UBB.threads Forums General Militaria Flags, Field Gear, and Miscellaneous Militaria and Regalia Forum massive wall eagle ..original or fantasy??

good evening and happy new year to everybody...i saw this massive metal eagle for sale. 55x 63 cm and 7cm maximum thickness for 20 kg of weight!!
it shows some little cracks but no maker marks or other marks at all...what do you think about it?? the seller "thinks"it's original...:)
thanks a lot

correction: the seller said that is stone or plaster

They are commonly called Railroad Eagles over here and if real are worth good money.

thanks dove...i saw many rail eagles but they were metal...this is plaster or stone...never seen before

I seriously doubt it is a WWII period item.
Best Wishes,
Bob

thanks bob

Sorry, but that is not a railroad Adler.

Looks like an aluminum stamped form which was then filled with plaster.
I also would suspect post-war but in any case… eye-catching!!

Best,
Johnny

Anytime Luca!
For the "right" price it is cool!
Best Wishes,
Bob

Gents,

Just wanted to add a few thoughts about the eagle. As Johnny V. correctly pointed out, this is definitely not a railroad eagle. A plaster or lightweight casting would never hold up to the rigors of foul weather and being jostled around on a train car, or even hanging on a building exposed to the elements. Much too fragile.

The eagles profile looks like the work of Kurt Schmid-Ehmen, prominent sculptor of the famous Nurnburg eagle. Why it's looking to its left I have no idea..? It does look like a good professional job of casting, painting, shading and mounting method, no matter by who or when the piece was actually made, pre or post-war.

My first thought was that it was made for some kind of inside event, maybe a formal, staged rally or speaking occasion? Possibly from a pair of eagles whose heads faced each other? Without photographic evidence everything is just so much imaginative speculation, including my own.

What I think matters most here is the good advice that Bob gave, that of price. I hope more than a few will take something from this. If an item is being offered and especially if it's being sold as an original, what's the price, crazy money? If so, and originality is in doubt, I'd suggest immediately moving on to the next thing, post haste! However, if it has a reasonable price tag, even though it may be fake, is it worth it to you? I'm sure many of us have purchased clever imitations and reproductions at one time or another, trusting for a reasonable sum and not some ridiculous fee? (though many of us have done that, too, heh) If you treat an object that you're considering as a fake from the beginning and it won't cost you a fortune, by all means jump in if it's appealing. Why not? I very much agree with Robert's line of thinking, his tip is "spot-on."

Best regards and good collecting to everyone!

Bill W.