Museum-quality SS sword strikes right note

Everything a collector wants in one sword - First production, long length, uncleaned, and attributed to an interesting character with Hitler's personal bodyguard regiment, Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler.

SS Sword for sale, originally belonging to LAH Musicmeister Hermann Müller-John. The early- production SS Officer sword with solid nickel-silver fittings throughout, and complete with top hilt-capping and ebony grip, highlighted with silver metal bands. The silver metal Runes disc to the centre. The underside to the hilt with the SS Rune symbol within an octagon shape.

The polished steel blade typically without maker-name or trade-mark.  A white leather washer still in position. The scabbard with black painted shell. The nickel-silver top mount bearing the SS Rune symbol within an octagon shape. The bottom nickel-silver plated fitting correctly pressed into position. The sword complete with its original SS officers silver wire portepee, bearing a white linen label confirming  the SS membership number of LAH Musicmeister Müller John.

The sword sale includes a Hoffmann postcard of Müller-John shaking hands with Adolf Hitler.

Condition report: The SS Officer sword is uncleaned; it has possibly never been cleaned since it was put into storage in 1945. The sword in overall very good to excellent condition throughout.

The nickel-silver mounts with darkened recesses. The ebony grip showing just light use use. The white leather, hilt-to-blade washer with light age. The blade in excellent overall condition, with the original polished steel finish  being generally free from any unsightly pitting or graying. The scabbard shell near perfect (approximately 95% original black paint finish remaining).

The portepee never removed from the sword. The sword with a uniform patination; the nickle-silver being a toned to a sombre yellow-brown. The top pommel, which has a tendancy to be steel, has age-darkened to black. The top pommel never unscrewed; pulling the portepee hanger slightly inwards, reveals the fresh nickle-silver.

Background to LAH Musicmeister Müller-John: The LAH Musikkorps was formed in 1933 with 36 musicians under the command of SS-Hauptsturmführer Hermann Müller-John. In 1934 the orchestra was expanded to 72 men, selected on musical, health and racial qualifications. The LAH Musikkorps were also fully trained soldiers, and outside of ceremonial music duties, were expected to take part in action.

The LAH Musikkorps were involved in what was later (post-1945) regarded as a war crime. During the German offensive on Poland, the LAH Musikkorps were fired upon from a group of buildings. Müller-John ordered his men to undertake a systematic building-search; a quantity of fire-arms was found, and  the prisoners rounded up from the buildings. Müller-John ordered the execution of 50 from the area where the shooting had taken place.  Müller-John, his wife and daughter,  committed suicide in Austria [1945].

Conservation notes: This is a museum-quality sword with significant historical provenance. We would suggest the prospective new owner does not clean the sword.

Provenance: Ulric of England Collection. Acquired in the 1990s. The SS sword, (and other SS artefacts), discovered in the attic of a residential house during the course of preparing the property for sale (Buckinghamshire, England).

The sword is photographed in  Inside The Allgemeine-SS 1925-1945 [pages 308-309].