Paul,
It's easy to see why this was a 'must have...'
Hard to beat the quality of Meissen porcelain and this is an excellent example of why. The detailed artwork of the badges and awards is beautifully finished and the U-Boot theme is killer through and through.
Manufactured for a submariner reunion after the war, having a 1947-1973 maker's mark. What's amazing to me is that they used swastikas throughout the motif - I'd say that's pretty rare for a postwar, German production of any kind!
As for a price I'd say $400 would be very fair and even a thousand wouldn't be too far out of line. A top-notch SA or Heer dagger will cost that much these days and in my opinion that would be a fair trade value. Even if you paid more than that I can see the attraction to this fine item. Good choice.
Best!
Bill
