Germany, Kriegsmarine. An Officer’s Dress Dagger, by Alcoso

(Kriegsmarine Dolch für Offiziere). An extremely well-preserved Kriegsmarine Officer’s dress dagger, measuring 42.5 cm in total length when inserted into the scabbard. It features a 26 cm-long, nickel-plated, magnetic steel blade with a sharpened tip and with dual narrow fullers running the majority of the length of each side. The reverse ricasso bears a maker’s mark of “ALCOSO, SOLINGEN”, for the former firm of Alexander Coppel, circumscribing the company’s classic scale logo. It sits securely within a gilded bronze crossguard, bearing central double-sided fouled anchors, with a functional push-button set into the reverse connecting to a clip emanating from the ricasso to release the scabbard lock. An intact wool buffer pad covers the seam where the blade meets the crossguard. The handle grip is composed of a single piece of ribbed orange-brown celluloid, with the ribbing retaining an original twisted bronze wire cord. The dagger completes with a gilded bronze pommel in the form of a German national eagle perched on top of a wreathed mobile swastika, screwing in to maintain the dagger’s structural integrity. It is accompanied by its original scabbard, constructed of a gilded bronze shaft with etched designs distributed around the outer circumference. The upper third has two integral oak leaf rings retaining loops for the accommodation of a hanger. A functional catch within the throat locks onto the blade’s clip to firmly hold the dagger in place during storage. Minor issues consistent with age and wear are evident, and include minor running marks to the blade, some tarnishing of the bronze fixtures, and slight loosening of the scabbard lock. This high-quality dagger remains in an overall extremely fine condition.