Documented Reichsbahn Eagle with All ( GPH 24.5" ) # 3403
Its been over 20 years since I purchased my first rail eagle I believe. At that time they were not as well known as they are today, I think the 2nd one was in early 2000 and since that time I have had quite a few through my hands with some of them being more special than others. With the internet and shared knowledge these birds started to garner much more interest as collectors items and center pieces for collections, and some collected just birds. One of the first references published was a self published binder by J.R Meda with a fairly good amount of information and variations, certainly enough knowledge to save a collector from making a mistake on a fake or a recast, no shortage of those. The Meda reference was about 10 years ago now I am thinking and since that time a hardcover reference has been published by Mr. Saris who has published several books on various collectables, it is in this reference that this particular bird is featured.
I spend just about all my time here looking at birds of all shapes and sizes, but the railroad eagles are the most popular and the most prevalent. I guess over the course of 20 years I have seen a whole lot of eagles, certainly many rail eagles of all shapes and sizes. It would be very difficult to advertise a railroad eagle as the best of the best with so many nice examples out there, however, I believe this bird to be easily in the top 5 no matter how you slice it. It has it all.
The veteran who sent this back was a Capt. William McCormick. McCormick was a member of the 772nd Battalion and rolled over the Rhine into Mainz Germany in 1945 for the express purpose of rebuilding the rail lines and communications. With access and time he helped himself not only to a railroad eagle off a train, but he helped himself to the letters mounted under it which just do not exist and I have never seen a bird complete with the letters, maybe one survives in a museum somewhere but they just were not bought home. He took care removing it all as the studs are present not only on the bird but on the letters themselves. When he finished he packed it carefully and sent it home to his wife in Georgia and the original shipping box is intact.
Anyone familiar with these eagles will often see the standard Lok examples with the untapped studs and their nice, but if you look at anything Reichsbahn whether it be silver, porcelain, or period photos which I have attached several, you know what DR is. This bird is a GPH example which is not all that common when compared, but the letters are also foundry marked for GPH. The bird measures in @ 24.5 inches roughly and is undamaged retaining it's studs, the letters retain their studs and measure approx. 3.5 inches. In addition, period correspondence, newspaper articles, and the unit history for the 722nd are included as well as notes to his wife on the holiday.
I should have bought this bird 10 years ago when it first surfaced but did not want to pay for it. A great bird with provenance, corresponding paperwork and the non existent Deutsche Reichsbahn letters in the original shipping box home. This will be a limited offering as I actually have a place to hang this should no one step up.
Its been over 20 years since I purchased my first rail eagle I believe. At that time they were not as well known as they are today, I think the 2nd one was in early 2000 and since that time I have had quite a few through my hands with some of them being more special than others. With the internet and shared knowledge these birds started to garner much more interest as collectors items and center pieces for collections, and some collected just birds. One of the first references published was a self published binder by J.R Meda with a fairly good amount of information and variations, certainly enough knowledge to save a collector from making a mistake on a fake or a recast, no shortage of those. The Meda reference was about 10 years ago now I am thinking and since that time a hardcover reference has been published by Mr. Saris who has published several books on various collectables, it is in this reference that this particular bird is featured.
I spend just about all my time here looking at birds of all shapes and sizes, but the railroad eagles are the most popular and the most prevalent. I guess over the course of 20 years I have seen a whole lot of eagles, certainly many rail eagles of all shapes and sizes. It would be very difficult to advertise a railroad eagle as the best of the best with so many nice examples out there, however, I believe this bird to be easily in the top 5 no matter how you slice it. It has it all.
The veteran who sent this back was a Capt. William McCormick. McCormick was a member of the 772nd Battalion and rolled over the Rhine into Mainz Germany in 1945 for the express purpose of rebuilding the rail lines and communications. With access and time he helped himself not only to a railroad eagle off a train, but he helped himself to the letters mounted under it which just do not exist and I have never seen a bird complete with the letters, maybe one survives in a museum somewhere but they just were not bought home. He took care removing it all as the studs are present not only on the bird but on the letters themselves. When he finished he packed it carefully and sent it home to his wife in Georgia and the original shipping box is intact.
Anyone familiar with these eagles will often see the standard Lok examples with the untapped studs and their nice, but if you look at anything Reichsbahn whether it be silver, porcelain, or period photos which I have attached several, you know what DR is. This bird is a GPH example which is not all that common when compared, but the letters are also foundry marked for GPH. The bird measures in @ 24.5 inches roughly and is undamaged retaining it's studs, the letters retain their studs and measure approx. 3.5 inches. In addition, period correspondence, newspaper articles, and the unit history for the 722nd are included as well as notes to his wife on the holiday.
I should have bought this bird 10 years ago when it first surfaced but did not want to pay for it. A great bird with provenance, corresponding paperwork and the non existent Deutsche Reichsbahn letters in the original shipping box home. This will be a limited offering as I actually have a place to hang this should no one step up.