Q — I have two objects in my possession that I would like to know more about. The first is a War Ration Book No. 3 with the stamps intact. I was 9 when the book was issued. It has my age, height and weight listed on the cover. The back is not torn but is slightly discolored. The second object is a German Wehrpass identification booklet for a Major Hans Koenen. It includes his photograph.There are dates “4 Aug. 1942,” “1943,” and “1944.” The booklet has an olive drab cover with a black swastika. — M.F., Tamaqua
A — World War II ration books are extremely common. Most surviving examples date from 1945. When the war ended, rationing ended. Many individuals never used their last books. In addition, it was considered patriotic not to use all of one’s ration stamps. This freed even more goods for use by the armed forces.Complete ration books sell for between $4 and $8, partial books between $2 and $4. I have seen them priced higher, but no knowledgeable collector pays these higher prices.
The real value of your book is personal. If you have a photograph of yourself from the same time period, consider mounting them in a double window mat and framing the result. It would make a great conversation piece and a nice family heirloom. Also create a manuscript of your memories of what it was like to grow up in wartime America and place it in a pocket in the back of the frame.
Values for a World War II German Wehrpass range from $40 to close to $150 in Richard J. Austin’s “The Official Price Guide to Military Collectibles, Sixth Edition” (House of Collectibles, 1998; $20; 356 pp.). Two sample listings are:
“ID Booklet, Wehrpass, Germany, Army, WWII. Man born 1913, inducted into service 1939. Served in 7 Erg. Batterie Artilleri Regiment 48 Gustrow I.M. Rank 1940 Gegfretier, 1941 Obergefreiter, 1944 Stabsgefreiter. Record of battles fought in 1941 on the way to Moscow. Received East medal 1944. 1944 record of battles in Italy. Very detailed records. Good cond. $40.”
“ID Booklet, SS Wehrpass, Germany Waffen SS, WWII, 1939 issued with photo of soldier in civilian. 1944 inducted. 18./SS-Flak A.u.e. Rgt. and ends with 1945 unit. Few entries. Avg. cond. $76.”
Since every soldier carried an identification booklet, the survival rate is high. I confirmed this by checking the Internet. More than 70 examples were offered for sale on eBay during a 30-day period. Prices range from $16 to $50 plus. Most appeared to sell in the $25 to $35 range.
Rank and unit do appear to influence value.Identification booklets for individuals in the SS and other special units bring double to triple that for a common soldier. Identification booklets for officers sell at a slight premium, e.g., 10 percent to 20 percent more. Identification books for soldiers with several commendations and medals also command a premium of 20 percent to 30 percent. The value of your Wehrpass is between $30 and $35.
Q — Several years ago, I helped an elderly woman move her furniture to a new apartment. As a thank you, I was given everything that she did not want to take along to her new place. One of the things was a 3-inch-high, 2-inch-wide whale’s tooth with intricate carving. On one side is a carving of a man from the chest up. He has long sideburns, a tall shirt collar, an ascot, and a coat with a broad lapel. The initials “N.B.” are above his head. He is surrounded with a ribbon banner in which is inscribed “CAPTn. N. VINCENT.”
Above Capt. Vincent’s head is a human eyeball with rays beaming out from it. Below Capt. Vincent is an eagle with a rope in its beak. Its talons hold two fishing spears. There is a tall ship with two large masts, each of which has three sails, on the back of the tooth. The ship has an American flag on the back. There are tall ships in the foreground on either side of the ship. A ribbon banner is inscribed “STENROFJORD.” The carving is amazing and very detailed. I am including a sketch with my letter. There is no date on the tooth. It appears as though the tooth was stained to bring out the carving. I am hoping you can tell me something about this tooth. Is it illegal to own it because of the endangered species act? — B.M., Alburtis
A — It is not illegal to own plastic. Your tooth is a modern reproduction. You can find additional examples in abundance in the Florida shell shops. They usually retail between $12 and $20. Further, the reproduction has been around for several decades.
I confirmed my initial impressions in Stuart M. Frank’s ‘Fakeshaw: A Checklist of Plastic “Scrimshaw” (Kendall Whaling Museum Monograph Series No. 1, published by The Kendall Whaling Museum, Sharon, MA, 1988; 21 pp.). Listing 105 reads: “STENROFJORD, Tooth, size not specified (Manufacturer not identified.) Inscribed ‘Captn. N. Vincent — Stenrofjord.’ “
The value of your reproduction plastic scrimshaw tooth is negligible, a few dollars at best.
