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Germany, Imperial. A Superb Silver Flight School Award Plate & Silver Naval Sea Pilots Badges to Ernst Lupri, c.1916

Item: M0044-11

Germany, Imperial. A Superb Silver Flight School Award Plate & Silver Naval Sea Pilots Badges to Ernst Lupri, c.1916

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Germany, Imperial. A Superb Silver Flight School Award Plate & Silver Naval Sea Pilots Badges to Ernst Lupri, c.1916

eMedals is pleased to offer possibly the finest Imperial Naval Pilot's group we have had the pleasure of offering to the collecting community. Acquired recently from the decedents of Ernst Lupri, the group consists of 3 excellent examples of the Sea Pilots Badge as well as one of the finest personalized unit / flight school awards we have encountered.

(Marine-Flugzeugführerabzeichen für Seeflugzeuge). Instituted on 31 May 1913 by Kaiser Wilhelm II. A scarce solid silver (gilded) Naval Sea Pilots Badge, the obverse centre presents an eagle flying towards the left, under the sun with rays, in the lower portion of the obverse are billowing waves with the island Heligoland in the distance, encircled by a wreath composed of oak leaves up the right side and laurel foliage along the left, surmounted by the imperial crown, the reverse presents a vertical pinback with hinge and catch, hallmarked with 800 on the pin, period engraved ERNST LUPRI FLUGZEUGFÜHRER 1915, measuring 46.09 mm (w) x 72.52 mm (h), weighing 55.1 grams, a truly exceptional example of this rare badge, worn however renaming near extremely fine.

A Prinzen Naval Sea Pilots badge, in silver gilt, bearing the same images as the above, reverse presents a horizontal pinback, hallmarked with 800 on reverse of crown, measuring 29.66 mm (w) x 47.52 mm (h), weighing 8.8 grams, and in near very fine condition.

A Miniature of the Naval Sea Pilots Badge, in gilded brass, measuring 12.43 mm (w) x 20.36 mm (h), on a 52.28 mm long pin, and in very fine condition.

A picture postcard, the obverse presenting a black-and-white photograph of Heligoland, stamped with the message PANORAMA ÜBER HELGOLAND MIT FLUGSTATION (PANORAMA OVER HELiGOLAND FLIGHT STATION), reverse presents unused, stamped with maker VERLAG GUSTAV ORTMANN JR., WILHELMSHAVEN (PUBLISHER GUSTAV ORTMANN JR., WILHELMSHAVEN), measuring 13.9 cm (w) x 8.6 cm (h), and in near very fine condition.

An absolutely stunning Award Plate, given as an award during the Spring 1916 graduation from the Naval Flight School at Heligoland. In solid silver and an overall pleasing patina, obverse centre presents etchings of the Naval Sea Pilots Badge and the Naval Observers Badge, with the inscription DIE SEEFLUGSTATION HELGOLAND IHRER LIEBEN FLIEGERTANTE (FROM THE NAVAL AIR FORCE STATION HELIGOLAND TO THEIR BELOVED “FLIEGERTANTE”), below is the date 16 AUGUST 1916, surrounded by a border composed of decorative oak leaves and medallions, the medallions (clockwise) consist of a silver medallion, the obverse centre presents the left-facing bust of Kaiser Wilhelm II, circumscribed by the inscription WILHELM II DEUTSCHER KAISER-KÖNIG V. PREUSSEN, the reverse presents a vertical sword, with the inscription ICH KENNE KEINE PARTEIEN MEHR, ICH KENNE NUR DEUTSCH! from Wilhelm 1914 speech. A silver medallion, the obverse centre presents the left-facing bust of the German Crown Prince Wilhelm, bordered by the inscription WILHELM KRONPRINZ DES DEUTSCHEN REICHES, the reverse presents a vertical sword with the numerals 19 and 14 on either side, surrounded by a wreath of oak leaves, bordered by the inscription DEM SIEGER BEI LONGWY 22 AUGUST (THE WINNER AT LONGWY 22 AUGUST). A silver medallion, the obverse centre presents the front-facing portrait of General Otto von Emmich in uniform, bordered by the inscription GENERAL V. EMMICH, maker marked with L.CHR.LAUER NUERNBERG, the reverse presents a vertical sword with the numerals 19 and 14 on either side, surrounded by a wreath of oak leaves, bordered by the inscription DEM EROBERER VON LÜTTICH 7 AUG (THE CONQUEROR OF LIEGE 7 AUG). A silver medallion, the obverse centre presents the front-facing portrait of General Hans Hartwig von Beseler, bordered by the inscription GENERAL V. BESELER, maker marked with L.CHR.LAUER NUERNBERG, the reverse presents a vertical sword with the numerals 19 and 14 on either side, surrounded by a wreath of oak leaves, bordered by the inscription DEM EROBERER VON ANTWERPEN 10 OKT (THE CONQUEROR OF ANTWERP 10 OCT). A silver medallion, the obverse centre presents the front-facing portrait of Generalfeldmarschall Paul von Hindenburg, bordered by the inscription GENERALFELDM V. BENECKENDORFF V. HINDENBURG, the reverse presents a man defeating a bear, dated 1914, surrounded by the inscription ZUR BEFREIUNG OSTPREUSSENS (FOR THE LIBERATION OF EAST PRUSSIA). A silver medallion, the obverse centre presents the front-facing portrait of Repprecht the Crown Prince of Bavaria, bordered by the inscription RUPPRECHT KRONPRO. VON BAYERN, maker marked with L.CHR.LAUER NUERNBERG, the reverse presents a vertical sword with the numerals 19 and 14 on either side, surrounded by a wreath of oak leaves, bordered by the inscription DEM SIEGER BEI METZ 18-21 AUGUST (THE WINNER AT METZ 18-21 AUGUST). The reverse presents seventeen finely engraved signatures, including those of RÖTHIG, SCHMICKALY, and RATAZZI, each of whom received their Sea Pilots badge in the Spring of 1916. as well as the German state hallmark of a crown and crescent plus the number 800, followed by the letter Z and 322, maker marked B&L, measuring 30.2 cm in diameter, 576 grams, absolutely untouched with a pleasing patina and remaining in extremely fine condition.

Footnote: Notably, the award plate presents the signatures of graduating flight students who appear to have acquired their Sea Pilots badges in the Spring 1916 at the Flight School at Heligoland. These include Röthig - Leutnant zur See der Reserve (Lt.z.S.d.R.) - 25 May 1916, Schmickaly - Flugmaat (Flg.Mt.) - 25 May 1916, Ratazzi - Leutnant zur See (Lt.z.S.) - 12 April 1916.