McGill Rare & Exotic Curio Collectibles - Catalogue 1

This is an original, Adolf Hitler, signed watercolor of a European church interior looking into a baptismal room. A baptismal font is shown with a window in the background. The work is signed lower right, A.Hitler, and measures 9' x 11 '. The "Watercolor" was completed between 1908-14, and originates from the collection of Baron Karl von Schwabe #55. This Hitler "Watercolor" is very rare due to the fact that only few interiors exist compared to numerous landscape and building exteriors. The Hitler "Watercolor" poses the question - What if Hitler had been accepted to study architecture in Vienna and pursue his love of Roman and Greek architecture, design grandiose buildings and over 40 million lives saved? Adolf Hitler was one of the key historical military figures of our century. He was an able artist, a talented technician and architect.

Hitler's works embrace all periods of his life: his early school boy doodles, postcards, sketches, watercolors, works of art from Vienna and Munich, the drawings and paintings from the first World War on through as a budding politician, and finally as Chancellor of Germany, then leader of the Third Reich. Adolf Hitler stated, "my architectural sketches, which I drew up were my most prized possessions, the property of my mind." These works have survived, many lost and some are turning up from private collectors who have decided to put them on the market. This CHURCH INTERIOR "Watercolor", is one of those such pieces that has surfaced in the United States. The "A.Hitler" signature on the "Watercolor" is exact in comparison to others shown on several of his works.

Hitler's Church Interior, c.1908 pencil/paper sketch of a window with baptismal font (ADOLF HITLER, Billy F. Price, Cat. #73, p. 110) is the work study drawing for Hitler's CHURCH INTERIOR "Watercolor". At the time, Hitler frequented the church for help and understood that there is spiritual survival in Salvation. Hitler's "WATERCOLOR" directly entombs his spiritual affinity to one of the traditional sacraments of the church - Baptism, which is a necessary part of Salvation. Later Hitler thought he was like a savior for the Arian race, the German peoples, to purify the evil forces of the world, who were against the National Socialism of Germany and the Third Reich.

After considerable research and careful examination, it is in my opinion the value of the CHURCH INTERIOR WATERCOLOR, signed "A.Hitler," is $25,000.00.

D'Arcangelo Fine Arts

Louis D'Archangelo, Member of the Appraisers Association of America, Inc.

Sponsors: Atlantic Mutual Companies, Chubb Group of Insurance Companies, AXA Art Insurance Corporation, Doyle New York

Ancient 1809 shipwreck coin with certification. This coin was recovered in 1985 from the remains of the Honorable East India company ship ADMIRAL GARDNER wrecked in the Goodwin Sands in January, 1809. The vessel was en route to Bengal India with a cargo of copper ingots and coins specially minted for the company. The Goodwin Sands, a treacherous bank of sandbars just off the English coast, was well deserving of its nickname, "The Shipswallower." In 1809 the Admiral Gardner and her sister ship, Britannia, met their match and ended up at the bottom of this nautical graveyard. The Admiral Gardner was loaded with a cargo of anchors, cannonballs, copper ingots, iron bars, and a shipment of new copper coins minted by the East India company. This is one of those coins - as it was found after being in the sea for 176 years. The coins were struck by the Soho Mint and were the first coins to be struck on a steam driven coin press. The press was designed by Soho owner, Matthew Boulton and his former business partner, James Watt - among the earliest pioneers in the development of the steam engine. Admiral Gardner's treasure lay at the bottom of the Goodwin Sands from January 25, 1809 until it was discovered by a group of English adventeruros in 1985. This coin is one from that wreck. The coin is beautifully mounted in a 5" x 7" walnut frame and the backing has a history of the ship and coin. The coin is in a plastic pocket so both sides can be viewed or the coin can be removed. Under the clear plastic pocket is a picture of what the Admiral Gardner might have looked like. Note that after over 190 years the coin is in excellent near mint condition. I have not cleaned the coin, but do include instructions on how to do so if you wish. It comes with a history of the incident.

This war club is of the nature of those used by the Shawnee Indians in the Ohio country during the Indian wars of 1774-1800. The handle is a tightly rolled piece of soft leather (apparently elkhide) which is hand-stitched into a tube that is 5/8" in diameter and 12-1/2" long. The head portion of the club is a smooth slightly oval-shaped rock over which stretched wet elkhide had been sewn and allowed to dry tightly, with the "neck of that stone container attaching to the rolled leather handle and securely sewn together. From the other end of this stone-holding pouch hang four strands of leather, two of which have metal cones (shaped sheet tin, perhaps) and it looks as if there may have once been four of these, but two are missing. The pouched stone measures 2-3/4" long by 2-1/4" wide by 1-3/8" thick at its thickest. Thus, the full, outstretched length of the war club is 15-1/4" long, exclusive of the four rawhide strands.

The war club was offered for sale at a farm auction in May, 1957 just outside Miamisburg (Montgomery Co.), Ohio, and was purchased by Allan W. Eckert (then of Dayton, Ohio), who has no doubt of the weapon's authenticity, nor that it is of Shawnee origin. He estimates that it was likely made and in use around 1780 -- about the time the Kentucky Militia under General George Rogers Clark crossed the Ohio River and invaded Shawnee territory on a mission of destruction against the Shawnee principal village of Chalahgawtha (Chillicothe), 3 miles north of present Xenia, Green Co., Ohio.

This wood is a piece of the actual hull from the USS Constitution. It was acquired from the USS Constitution Museum during the 1974 restorations. This exhibit represents a living piece of maritime history from the most famous and oldest commissioned warship afloat in the world.

In 1794 The CONSTITUTION construction began. The ship was being built to defend the young American nation. The ship is nearly as old as the historic document for which President Washington names her. Both the document and the ship have proven to be resilient symbols of America's strength, courage, and liberty.

Built at Edmund Hartt's shipyard, in Boston, her construction team was made up of superintendent Capt. Samuel Nicholson, chief constructor Col. George Claghorne, and naval agent Gen. Henry Jackson. Made from approximately 2,000 trees (with specialty woods obtained from Maine to Georgia), armed with cannons cast in Rhode Island, and fitted with copper fastenings provided by the famous Boston smith Paul Revere, the vessel was truly a "national" ship. Launched on October 21, 1797, she doesn't put to sea until 1798. But, having remained part of the U.S. Navy since her launching day, the CONSTITUTION is today the oldest commissioned warship afloat in the world.

From the Mid-Cambrian period, a member of the Superfamily Agnostacea (McCoy, 1849) and Family Diplagnostidae (Whitehouse, 1936) and Order Agnostida (Salter, 1864). Genus and Species is Battagnostus eurypyx (the Genus named by Lochman and the species by Robison.) There are, of course, many Genera of similar so-called "blind" trilobites in the Family Diplagnostidae, and quite a few that look amazingly similar under the Order Agnostida. The giveaway, however, that identifies this specifically as Battagnostus eurypyx is that it is the only trilobite of that family which has postlateral spines on the pygidium (tail end) as well as on the cephalum (head segment). All the others share having postlateral spines on the cephalum, but ONLY Battagnostus eurypyx has the rearward-pointing spines on the pygidium... and these are clearly apparent.

A beautiful specimen of opalized wood, discovered by Dr. Allan W. Eckert at the Rainbow Ridge mine in Virgin Valley, NV on Sept. 22, 1991. This wonder of nature came from Dr. Eckert's personal collection who is considered one of the world's leading experts on precious opals and is the author of the definitive opal book, "The World of Opals".

Eckert is also an historian, naturalist, novelist, poet, and playwright. The author of thirty-nine published books, he has been nominated on seven separate occasions for the Pulitzer Prize in Literature. Eckert was recipient of an Emmy Award from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, and is playwright of the acclaimed outdoor drama entitled Tecumseh.

Lush patch of Autunite on feldspar matrix fluoresces bright green under short-wave UV light. This beautiful specimen is radioactive due to its uranium content and measures Size: 2-1/8"x3-1/4". It was discovered in the Chalk Mountain Mine, of Chalk Mountain in Spruce Pine, Mitchell County, North Carolina. This is a fabulous radioactive specimine.

Autunite is one of the more attractive and popular radioactive minerals. To state the obvious, the uranium in its chemical formula provides this radioactivity. Autunite is probably the most popular uranium mineral for collectors. Its green and yellow color shades seem to glow and are actually fluorescent. The crystal aggregates look like inflated mica books and are very distinctive. The structure is composed of phosphate tetrahedrons linked to uranium-oxygen groups that form distorted octahedrons. The phosphates and uranium groups lie in sheets that are weakly held together by water molecules. This structure produces the tabular habit, the one perfect direction of cleavage, and the relative softness.

Autunite can lose water and convert to a different mineral called meta-autunite-I of the meta-autunite/meta-torbernite group of minerals and with heating can produce a meta-autunite-II mineral. Oddly, neither mineral is found in nature in any appreciable abundance. However, the conversion is irreversible and ongoing, and all collection specimens of a certain age are at least partially converted. Eventually after many years the meta-autunite will powder, and the specimen will be ruined. Fine autunite specimens should be stored in a closed container to avoid water loss. Some drastic measures have been attempted on fine museum quality specimens to thwart the conversion to meta-autunite, including lacquering. Remember, this is also a radioactive mineral and should be stored away from other minerals that are affected by radioactivity, and human exposure should be limited.

This specimen is in compliance with USPS regulations specified in Pub. 52, Exhibit 347.22, and 49 CFR 173.42

This unique Skull of a Sacred Monkey that roamed the Buddhist Temples in Tibet. The monkey was raised and meticulously cared for its entire life by the Buddhist Monks and participated in secret religious rituals. After death the skull was dried, preserved, and then Exquisitely Decorated. About mid-center on the back of the skull is a hinge which enables the top half the skull to be opened. Inside is a beautifully decorated holding area, which was used by the Buddhist Monks as a container for an orange ritual Powder and oil.

Apes and monkeys are sacred in India just as they once were in ancient Egypt. The sacred or temple monkey is designated the Hanuman langur by scientists, after the devoted companion of Lord Rama. (Hanu means jaw or chin. Anjaneya is another name for Hanuman, cf. Anjuna Beach in Goa.) The names Bali and Sugreev also refer to monkeys. A langur has long, sharp canine teeth and it can travel as fast as 20 miles an hour, so is not an animal to be teased or trifled with. It also has an excellent aim.

Many Hindu temples encourage their residence as they are seen as signs of divine favor and also act as guardians. The famous Durga Temple in Varanasi is a monkey temple. Buddhist temples protect them, too and their skulls may be used for ritual objects when they die a natural death. Monkey is one of the Four Friends. In a view of the steps leading up to Swayambhu in Nepal, you can see some langurs sitting and lying on the wide, flat railings. A legend has it that these monkeys are the form taken by the lice in bodhisattva Manjushri's hair! Another bodhisattva, Avalokiteshvara embodiment of compassion, descended to earth in the form of a monkey to mate with Senma, a lonely nature spirit, and produce the Tibetan people.

About 49,500 years ago a 60 to 80 meter iron meteorite struck the Earth at over 25,000 mph.The resulting explosion created a crater one mile in diameter and 600 feet deep with a rim over 150 feet high. The fragments that survived vaporization were heated to temperatures high enough to alter the Widmanstatten pattern of the meteorites of the rim location, and they were rapidly cooled in less than two minutes creating the iron-carbon alloy martensite. The shock waves created pressures inside the fragments greater than 600 kilobars which transformed graphite into diamonds. All of the diamond-bearing fragments were recovered from the crater rim with the exception of one plains specimen, and all were strongly shocked. The remaining plains specimens were only lightly to moderately shocked and contain no diamonds. This is consistant with other evidence supporting the theory that the diamonds were formed upon impact with the Earth. The graphite particles present in the meteorite were transformed by the compression waves into droplets of liquid carbon and then frozen into tiny diamonds when decompressed by the rarefaction wave.

By relating known relationships among noble gas isotope ratios, the cosmic ray exposure age can be determined for the Canyon Diablo object. The oldest exposure date is 540 m.y. ago, with a secondary collision occurring 170 m.y. ago. One fragment shows evidence of a third collision 15 m.y. ago. More than half of all iron meteorites found on Earth have exposure ages of between 500 and 600 m.y. ago. Most H chondrites, representing the largest group of stony meteorites found on Earth, suffered intense shock and reheating about 520 m.y. ago.

The cosmic ray exposure ages of the Canyon Diablo fragments can be correlated with the Helium 3 isotope abundance in the fragments to determine the depth at which individual fragments were residing in the main body before Earth impact. This depth was correlated with the location at which each specimen had been collected, either the rim or the plains. The rim specimens had originally been at a depth of more than a meter within the main mass, and about half of the plains specimens had been closer to the surface. The conclusion can be made that the more deeply buried fragments experienced greater shock, the shock produced diamonds from graphite, and these heavily shocked fragments were ejected with low velocity landing on the rim. The surviving fragments all came from the outer two meters of the rear of the object; probably located in areas such as corners, humps, edges, or projections where cancellation between primary and reflected shock waves occurred. Of the two-million ton mass of the original body, only about 50,000 tons of material making up the rearmost 2 meters could have escaped vaporization. Of this amount, only about 2,000 tons can be accounted for in meteorite fragments, shale balls, and other oxidation products. Isolated meteorite fragments account for only 30 tons of this amount. Thus, only 4% of the rear 2 meters or .1% of the entire impacting body survived.

The early history of the Canyon Diablo object can also be described. About 4.55 b.y. ago, inside the parent body, a melting process separated the nickle-iron alloy from the silicates with which it was originally associated. During the next .5 to 1.5 b.y. the iron cooled through the temperature range from 700C to 400C at a rate of about 1C per m.y., creating the Widmanstatten pattern of crystal formation. This cooling rate would be consistant with the asteroidal body being between 250 and 500 km diameter. This is between a third and two-thirds that of the largest known asteroid, Ceres.

This ornate gunpowder flask is made of copper with very beautiful designs. It was found on a dig in the California deserts. The Ornate designs include a 13 star colonial flag, cannon and crossed rifles. A few nicks and dents combined with the rich patina really give this item a historical feel.

This crystallized gypsum was found in the Chihuahuan Desert in Mexico about 10 feet under the sand. The water precipitates through the sand desolving the minerals and then crystallizes in beautiful intersecting fan formations.

This is an extremely rare museum specimen of a African slave manilla. Only a handful of these 'hoard' manillas exist in private collections and very little is known about them. The ornamentation and rich patina of this exhibit are breath taking. It is heavy, large and its authenticity is unquestionable.

This copper manilla measures c. 115 mm x 95 mm x 44 mm at its widest points. Its weight is c. 1,293 gramms. Some scientists believe that manillas of this kind were used as bride money or for hoarding. B. Brosamer-Weber who prepared volume II part 2 of SAMMLUNG KHLER-OSBAHR published by Kultur- und Stadhistorisches Museum Duisburg wrote:

"For many of us fancy African manillas as the primitive money at all. But up to now it is not yet proven that manillas existed at all before the Portuguese reached the African coast line. At least the word "manilla" is of Portuguese origin - probably formed by the merger of "mao" (hand) and "anilho" (ring). It is unknown, too, why the Africans wanted this form and why they did not want the more simple copper bars. One idea is that fishermen found in their nets copper deformed that way originating from sunken Portuguese ships (The Portuguese explorated the African West coast since 1416). The Africans believed the copper to be of value and told the Portuguese that more of this stuff was needed. Shortly after the Portuguese noted this African need they exported amounts of copper among which were many manillas. Since the 15th cenry manillas became a commodity currency - spreading from the kingdom of Benin all over West Africa."

"The value or purchasing power of manillas changed. The value was not only determined by weight and fineness but by the African taste, too, something Europeans had excessive problems to understand. At about 1500 a slave could be bought for 12 to 15 manillas. In Benin the value deteriorated so much that in the 18th century no manillas could be sold there."

"It is neither known of which form and of which design the manillas imported from Europe were nor is it possible to assort manillas produced in Africa to tribes or regions. The proof of the last is nearly impossible because there was an eager trade and manillas were often recast. There is no way, either, to assort manillas by the very many signs, ornaments, engravings, punch marks etc."

Quality specimen of a one century old human skullcap from an executed murder. The exterior is painstakingly carved into an eerie likeness of a Tibetan demon's face, and is surrounded by the typical stylized skeleton faces. The Kapala is frequently used in offerings by worshipers to the fierce Tantric deities of Hindu India and Buddhist Tibet. In Tibet the skull cup is displayed on the Buddhist altar and is used in ritual. When filled with human blood it is known as Asrakapala, when filled with human flesh it is called Mamsakapala. In Tantric rituals the deities are summoned to partake of the blood or flesh of the demon.

The skull cup, known as kapala in Sanskrit, is fashioned from the oval upper section of a human cranium. It serves as a libation vessel for a vast number of Vajrayana deities, mostly wrathful. As a ritual implement, the selection of the right skull is of immense importance for the success of the ritual. The skull of a murder or execution victim is believed to possess the greatest tantric power; the skull of one who has died from a violent or accidental death, or from a virulent illness, possesses a medium magical power; the skull of a person who died peacefully in old age has virtually no occult power. The skull of a child who died during the onset of puberty also has great potency, as do the skulls of miscegenated or misbegotten child of unknown paternity, born from the forbidden union of castes, out of wedlock, from sexual misdemeanor, or particularly from incest. The 'misbegotten skull' of a seven or eight-year-old child born from an incestuous union is considered to possess the greatest power in certain tantric rituals. Here the vital force or potential of the skull's 'previous owner' is embodied within the bone as a spirit, rendering it as an effective power object for the performance of tantric rituals.

As the libation vessel of the Vajrayana practitioner, the skull cup essentially parallels the clay pot (kumbha in Sanskrit) of the Vedic sacrifice, the alms bowl of the Buddha, and the sacred water vase (Kalasha in Sanskrit) of the bodhisattvas. As a receptacle for sacrificial offerings presented to wrathful deities, it parallels the precious tray containing auspicious substances-the jewels, flowers, or fruit presented to peaceful deities. In its most benign symbolism, as the begging bowl or food vessel of an ascetic, the skull cup serves as a constant reminder of death and impermanence.

In the iconography of wrathful protective deities the skull cup, held at the level of the heart, may also be paired with the curved knife or chopper which may be held above the skull cup. Here the chopper is the weapon that severs the life veins and vital organs of demonic enemies, and the cup is the oblation vessel in which the blood and organs are collected as the deity's sustenance. Descriptions of the contents of a wrathful deity's kapala include warm human blood, blood and brains, blood and intestines, human flesh and fat, the heart or the heart and lungs of an enemy, the heart of Mara and the blood of Rudra.

But it is not only the wrathful deities who hold the skull-cup. Certain other deities may hold other attributes within their skull cups. Padmasambhava, for example, holds a skull cup described as an ocean of nectar, in which floats a longevity vase.

The people of South America known collectively as the Jivaro are well know for their practice of shrinking the heads of their enemies. Raids on alien tribes are carried out specifically to secure tsantsas, or shrunken head trophies. The attacks are usually small and are usually carried out on one house where the victim may be caught unaware. The trophies bring prestige to the head takers and trap the avenging souls of their victims.

The first step is the removal of the head of the unfortunate victim. The skin is cut around the top parts of the chest and back and the head is cut off close to the collarbone. The head taker then passes a vine through the head to carry it, and makes a fast retreat. The head is prepared over 5 or 6 days during brief stops on the return trip home. A slit is made in the back of the head, and the skin is carefully removed from the skull. The skull is then thrown into the river as a "gift to the anaconda". (Harner, The Jivaro, p. 187) The skin is then boiled in plain water for about half an hour. By now it has reduced to about half of its original size. It is then placed over a stick and left to dry.

The skin is now turned inside out, and any remaining flesh is scraped away. It is turned right side out again, and the slit in the back where the skull was removed is sewn together and the mouth is tied shut. Several small rocks are heated in a fire and placed into the skin. They are rolled around inside until cool, dumped, and the process is repeated until the tsantsa has shrunk too much to accommodate the stones. Hot sand is used to continue the shrinking. At this time the head is shaped, and a hot knife is pressed against the mouth to dry it. Throughout the shrinking process the neck must be drawn closed with a string that has been sewn through it so that it will remain proportionate to the head.

The skin is rubbed throughout the process with charcoal dust, purposely darkening it so the previous owner's musiak, or avenging soul, will not be able to see out. By the time the shrinking process is finished, the tsantsa will be about the size of a man's fist. Three palm pins are placed through the lips and tied together, and red seeds are often placed under the eyelids. A small hole is made in the top and a string is passed through so that the tsantsa may be worn.

Three elaborate feasts are now given. The first is for 2 days. The second is much more elaborate, lasting 5 days. Often a year passes before enough resources can be gathered for this feast, which is sponsored by the tsantsa gatherers, who often feel obligated to build new houses just for the comfort of their guests. After several months, if enough resources can be gathered, a third feast is given, even more elaborate than the second. At this time the tsantsa is worked on further. The pins are removed from the lips, and cotton strings (usually two to each lip hole, 2 to 3 feet in length) are passed through the holes. The villagers then chant to expel the musiak from the tsantsa, sending it safely back to its home village. Toucan feathers are hung from the ears as decoration. The tsantsa is kept by the head taker and is often buried with him.

The musiak is regarded as having powers that can be controlled through the tsantsa during the celebration feasts. Most tsantsas are taken from groups outside the tribe, but rarely a member of the same tribe living in a different (very distant or hostile) village is killed. Rather than take his head (which would be considered too antagonistic), some hair is pulled out and attached to a gourd with beeswax. Features are scratched into the gourd, and it becomes a holding place for the musiak. The heads of tree sloths are also occasionally shrunken. They are considered the only animals capable of possessing a musiak.

Collectors and museums created a demand for shrunken heads. The Jivaro were understandably reluctant to part with such valuable possessions, and at the same time the practice began to wane. The demand became greater as the Tsantsas grew more rare, and the prices offered rose. Many very realistic fakes were crafted from animal skins, which fooled many collectors and museums. Today some of these fakes are still sold as souvenirs. Many of the older fakes are sold as "classic fakes" and are themselves fetching high prices. The image of the shrunken head has been firmly planted in the pantheon of popular American kitsch culture by pulp novels and b-movies, and rubber versions still appear occasionally dangling from the rear view windows of automobiles.

Genuine Colt Marine Dragoon Revolver. This Colt, limited edition re-issue Marine .44 caliber Dragoon has a 24-kt gold-plated cylinder, gold trigger, lever, and hammer with a silver-plated frame and 7.5" barrel. A rare issue, one of just 950 in the world.

Amazing specimen of a fossilized seed fern tree pinnule which is inside of this concretion. This specimen was discovered by and came from the personal collection of Dr. Allan W. Eckert, who is an historian, naturalist, novelist, poet, and playwright. The author of thirty-nine published books, he has been nominated on seven separate occasions for the Pulitzer Prize in Literature. Eckert was recipient of an Emmy Award from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, and is playwright of the acclaimed outdoor drama entitled Tecumseh.

These instruments were used and still are, no longer ornamented but otherwise not much changed in oral and rectal formats, like the present specimen, and in the larger vaginal one. They are forced into the mouth, rectum or vagina of the victim and there expanded by force of the screw to the maximum aperture of the segments. The inside of the cavity in question is irremediably mutilated, nearly always fatally so. The pointed prongs at the end of the segments serve better to rip into the throat, the intestines or the cervix.

The oral pear was often inflicted on heretical preachers, but also on lay persons guilty of unorthodox tendencies; the rectal pear awaited passive male homosexuals, and the vaginal one women guilty of sexual union with Satan or his familiars.

Mutilation of breasts and female genitalia has been an omnipresent and constant usage throughout history. Insomuch as the soul of torture is male, male organs have always enjoyed the benefit of a species of immunity notwithstanding certain exceptions, a fact that leads to the hypothesis of a fraternal understanding between male victim and male judge-torturer, an understanding that must have been welded into the nascent primordial mind eons ago.

And since the soul of torture is male, and in the tenebrosity of his unilluminable nature the male is terrified by the mysteries of the female's cycles and fecundity, but above all by her inherent intellectual, emotional and sexual superiority, those organs that define her essence have forever been subjected to his most savage ferocity, he being superior only in physical strength. Hence centuries of witch hunts, with unspeakable methods.

The pear had more than one implementation, with the most popular being the oral use. The pear was also used in the rectum and in the vagina. The pear was "expanded by force of the screw to the maximum aperture of their segments. The inside of the cavity in question is irremediably mutilated, nearly always fatally so. The pointed prongs at the end of the segments serve better to rip into the throat" or "the intestines."

Not long after Reagan's' poignant speech, the wall fell, forever changing the region and the world. This is an authentic piece of that historical moment that defined history and continues to define the world today.

This is a large chunk of the Berlin Wall that was acquired from a US Soldier that was in Germany when the Wall came down. This is a fragment from a large 10" Long by 5" wide piece. The piece is nicely colored with original graffiti and is stamped with markings that read, "Original Berlin Wall Wauer 9-11-89." This piece of history is as nice as they come, extremely rare and not to be confused with the tiny little chunks you typically find.

"General Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek peace, if you seek prosperity for the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, if you seek liberalization: Come here to this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!"

President Ronald Reagan stood at the Brandenburg Gate of West Berlin, Germany on June 12, 1987. He delivered a speech to the people of West Berlin, yet it was also audible on the East side of the Berlin wall.

The President spoke at 2:20 p.m. In his opening remarks, he referred to West German Chancellor Helmut Kohl. Prior to his remarks, President Reagan met with West German President Richard von Weizsacker and the Governing Mayor of West Berlin Eberhard Diepgen at Schloss Bellevue, President Weizsacker's official residence in West Berlin. Following the meeting, President Reagan went to the Reichstag, where he viewed the Berlin Wall from the East Balcony.

The Nuclear Age was ushered in with the world's first atomic detonation at Trinity Site on July 16, 1945, producing a blast equivalent to eighteen thousand tons of TNT. Trinity Site is located on the northern end of Whites Sands Missile Range in central New Mexico. Trinitite, produced by the explosion from molten earth and sand was highly radioactive in 1945 when it was formed, more than fifty years have passed and at the present time, radioactivity is very low.

This item is the base of a ceramic container which has been broken, leaving a half-circle 4.5" in diameter. Set into the glaze is the German eagle and swastika and under this cast into the china is the marking "WEIN 0". The eagle and swastika stamping are central and clear.

This is one of the few items recovered from the former site of the Fhrer Bunker located in An der Kolonade, Berlin, Germany. This bunker was build in 1936 in the garden of the old chancellery ("Alte Reichskanzlei"). In 1943 the Hochtief company build a new bunker in the garden of the old chancellery. This was deeper in the ground that the 1936 bunker. The 1943 and 1936 bunkers were connected via a stair. The 1936 was then called "Vorbunker". The 1943 bunker was the actual bunker for Hitler "Fhrer Bunker").

In 1988 the East-German authorities (the site of the bunker was in East-German territory, near the Berlin Wall) started to examine the remains of the bunker, removing among other things, this fragment which was likely in Hitler's presence during the last days of his life. After finishing their examination the 1936 bunker ("Vorbunker") was destroyed. Today nothing remains of this site.

The circumstances of the recovery, as related by Robert Haag, begins with a man chasing crows out of his cornfield near Zagami Rock, Nigeria. All of a sudden the man heard a loud explosion and was buffetted by a shock wave. Seconds later there was a puff of smoke and a thud about ten feet away. Afraid that an artillery shell had landed, he waited a few minutes before approaching the two-foot hole.

A 40 pound, calcium-rich, basaltic achondrite had just completed a 3 million-year journey from Mars. Evidence supporting this origin includes a crystallization age of only 180 m.y. ago, residual magnetic properties, a mineral composition that contains water (kaersutite), trapped gases in percentages the same as those found by the Viking and Pathfinder missions, and a weak gravity field on the crystallizing minerals. Along with Zagami, twelve other meteorites comprising three separate groups, shergottites, nakhlites, and a chassignite, fit the criteria for Martian origin.

The shergottite group has been divided into two distinct subgroups; those with a volcanic origin consisting primarily of the clinopyroxenes pigeonite and augite, to which Zagami belongs, and those with a plutonic origin consisting primarily of olivine, chromite, and orthopyroxene known as lherzolites or harzburgites. Shergottites as a group have a large percent of their composition as plagioclase feldspar which was shocked after crystallization to 31 GPa, creating maskelynite intergrowths. The pyroxene crystals of pigeonite and augite have Mg-rich cores indicating crystallization in a slowly cooling magma chamber at a depth of ~7-15 km. This is consistent with a typical Tharsis-type volcanic magma chamber such as Olympus Mons. Studies also suggest a possible second stage, rapid-cooling period in a thick lava flow also consistent with that of a Tharsis-type terrain.

Crystallization of Zagami from the molten state took place a recent 180 m.y. ago. A subsequent shock event occurring ~3 m.y. ago resulted in the maskelynization of plagioclase and was probably the impact event that launched the rock into space. This cosmic ray exposure (CRE) age for Zagami matches that of two of the other four basaltic shergottites suggesting a simultaneous ejection event on Mars. The three lherzolites likewise have CRE ages that coincide at ~4 m.y. ago, being ejected from Mars just 1 m.y. before the three basaltic shergottites. The other two basaltic shergottites, EET79001 and Dar al Gani 476, have very similar CRE ages of 0.82 (+/-0.2) m.y. and 1.1 m.y. respectively, as well as similar mineralogy, representing at least one additional magma source on Mars than the other members of the two subgroups.

Zagami is very similar to terrestrial basalts in even minor and trace element content. However, factors such as a high CRE age, Fe- and Mn-rich composition, lack of water, and oxygen isotopic differences, point to an origin from Mars rather than from Earth.

This authentic artifact is a Roman bronze cup fragment. Unearthed at a military/settlement site near the modern town of Varna, Bulgaria, once known as Odessus to the ancients; this artifact dates to the 1st-6th centuries AD, more than 1600 years ago.

Bulgaria, known as Moesia Inferior, was an important province in the eastern Empire, providing military bases; and naval and commercial ports on the Black Sea.

This artifact measures 1.50" long and is in the shape of a bull. Enameling highlights the eye. Although fragmentary, this appears to have originally been a part of a drinking or libation cup.

Professionally cleaned of all surface dirt, this artifact still retains an earth patina from soil contact for many hundreds of years. This artifact would make a welcomed addition to any antiquities collection.

A phurpa, sometimes called a "magic dagger", is a tantric ritual object used to conquer evil spirits and to destroy obstacles. It is utilized in magic rituals by high level tantric practitioners. The word phurpa is used primarily in Central Tibet, while the word phurbu is used more often in Kham, Amdo and Ladakh.

The component phur in the word phurpa is a Tibetan rendering of the Sanskrit word kila, meaning peg or nail. The phurpa is an implement that nails down as well as binds. It was thus by stabbing a phurpa into the earth, and thereby nailing and binding the evil spirits, that Padmasambhava, regarded as the inventor of this implement, consecrated the ground on which the Samye monastery was established in the eighth century. Whatever the original shape of the Indian kila may have been (none has survived), it seems very likely that in Tibet the form of the phurpa, with its three-sided blade, was suggested by the pegs that were driven into the earth to hold the rope stays of the tent. Due to the essentially nomadic nature of life in ancient Tibet, the tent was an important part of their routine. While traveling it was used by all, the peasants, the traders, the royalty, nobility and even the exalted monks. Indeed, the peg of the tent is the prototype of the phurpa. Its triple blade is really not a dagger but a peg, precisely the kind of peg used to secure tents.

The triple blade of the phurpa symbolizes the overcoming or cutting through of the three root poisons of ignorance, desire, and hatred, and also represents control over the three times of past, present and future. The triangular shape represents the element of fire and symbolizes wrathful activity. The tenacious grip of the makara-head at the top of the blade represents its ferocious activity.

When using the phurpa, the practitioner first meditates, then recites the sadhana of the phurpa, and then invites the deity to enter the phurpa. As he does so, the practitioner visualizes that he is frightening and conquering the evil spirits by placing the evil under the point of the phurpa. Or sometimes the practitioner visualizes throwing the phurpa in order to impale and subdue the spirits. The success will depend on the practitioner's spirituality, concentration, motivation, and his karmic connections with the deity of the phurpa and the evil spirits.

This slave tag is almost 300 years old. Made of copper, this item possesses ornate scroll work and a magnificent aged patina. The ornamental designs and text are clear though there is some wear. The front of the tag reads, "CAPE COAST CASTLE TRADING POST... and ... SLAVE PENS." The Back reads, "SIERRA LEONE ... #427 ... AFRICA 1712. This is a wonderful collectors item and conversational piece that any collector would be proud to display in their curio. Tag top measures 1 1/2" the bottom is 1 7/8" and is 1 3/4" high.

The tooth of a Spinosaurus which was one of the largest carnivores on the planet. He was built like a T-rex with a fin (like Dimetrodon) on his back. This tooth was discovered in Morocco.

This is a genuine human skull embellished in the Tibetan Tantric tradition. This rare Dharma item is a Tantric ritual skull that serves as an offering vessel for the Tantric Buddhist religion. It is made from the actual human skull of a Buddhist monk. The eight auspicious symbols are carved into the top of the skull. The eyes are red coral and the rest is adorned with nickel, silver and turquoise. When used, the skullcap was removed and filled with a wine and blood mixture representing "immortality." Then, in an offering by worshipers to the fierce Tantric deities of Hindu India and Buddhist Tibet the liquid was consumed by the monks. These are extremely difficult to acquire today as Nepal has strict laws against their export.

The significance of this implement and practice is to reinforce the Buddhist concept of the impermanence of life, and the insignificance of the body once it is no longer used by the living. The skulls themselves are reputed to be those of monks, whose bodies continue to serve the cause of Buddhism even in death. They are used as ritual containers for sacred food and drink, as receptacles for prayers (creating a link between the deceased monk and the prayer itself), and as magical/divination devices.

This example is from the estate of a local ethnographer who spent many years living among and researching Tibetan culture. Here it served a dual purpose, both as a cultural artifact of the Tibetan Highlands, and as a study aid for students of forensic anthropology who were learning the identifying characteristics of bones (as well as cultural alteration practices).

This skull is embellished with nickle, which matches very nicely with the chocolate-brown tint of the bone. The positioning of the eyes is excellent, with a near-perfect forward gaze (often these skulls appear cross-eyed or wall-eyed). The facial structure is also excellent, with no deformations, and with a strikingly handsome symmetry. Judging by the dryness and overall even patina of the bone, I'd say this is a rather old skull. Overall, this is an excellent and old specimen that is worthy of the best collections. These items are quite rare, and even considering this, I would judge this particular skull to be better than most.

While the sight of drills, saws and knives can bring a grimace to even the most tempered face, it is this very macabre fascination that likely fuels the passion of many collectors. Trepanation, or the drilling of a hole in the skull, is one of the oldest surgical procedures, some trepanned skulls even dating back to 3000 B.C. The oldest skulls have been found in the Danube Basin, but trepanned skulls have been found in virtually every country, even in America, with the highest concentration found in Peru and Bolivia. The word trepanation is derived from the Greek, meaning "auger or borer". More specifically, trepanation means "an opening made by a circular saw of any type". Trepanation has been performed over the centuries for various reasons, including a means to liberate the demons or spirits from the heads possessed. Trepanation was also performed for therapeutic reasons, such as for epilepsy, headaches, infections, insanity, and a whole range of maladies. A third reason for trepanning is religious, where the rondelles, or disks of bone from the skulls, were collected and used for charms and talismans which were believed to have power to protect the wearer from illness and accidents. Nowadays the procedure is believed to help the individual expand his or her consciousness, and initiate a spiritual awakening that leaves the trepanned individual forever changed.

Keeping in mind that anesthesia would not be developed until the late 19th century, it is hard to imagine anyone volunteering to have their head wedged between the knees of the surgeon and their skull sawed open, and records indicate that very few survived. For that reason, many of the advances and developments in such surgeries and instruments were achieved at the grave expense of patients who had been committed to insane asylums and had little choice in the matter. Surgeons also employed various skull saws, most often convex in shape with serrations on both sides of the central handle. These saws with varying degrees of curve and design were known as Heys saws named after their inventor and were used to saw through the cranium.

Most neurological instruments are found in boxed sets with earlier and rarer 16th- and 17th- century examples being more ornate than later models. A typical neurosurgery set might include a set of skull saws, at least two trephines of varying diameter, scalpel, elevator for raising the bone after it has been cut, a brush for removing small skull particles, cranium forceps and a lenticular for depressing the brain.

An authentic piece of wood from serial killer Eddie Gein's dilapidated farmhouse of death which has long since burned down! Gein, the original American psycho, was arrested on November 17, 1957 by police in Plainfield, Wisconsin. Within the crumbling walls of his house the ghoulish inventory began to take shape; bowls made from the tops of human skulls, Lampshades and wastebasket made from human skin, an armchair made of human skin and bones, female genitalia kept preserved in a shoebox, a belt made of nipples, a human head, four noses and a heart. The more the police looked through the house, the more ghastly trophies they found. Finally a suit made entirely of human skin. Their heads spun as they tried to tally the number of woman that may have died at Eddie's hands. Eddie was one of the most horrific grave robbers and serial killers who ever lived.

A U.S. Soldier who fought in the battle for the Marne River in July and August of 1918 brought these spectacular military artifacts back to the United States. They are British Howitzer artillery shell fragments. The small piece of metal was a copper band around the shell. The larger shell fragment is 7 1/4' long, and 2" wide, and curved in the inside, and 5/8" thick. The smaller piece is made of copper and fit into the groove of the larger piece. This was a fiercely fought battle between the U.S., Britain, and France against Germany. The allied forces had many casualties.

The Marne River, located in northern France, rises in the Plateau de Langres and arcs northwest over a winding course of 326 mi. (525 km) to join the Seine River at Charenton-le-Pont, an eastern suburb of Paris. Navigable for more than 220 mi. (354 km), the Marne is connected by canals with the Aisne, Rhine, and Sane rivers. During World War I the Allies twice-repulsed German drives toward Paris at the Marne. Heavy fighting took place in the river valley again during World War II (1944).

Genuine Skylab Fragment. This is a genuine piece from Skylab when it partially burned up and crashed in Australia in 1979. It includes a Letter from Charles Conrad and a Letter of Authenticity from the Marshal Space Flight center. These are quite scarce and make a great space collectible especially considering the renewed interest brought on by the John Glenn flight.