Original German WWII Army Heer Officer Dagger by Alcoso with Hanger and Possible Post War Etching – c. 1940 Original Items

Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very nice circa 1940 example of the typical German WWII Army Officer dagger with a belt hanger, made by the Solingen-based firm of Alcoso-Werk GmbH. It also has some very nice etching on both sides of the blade, which looks to be wartime, but is not something that can be confirmed unfortunately. It is however very well executed, and names the dagger to a specific regiment. The pommel of this dagger is in good condition, showing a bit of wear around the rim but nothing bad, and the silver plating is worn in areas, having faded to a dark patina in others. The standing oak leaves and acorns are crisply detailed and have good black backgrounds.

The crossguard also shows some of the original silver plating, and the rest has worn through to the aluminum base metal. The details throughout the eagle are good throughout the head, breast and wing feathering, talons and wreathed mobile swas, though there is wear in areas, so the details are not as sharp as they once were.

The celluloid grips of these daggers often these turn orange over the years, just as this one has, however there is no cracking, and it has a nice light pumpkin color. This grip is in good condition throughout, with just a few small scratches. The ferrule is intact, and in very good shape, with the expected oxidation.

The scabbard is a fine silver-plated steel example, with a great patina and almost all of original plating intact. There are however some dents in areas, particularly in the middle of the scabbard. The scabbard looks to have been polished recently, as it is quite bright, with only a few areas of oxidation where the plating has lifted.  The sides have very crisp, finely pebble-grained panels. The aluminum carrying bands have an excellent pattern of overlapping oak leaves and acorns, with hand enhancing evident on each of the leaves. The throat is the narrow style and the single retaining screw is unfortunately missing.

Attached to the scabbard is a good condition belt hanger, with both aluminized zinc spring clips functional and a great patina. The buckles and keepers bear the same oak and acorn motif seen throughout the dagger, and still have good plating. This hanger is overall in excellent condition, with a solid bullion side, and completely intact felt backing.

The carbon steel blade is in very good condition, and has not been sharpened or dropped on the tip. There are several small stained areas and speckling, however it still has nearly complete original factory final polish crossgrain throughout, except where it has been etched. The leather blade washer is still intact and in place, and the needle-like tip is still intact.

The front and back of the blade bear very well-executed etched panels, with lots of floral motifs. The front of the dagger has a central panel with a German regimental designation in what looks to be Textura Black Letter Typeface:

Artl. Reg. 47
Lötzen / Ostpr.

This would be the abbreviation for the 47th Artillery Regiment, which was apparently stationed in Lötzen, which was in the WWII German administrative division known as Ostpreußen (East Prussia). After the war, the entire area was ceded to Poland, and today the city is known as Giżycko.

The reverse ricasso is etched with the trademark Alcoso used in 1939-1940. It depicts the scales with the firm’s initials, ACS interspersed. Above is the firm’s name, Alcoso in script and below the town of business, SOLINGEN, the legendary “City of Blades” in Western Germany.

Alcoso was originally a trade name of Alexander Coppel & Co. KG, Stahlwarenfabrik, located in Solingen, the legendary German “City of Blades.” The company was a major manufacturer of edged weapons and tools from the end of the 19th century up until the WWII period. Unfortunately, as NSDAP-control increased, brothers Carl Gustav and Dr. Alexander Coppel, the Jewish owners of the firm, were forced out. In 1936 the firm had been “Aryanized”, and started using the name ALCOSO to hide the Jewish family name. By the end of 1936 the brothers were ejected from their Solingen offices, and by 1940 the brand trademark initials ACS were changed to AWS to reflect the change in ownership and name: Alexander Coppel Solingen to Alcoso-Werk Solingen. Carl Gustav Coppel committed suicide in Solingen in 1941, and Dr. Alexander Coppel was arrested in 1942 and sent to Theresienstadt Prison camp, where he died August 5th 1942. For more information please see J. Anthony Carter’s book, GERMAN KNIFE AND SWORD MAKERS.

Overall a great example of a German Heer Officer’s Dagger with a lovely etched blade and hanger, from a maker with a somber back story.

The German Army (Heer) first carried a dagger beginning in 1935. The weapon was worn in lieu of occasions not demanding the wearing of a more formal sword. The dagger design was quite attractive featuring silvered heavy fittings with white or colored grip. The crossguard depicted a Wehrmacht open-winged eagle clutching a wreathed swas.

The pommel depicted oak leafing around the outer circumference. The scabbard had panels of pebble designs. Later produced examples were plated with nickel, and late war-made pieces were unplated, finished in a gray color metal. This early war version is quite nice, and in great shape.