Superb - and luxuriously styled! - WWI-period (ie. 'Reichsmarine o. U-Boot'-related) 'souvenir-item' (ie. match-box holder) showing a (detailed engraved!) illustration of the (famous) U-Boot-ace and 'Pour la Mérite'-bearer: 'Kapitänleutnant Weddigen'

This is a truly very interesting - and with certainty rarely encountered! - WWI-period (ie. 'Reichsmarine o. U-Boot'-related) and truly luxuriously-styled 'souvenir-item' (ie. match-box holder) showing a very detailed (engraved!) illustration of of the (famous) U-Boot-ace and 'Pour la Mérite'-bearer named: 'Kapitänleutnant Weddigen' on its front (and on its back a maritime scene and on its side a detailed IC) and that comes as stored for decades and that comes in an overall wonderful (and truly nicely preserved!), condition. The neat - smaller-sized and silvered metal-based - piece (measuring only 6,3 x 4,2 x 2,2 cms.) has truly pronounced detail and was (I deem) never cleaned nor polished: it is of course still functional and came with a (WWII-) period box of matches of the make: 'Welt-Hölzer' that still holds a part of its contents (as can be seen on the pictures). The piece - that shows on its inside a 'glued-in' makers'-etiket from the Belgian(!) based jeweller named: 'Jül. Rothschild - Lüttich Hbf.' - came as issued and/or stored for decades. The WWI- U-Boot ace Otto Eduard Weddigen (15 September 1882 - 18 March 1915) was an Imperial German Navy U-boat-commander during World War I. He was awarded the Pour le Mérite, Germany's highest honour, for sinking four British warships. These attractive, souvenir-pieces could be acquired in specialised (jeweller) hops and or canteens (ie. 'Kasinos') and made a great period means of creating interest in the greater war-effort. Simply a very attractive - and surely very unusually encountered! - WWI-period promotional- ie. souvenir-piece' that would merit further investigative work and that is I deem with certainty accordingly priced!