Original Item: Only One Available. This is an exceptional German WWII AH “Informal Pattern” demitasse forks manufactured in .800 silver by Bruckmann & Söhne of Heilbronn. It was recovered from the Braunes Haus in Munich during May 1945 by Captain Abraham Epstein, a Jewish American dentist serving with the U.S. Army’s 1269th Engineer Combat Battalion.

This fork comes from a remarkable collection of approximately 87 pieces of silver, tableware, linens, and related objects retained by Captain Epstein following the capture of Munich. Its history is supported by Epstein’s wartime correspondence, photographs, military records, and a notarized statement signed by his daughter, Sandy.

Captain Abraham N. Epstein was born in Brooklyn, New York, on June 17, 1915. He entered active service on July 31, 1943, and served as a Dental Officer with the rank of Captain. His Separation Qualification Record documents 33 months of active service and assignments to the 1269th Engineer Combat Battalion, 421st Field Artillery Group, 1123rd Engineer Combat Group, 1161st Engineer Combat Group, 317th Station Hospital, and several stateside medical units. He was separated from active service on June 30, 1946.

Epstein referred specifically to the captured silver in two wartime letters sent home to his family. The first, dated May 8, 1945, VE Day, states:

“I have acquired a set of Adolph’s personal silver-ware which I am mailing home as a souvenir”.

A second letter, dated May 17, 1945, from Augsburg, Germany, concludes:

“I have sent home many packages + I hope they do not take out the good things from it if the Custom Authorities open them up. The most valuable thing I have is a complete set of 6 silverware of Adolph H.”

Photocopies of both letters are included with the purchase.

The provenance also includes 14 original wartime photographs dating from March through August 1945. The purchaser will receive high resolution color copies showing the fronts and backs of all 14 photographs. One especially important photograph was taken outside the Braunes Haus in Munich during May 1945. It shows Epstein in a truck with headquarters vehicles positioned in front of the building. Additional photographs taken at Berchtesgaden in June 1945 show the destroyed residences of Martin Bormann and Hermann Göring, as well as Epstein standing at the arched lower entrance to the Eagle’s Nest. Other photographs taken in Berlin during 1945 document the devastated city, including the destroyed Reich Chancellery. Epstein wrote on the reverse of the Braunes Haus photograph:

“Muinch, Germay May 1945, The Brown House (Memorial to the beer hall) Our HQ trucks in front of it. GOT Adolph's Silver here”.

The group is further supported by a notarized family statement signed by Epstein’s daughter, Sandy, on October 5, 2026. A photocopy of the notarized statement and its attached inventory is included with the fork. The statement reads exactly as follows:

Statement Regarding Abraham Epstein and the Braunes Haus Collection

Family declaration with attached itemized inventory

My father, Abraham Epstein, was born in Brooklyn, New York on June 17, 1915. He was the son of immigrants and became a dentist because his mother told him that an education and a professional career were the ways to succeed in the United States.

Abraham Epstein enlisted in the US Army in 1943 in order to be part of the fighting force in World War 2. He was accepted into service on July 31, 1943, and performed as a dentist in the medical corps in all his assignments. His initial assignments were in the United States in Maryland, Illinois, and Texas. He was then assigned to the 7th Army of the European Theater of Operations. He left for England on October 29, 1944, traveling across the Atlantic Ocean via boat, and arrived in England on November 10, 1944. During his time in England, my father was part of a training battalion.

The 1269 Engineering Combat Battalion was already in France by the beginning of 1945, and it appears my father’s unit was assigned to join this battalion. He entered Germany with Company C of the 1269 Engineering Battalion in March of 1945. He remained with this group until it was disbanded, and the troops deployed to various other locations. My father was eventually transferred to the 317th Station Hospital in Weisbaden, Germany on September 23, 1945, before being transferred back to the United States on December 31, 1945, and relieved from active service. He was discharged from the US Army on June 30, 1946.

One of the functions of his engineering battalion was to de-booby trap German positions as they were captured towards the end of the war. One such site was one of Hiter’s main houses-The Brown House (Braunes Haus) in Munich. He and his unit were sent to evaluate the residence, and to ensure its safety. When the men searched the house, they came upon what appeared to be a wall closet, but outfitted as a safe. When his men asked what to do with it, he instructed them to blow it open. What they found was a collection of Hilter’s personal silverware, including flatware, along with various serving pieces, boxes, teapots, bowls, as well as linens and other items, all personalized with Hilter’s monogram. My father radioed his commanding officer, asking what should be done with the items, and was told to bring it back to their headquarters. There, the commander declared it legal loot, and proceeded to split it between his men. Over time, my father sent his share of the collection, piece by piece, to his sister’s home, where he had been residing.

My father was always very proud of his service to his country. Unlike many in the “The Greatest Generation”, my father spoke of the war frequently. He cherished his role in defeating what he saw as evil in the world. When we were teenagers, we took a family trip to Europe, which included stops in Germany. But when we got to visit the Dachau Camp, he insisted that we get back into the car at once, asking in a rhetorical manner if we could not smell the stench in the air. You see, he was at the camp when it was being liberated, and his olfactory senses were now wreaking havoc with his vivid memories of that time. I did get to visit the camp later with my husband, and could only imagine the horrors he experienced at that time.

He passed along his collection to his children throughout his lifetime, asking us to hold onto it until both he and my mother had passed away. It is our hope that this collection serves as a reminder of the horrors and evils of a tyrannical period in our collective history.

Sandy M

The statement is followed by Sandy's signed family certification, dated October 5, 2026, and a New York notary acknowledgment. Its attached four page inventory is headed Munich Braunes Haus Inventory Recovered by Abraham Epstein in 1945. The inventory records six matching Demi-Tasse Fork – 5 1/2 – Not Formal – 800 examples, confirming that this fork formed part of a six piece set retained together by the Epstein family.

According to the family, Captain Epstein attempted to sell the silver to a New York City jeweler several years after the war. The jeweler reportedly told him that no one would want it and that its only value was as silver for melting. Epstein understood its historical importance and refused. He concealed the collection beneath a pull out kitchen wall stove in his Long Island home, where it remained protected for decades. He ultimately left the collection to his children with the intention that it benefit the lives and education of his children and grandchildren.

This particular piece is an original German WWII AH “Informal Pattern” demitasse fork manufactured by Bruckmann & Söhne of Heilbronn in .800 silver. It measures approximately 5 1/2 inches long and has the plain handle associated with the Informal Pattern, without the Greek Key border used on the Formal Pattern. The terminal bears a stylized political eagle clutching a wreathed static hook cross, flanked by the monogram letters A and H.

Silver flatware and serving pieces bearing the AH monogram were produced for use at official residences and state entertaining locations. Much of the silver most familiar to collectors was manufactured by Bruckmann & Söhne. Two principal decorative forms are generally recognized by collectors as the “Formal” and “Informal” patterns.

The “Formal Pattern” is distinguished by its detailed raised eagle, wreathed static hook cross, flanking A H monogram, and Greek Key border. The less elaborate “Informal Pattern” generally displays only the eagle and monogram without the Greek Key border. Its eagle is more stylized and has considerably less surface detail. The reason for the second pattern remains uncertain, although collectors have suggested that it may have been intended for luncheon service or less formal personal use.

Some collector references have estimated that approximately 3,000 pieces of the Formal Pattern and approximately 1,000 pieces of the Informal Pattern were produced. However, no definitive archival production totals are presently known. Specialized serving pieces would naturally have been ordered in substantially smaller quantities than ordinary forks, knives, and spoons. Larger trays and serving vessels are frequently encountered in silver plate rather than solid silver, with many examples manufactured by the Wellner firm and marked with a W and a silver plating content number.

The reverse of the handle bears the correct German silver hallmarks. These consist of the Crescent and Crown (Halbmond und Reichskrone) national silver mark beside the fineness mark 800, indicating a silver content of 80 percent. The adjoining eagle trademark identifies the manufacturer as Bruckmann & Söhne of Heilbronn.

Bruckmann & Söhne operated from 1805 until 1973 and was one of Germany’s best known silver manufacturers. The firm produced high quality private and official silver services and is well documented as a manufacturer of Reich Chancellery silverware and pieces associated with the AH service.

The fork remains in excellent overall condition. Its stylized eagle, monogram, and reverse hallmarks remain crisp and clearly defined. The silver displays scattered tarnishing, light scratches from use, and fine marks from past cleaning. The overall wear is consistent with light to moderate service.

Included with the fork are:

- A photocopy of the notarized family statement signed by Captain Epstein’s daughter, Sandy Morris.

- A photocopy of the attached itemized inventory documenting the Munich Braunes Haus Collection Recovered by Abraham Epstein in 1945.

- A copy of Captain Epstein’s U.S. Army Separation Qualification Record documenting his rank, service dates, and assignments.

- Photocopies of Epstein’s May 8 and May 17, 1945 wartime letters specifically discussing the captured AH silver and the packages he mailed home.

- High resolution color prints showing the fronts and backs of all 14 original wartime photographs dating from March through August 1945.

- Photographic documentation of Epstein at the Braunes Haus in Munich, with his handwritten notation: “GOT Hilter Silver here.”

- Photographs taken at Berchtesgaden showing the destroyed residences of Martin Bormann and Hermann Göring, as well as Epstein at the arched lower entrance to the Eagle’s Nest.

-  Photographs taken in Berlin during 1945 showing the devastated city and destroyed Reich Chancellery.

This demitasse fork is particularly important because it does not rely solely upon its decoration and Bruckmann hallmarks for attribution. Its history is supported by Captain Epstein’s wartime letters, his handwritten May 1945 photograph identifying the Braunes Haus as the recovery location, his military record, the family’s notarized statement, and the detailed inventory listing the six matching Informal Pattern demitasse forks. Together, these documents establish an unusually complete chain of family provenance extending from Munich in May 1945 through Captain Epstein and directly to his children.