auctioned off. On April 20, 1941, the former Nazi leader celebrated his 52nd birthday. Historical accounts suggest that his longtime partner, Eva Braun, gave him the gift on this occasion.
The inscription on it consists of the words “Eva” in German and the initials “AH”.The pencil has remained in the collector’s family ever since it was first bought by them at an auction in 2002. At a sale of historical items the following week, Bloomfield Auctions in east Belfast will also offer an original, signed photograph of Hitler.
The wide-ranging sale will include a rare hand-written pardon by Queen Victoria dated to 1869 for Irish rebels convicted of treason and articles of agreement for a treaty signed between Great Britain and Ireland, which includes hand-written notes by former Irish unionist leader Edward Carson.
Karl Bennett, managing director of Bloomfield Auctions said they expect interest from around the world, particularly from specialist collectors. He said they previously sold a teapot which belonged to senior Nazi Hermann Goring that ended up in a teapot museum in California.
“Unravelling a Hidden Piece of History”
“The importance of Hitler’s engraved personal pencil gifted to him by Eva Braun lies in the fact that it helps to unravel a hidden piece of history, giving a unique insight into Hitler’s personal relationships, which he scrupulously kept hidden from the public eye,” he said.
“This included his relationship with Eva, the woman who stood by him from the start of his dictatorship and joined him in ending their lives together in the Berlin bunker as the city around them fell to the Allied forces.
“Much of Hitler’s personal appeal during his dictatorship derived from his carefully constructed identity as the father of the German nation, who rejected personal connection in favour of loyalty to his country. “This love token of a personalised pencil from Eva on his birthday helps reveal the deception behind Hitler’s public facade.”
Verification of The Items
When asked how the items can be verified, Mr. Bennett explained that they undertake a lot of research and work closely with vendors to ensure that the items are what they believe them to be. “It’s a process that involves a lot of research and working closely with the vendors of the items to determine their origin and establish the provenance,” he said.
“It’s with a lot of research, a lot of collaboration with the vendors of each of the items, that I can stand over as an auctioneer and give me confidence that what I’m telling people I’m selling is the actual item.
“I’ve no doubt from selling previous items that there will be a lot of interest from across the world.”
Mr. Bennett acknowledged that he could understand why some people may have reservations about the sale of items belonging to Hitler. He emphasized that the aim of such sales is not to memorialize the Austrian-born dictator.
“I understand why some people may struggle to understand why items like these are sold and collected, but for me, as a high-end collector of militaria items, they preserve a piece of our past and should be treated as historical objects, no matter if the history they refer to was one of the darkest and most controversial in recorded history,” he said.
“These items give us concrete ties to the past so that we can never forget.”The estimated selling price of Hitler’s pencil falls between £50,000 and £80,000, while the photograph’s expected sale price ranges from £10,000 to £15,000.
The sale will take place on Tuesday June 6 both online and in the auction house.
