Original Item: Only One Available. Perhaps no other collectible is so shrouded in myth, misinformation and mistaken identity as German regimental steins. These pieces have been steadily reproduced since the 1960s and most experts agree reproductions far outnumber authentic examples. Yet few buyers other than stein specialists know how to identify the fakes. We have examined this stein thoroughly, with reference to several websites such as RealorRepro and SteveonSteins, and this one has all of the correct aspects for being original.

The majority of authentic German regimental beer steins were produced between about 1890 and 1914. During this time, military service was compulsory in Germany. Most men would take basic training between 17 and 20 and then enter the reserves until age 40. A group of men would enter a unit together, stay in the same unit for training and be discharged as a unit. This sense of togetherness fostered the custom of buying souvenirs with the unit name, insignias and decorations as a keepsake of military service. Many souvenir items were available such as pipes, clocks, flasks and especially steins. Rosters of names from your unit, or regiment, could be added to the steins and these became known to collectors as "regimental steins."

Authentic ca. 1890-1914 steins were available in pottery, porcelain, glass and metal. Regardless of what the stein was made of, almost all had pewter lids. The most common sizes are half-liter and one-liter. The beginning of WW I effectively ended the production of regimental steins as labor and materials were diverted to the war.

This is a very high quality original Imperial German Regimental beer stein. It is highly decorated on the exterior, and these were generally made with lovely design on the exterior, with banners and other areas where they were customized for the specific regiment / unit that the person ordering the stein requested. These were usually ordered in groups for a particular regiment, and this example is marked for the 3rd Royal Bavarian Infantry Regiment "Prinz Karl von Bayern". The side of the stein has depictions of these men in Battle firing rifles and relaxing with their families. We can certainly tell that the inscriptions were hand-painted, not printed. This example does not appear to be named. The bottom of the stein has the regimental designation:

Lum And. a.m. Dienstz. C.d. 8 Cp. 3. Bayr
Inf. Reg. Prinz. Karl von Bayern (Augs. C.) 98-1900.

This is a clear reference to the 3rd Royal Bavarian Infantry Regiment "Prinz Karl von Bayern". The Königlich Bayerisches 3. Infanterie-Regiment "Prinz Karl von Bayern" was a regiment of the Bavarian Army which was based in Augsburg from 1698 to 1918. The regiment served in the War of the Spanish Succession, the War of the Austrian Succession, the Seven Years' War, the French Revolutionary Wars, the Napoleonic Wars, the Franco-Prussian War, and World War I, and it lost 5,000 men during the Great War.

There are also lots of other inscriptions on the body of the stein, probably patriotic phrases and maybe poems or the like.

The lid has a soldier seated drinking from his canteen, and the hinge depicts the Imperial eagle. The bottom of the inside has a lovely lithopane showing a soldier with his sweetheart.

The stein measures approximately 10½ inches in height, and is 4 1/2" across the base. The glaze is in very good condition, showing some cracking in areas. It is marked 1/2L for 0.5 Liters, the standard capacity for these.

A very impressive display item from the German Empire, ready to research and display!