BOUCKVILLE, N.Y. – A mid-19th century American Plains Indian pipe tomahawk in overall very good condition, with a nice aged patina, is an expected top lot at Mohawk Arms’ Auction #73, online soon (at MilitaryRelics.com and LiveAuctioneers.com) and live, in Mohawk Arms’ Bouckville gallery, located on Route 20 in central New York state, not far from I-90 and I-81.

The auction, originally scheduled to end in early June, will now conclude June 26-27, as a steady stream of rare and important consignments continued to come in, forcing the postponement. “We already knew we had a very good auction on our hands, but now I can say it will be a truly great auction,” said Ray Zyla of Mohawk Arms, “with military collectibles in an array of categories.”

These include antique firearms (such as Spencer and Joslyn carbines), Civil War edged weapons, Imperial German uniforms (Navy and Colonial), helmets, steins, old swords, a Third Reich book collection, personality items (like a Hitler autographed photo), uniforms (Nazi, American WWI and WWII, etc.), ethnographic items, leather goods, Napoleonic and British prints, and headgear.

The pipe tomahawk – a classic example from the American Plains Indians of the mid-1800s, has a minimum bid of $10,000. It features an oval-shaped eye with a barrel-shaped bowl, having a ridge near the top and bottom. The original 23-inch shaft is decorated with two large “x” file bandings and brass tack decorations. The piece is truly all original, having never been cleaned.

Another strong candidate for top lot of the auction, with a minimum bid of $15,000, is a uniform once worn by the German World War II Luftwaffe Lt. Gen. Josef Schmid, a recipient of the Knight’s Cross and former commander of all Hermann Goring and Afrika Panzer units after the departure of Erwin Rommel. The lot includes Schmid’s “Soldbuch,” chronicling his Nazi career.

An exquisite, circa 1840-1850 cased percussion pistols, presented to Jacques Louis Randon, who held the titles of Marshal of France, Governor General of Algeria and Minister of War, carries a minimum bid of $7,000. The pistols were presented to Minister of War Randon by the Imperial Cavalry School, as indicated by the engraved escutcheon on the lid. The case’s key is included.

Germany’s Kaiser Wilhelm II’s personal peaked cap for the 17th Brunswick Hussars, made in the early 20th century from exceptional doeskin-type material, has a minimum bid of $12,500. The cap features a white piped border and second red piping above the top of the black band, plus a white piped crown. The silk-type lining is embossed with Wilhelm II’s personal “W” monogram.

A Navajo reed weaving blanket, made in the second half of the 19th century and measuring 39 inches by 64 inches, is expected to attract attention, with a reasonable minimum bid of just $500. The elongated stepped white rectangular panel is highlighted by a black swastika and two inward pointed arrows. A yellow panel and a pair of similar white and blue panels flank the center motif.

An Imperial German Baden Flugeladjutant helmet from around the time of World War I, with a solid smooth finish black body and silvered convex chin scales, has a minimum bid of $6,500. The rare helmet boasts an imposing large front plate with a red enameled “Baden House Order of Fidelity” on a high-relief silvered starburst with interwoven “C’s” in the piece’s four corners.

The Purple Heart awarded in World War II to Joseph W. Herbert, an African-American member of the “Red Ball Express” carries a $750 minimum bid. The lot includes a Xerox copy of the U.S. Military Veterans Headstone Application, which shows that Herbert served with the 3765th Quartermaster Trucking Company. The lot also includes the award’s original presentation case.

A uniform grouping for 1st Lt. Cline E. Mason, who served during World War II with the Army Air Force in the CBI Theater of Operations, has a minimum bid of $2,000. In addition to the uniform, the lot also features Mason's battle-worn A-2 leather jacket with an Air Transport Command patch on the front and a Nationalist Chinese flag patch on the back, a tan Army Air Force duffel bag, two wartime pictured ID’s of Mason, two sterling Navigator Wings, a sterling ID bracelet, an Army-issue sewing kit, a USAAF wallet and comb carrier and Japanese currency.

Previews will be held at the Mohawk Arms gallery, located on Route 20 in Bouckville, every Monday through Friday leading up to June 26th, from 9-6 (EDT), and on sale days (June 26-27), from 8-9 a.m. The first gavel will come down both days at 9:30 a.m. A buyer’s premium, which can range from 16-22 percent, depending on the final price, will be applied to all purchases.

Mohawk Arms, Inc., is always accepting quality consignments for future auctions. To consign a single item, a collection or an entire estate, you may call them at (315) 893-7888; or, you can e-mail them at Mohawk@MilitaryRelics.com. To learn more about Mohawk Arms and Auction #73, which is online soon and will conclude June 26th-27th, please log on to www.MilitaryRelics.com.

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