I agree with Dale Ellis that the asking price at U.S. shows for purported original silver SS lionhead sabers seems to hover "...somewhere around $2000".
However, if you factor in Doug's original requirements of "SS..unquestionable one with provenance"... now you have the crux of any authentication issue. ( And, not even considering the unmarked "SS" silver lionheads that may be, in fact, imperial, customs, fire official, or export.)
Technically, ANYTHING that has a broken chain of ownership between when it was produced and today CANNOT have UNQUESTIONABLE provenance.
It's "provenance" can only have increased or diminished degrees of credibility based on the existence or absence of documentation relating to it's REPORTED chain of ownership. ( Let's face it, most of us weren't there to see these things produced)
And, even with an unbroken chain of ownership, is the memory, or veracity, of the person telling the stories of originality infallible ??
Therefore, in my opinion , virtually nothing, especially 60+ year old war "bring backs", can carry "UNQUESTIONABLE provenance".
But, theoretically speaking, if such a thing were possible... ie: an UNQUESTIONABLE, original silver SS lionhead... based on rarity alone, I would expect it to have a market value in multiples ( 2X, 3x, ???) of those $2000-priced sabers that can rarely, if ever, be totally "unquestionable" to many collectors.
In my opinion, only those collectors who are extremely knowledgeable, or extremely gullible, will ever pay the retail prices for a silver SS lionhead saber.
I would also think it would be interesting to hear from the various "motel buyers" how many of these things they have vet-acquired/encountered.
