This amazing Walther PPK was made for Hermann Georing. (Photo: RIA)
Hermann Goering’s engraved, gold-plated Walther is going up for auction next month at the Rock Island Armory. This high-quality engraved pistol is expected to bring as much as $400,000 at auction along with a matching ring and set of cufflinks.
The pistol is a Walther PPK chambered for 7.65mm Browning, more commonly known in the U.S. as .32 ACP. According to auctioneers at RIA the engraving is the kind reserved for the rarest and most exquisite factory custom firearms. The pistol has engraved ivory grips bearing Goering’s initials on one side and his family crest on the other.
“This is an attractive example of possibly the most historic Walther factory engraved pistol that we have ever offered for sale,” reads the listing. “It consists of the traditional deep chiseled relief Germanic oak leaf and acorn type engraving with a very fine stippled background.”
The auctioneers can’t speak more highly of the pistol’s quality. “Each section of the pistol has been divided up into different engraving blocks or sections with the oak leaf and acorn type engraving inside each block meticulously done and certainly the quality level meets and exceeds any engraving performed in the U.S. at this time.”
The large companion ring and cuff links are also engraved featuring Goering’s Field Marschall seal and family crest. The set comes with a blue felt box for safe keeping. The pistol and the ring and cuff link set are both rated at 98 percent original condition which is outstanding.
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The pistol showcases some of the best engraving work in Walther history. (Photo: RIA)
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Only the frame is serialized as no one could possibly mismatch the slide and frame. (Photo: RIA)
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The pistol comes with a set of cuff links and matching ring. (Photo: RIA)
Bidding will start at $250,000. The online auction starts on September 9 and ends September 11.
The engravers decorated nearly every surface of the pistol, and the gun has little by way of proof and roll marks. The only proof is a small crown and nitro mark on the right side and on the left side, there’s just the Walther banner. Every other surface has been embellished and decorated down to the sides of the trigger.
Hermann Georing. (Photo: RIA)
A great deal of thought went into the work including the grips, which have a three-panel construction to prevent them from cracking over time due to shrinkage. The engraving on the grip panels matches the oak-styled engraving on the rest of the gun and feature gold inlays. The crest was designed by Goering himself and “consists of a armored fist holding a large ring, which was intended to represent the nickname he used during World War I, which was ‘Der Eiseme’ or the ‘Iron One.'”
Goering was fond of giving himself medals and awards, to the point where Hitler himself joked about it. The Walther is a stunning beauty, in stark contrast to the man it was made for.
Goering was a part of Adolf Hitler’s inner circle and an architect of Nazi Germany. He was an early member and leader of the Nazi party. Georing was Hitler’s successor and worked toward the rise of the Nazi party and was a senior officer throughout World War II. He committed suicide the night before he was to be hanged for his war crimes and crimes against humanity.