✅ SOLVED Trench Art, but what is it?

[vhs07]

I have what I first thought was a letter opener marked Verdun with a shell casing date of 1916.
But after looking at it, the blade part is rather flimsy and easily bent. I don't think it would of
survived long as a letter opener.
Any thoughts?











Thanks,
Charles

 

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[SODABOTTLEBOB]

Good work guys! And I'm betting the farm that it's a French Crown with a "Fleur de Lis" on top of it and not a cross.

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[Bigcypresshunter]

BigCy, I have it! French 8mm, made by Remington under contract during the first world war. I'm still not sure if that particular one is for the Lebel, or Berthier rifle, I will do a bit more research when I get home tonight.

View attachment 624735

Great research. I see drbecker is just a couple minutes behind you.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Did someone post this yet? Redirect Notice Letter Openers http://www.greatwar.com/scripts/prodList.asp?idcategory=33&curPage=2&sortField=sku

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Is that $59 each or for all 6? Great War Militaria - Great War Militaria

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

TN default has this thread 5 pages long. Can anybody tell me how I can change this? Its ridiculous and time consuming trying to page back and forth during research. Bob can you help?

 

[SODABOTTLEBOB]

I posted one similar to Bic Cy's letter openers picture, but until now I didn't see the part ...

"French cartridge with German crown"

Gee, I hope I don't lose my farm. Lol

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[SODABOTTLEBOB]

TN default has this thread 5 pages long. Can anybody tell me how I can change this? Its ridiculous and time consuming trying to page back and forth during research. Bob can you help?

Cy ~

Mine is only showing 3 pages. I just use the little back-and-forth arrows at the top and bottom of each page. Nor have I had any problems posting text and/or images.

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[Unicorn]

Having the same problem BCH most annoying

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Cy ~

Mine is only showing 3 pages. I just use the little back-and-forth arrows at the top and bottom of each page. Nor have I had any problems posting text and/or images.

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I am able to post images, but its too many unnecessary steps, some of them very slow and time consuming. The old TN had 100 replies per page and I could scroll up and down very quickly. The back and forth arrows only take me up and down one of 5 pages. Its very time consuming trying to go back to find an image on a previous page. We will soon be 6 pages long on my screen.

To me its all about speed. I could read or solve 10 posts (on the old formatt) to one here. I understand some of it may be my fault.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Having the same problem BCH most annoying

Yes its terribly annoying. Bad default settings.

 

[SODABOTTLEBOB]

Big Cy ~

I didn't fully understand what you were saying the first time, but I do now. So I tried clicking back while I was in the middle of editing and it won't let you. It just stops what you're editing and leaves it as is. But I don't know why!

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[Bigcypresshunter]

Big Cy ~

I didn't fully understand what you were saying the first time, but I do now. So I tried clicking back while I was in the middle of editing and it won't let you. It just stops what you're editing and leaves it as is. But I don't know why!

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That is also annoying. Bob you probably have a larger monitor.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

I dont want to complain anymore there are enough problems with the new formatt and they are trying so very hard to accomodate us. Im just going to have to sit back and wait to see what happens.


Getting back on topic, Ill have to say its NOT trench art at that selling price. Also most likely not one of a kind. These are probably tourist souvenirs sold sometime shortly after the war made with WWI spent cartridges, like someone said, but I gave up trying to find the page to give credit. . I had a eery feeling I have seen those crown bullets before but I couldnt put my finger on it. They are interesting nonetheless.

 

[SODABOTTLEBOB]

Its all Greek (geek) to me. I guess the best we can do is to keep experimenting with the different features until we figure it out.

Anyhoo ...

After doing some super-zooms on vhs07's crown, I'm still betting that it's a French "Fleur de Lis" flower on top of it and not a cross. But I suppose only vhs07 will be able to tell us that for sure. Where is that guy, anyway? Lol

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[Bigcypresshunter]

It took me a whole 8 minutes to add the souvenir bullet images to my post and it will take me another few minutes to find a pulling out my hair icon lol. It should only take seconds..


I see our assortment of icons is changing so improvements are being done and yes it will take me a long time to learn all the options or features available (or whatever you said I cant look back while posting without losing everthing)

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Why is it that WW1 items have little value? I say its solved unless you want to find an exact match.

Here are a few more. They can call them whatever they want but I dont think it falls in the category of trench art even if they are hand made. The date also does not prove made during the war. 8 items for $39.

Here is an interesting scenario. Great War Militaria - Great War Militaria

"...some are wartime dated, showing that they were being made all during the war. On one "personal effects" document, a "letter opener" and "silk hankies" were found on the body, so soldiers bought them from street vendors as a souvenir of the towns they passed through on thier way to the front. We had a vet lot with a tag on a brass opener which read "German trench dagger", so he must have taken it from a German soldier, indicating that they also bought these things just like any soldier."

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Another question. I have literally thousands if not 100's of thousands files and images stored in my computer. Why do I need to save them here under "manage attachments"?

 

[SODABOTTLEBOB]

Big Cy ~

I agree with you in that the item in question is probably a souvenir and was not actually made in the trenches. The only reason I'm devoting so much time to this is because it intrigues me and I don't currently have anything else to research, which I love doing.

With that said, here's a task that should be an easy search for any one of us. If those are supposed to be "buttons" attached to the bullets, then how hard can it be to find examples of WWI French, German and British buttons? For those interested in this, please post any WWI uniform buttons you can find that have a Crown on them, and I will do the same. Surely the so called buttons weren't hand made (etched out) too.

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[Bigcypresshunter]

Big Cy ~

I agree with you in that the item in question is probably a post war souvenir and was not actually made in the trenches. The only reason I'm devoting so much time to this is because it intrigues me and I don't currently have anything else to research, which I love doing.

With that said, here's a task that should be an easy search for any one of us. If those are supposed to be "buttons" attached to the bullets, then how hard can it be to find examples of WWI French, German and British buttons? For those interested in this, please post any WWI uniform buttons you find that have a crown on them and I will do the same. Surely the so called buttons weren't hand maded (etched out) too.

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Are you sure they are buttons?


Bob I am having to jump through loops to post images here. I may not be able to help.

 

[SODABOTTLEBOB]

No, I'm not 100% sure they are actual uniform-type buttons. Only that most I've seen are "referred" to and/or "described" as buttons. But what type of buttons, I really don't know.

Bob