Original Item: One-of-a-kind. Few artifacts can claim such a direct connection to one of the most important judicial proceedings in world history. This is an original autograph from the remarkable Daniel Roman Nuremberg Collection, an archive of 118 signatures assembled during the immediate aftermath of World War II by an American soldier who served as a guard at the Nuremberg Prison while many of the Third Reich's most notorious figures awaited trial, testimony, sentencing, or execution.

This is a signed paper bearing the autograph of Walther Funk (1890–1960), the German political official who served as Reich Minister of Economics and President of the Reichsbank during WWII. The paper measures approximately 4 ¾” x 4” (12.1 x 10.2 cm) and bears his signature in dark ink, prominently underlined. Accompanying the autograph is an English-language newspaper clipping featuring frontal and profile portraits of Funk, together with a brief account of his wartime activities and the charges brought against him.

This signature is part of the collection featured in the IMA series The Cache with Alex Cranmer, giving it an additional modern history alongside its considerable German WWII and Nuremberg Trials collector appeal.

Walther Funk was a prominent figure in the economic administration of the Third Reich, whose political career became closely connected with Germany's rearmament and wartime financial policies. Born in Trakehnen, East Prussia, on August 18, 1890, Funk initially pursued a career in journalism, eventually becoming an economic editor of the Berliner Börsen-Zeitung. He joined the NSDAP in 1931 and entered government service following AH's appointment as German Chancellor in January 1933, serving as State Secretary in the Reich Ministry of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda under Joseph Goebbels.

In February 1938, Funk succeeded Hjalmar Schacht as Reichsminister für Wirtschaft (Reich Minister of Economics), assuming responsibility for Germany's economic policies during a period of accelerating military expansion. On January 20, 1939, he also became President of the Reichsbank, Germany's central bank, succeeding Schacht in that position as well. These appointments placed Funk among the senior officials responsible for administering the German economy immediately before and throughout WWII.

During his tenure, Funk participated in the economic exploitation of German-occupied territories and the systematic confiscation of Jewish property. He was involved in implementing policies that excluded Jewish citizens from German economic life, including the compulsory transfer of Jewish-owned businesses into non-Jewish ownership. Under his presidency, the Reichsbank also received and processed valuables seized by the SS from concentration and extermination camp victims, including gold, currency, and personal possessions. These activities later became important evidence in the proceedings against him at Nuremberg.

Following Germany's defeat in May 1945, Funk was arrested and subsequently brought before the International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg, where he stood trial alongside other leading political, military, and economic officials of the Third Reich. The proceedings, held between November 1945 and October 1946, examined the responsibility of senior German leaders for the planning and conduct of aggressive war and crimes committed throughout occupied Europe. Funk's prosecution focused particularly on his participation in preparing Germany's economy for war, the exploitation of occupied territories, and his role in the financial administration of confiscated property.

Funk was indicted on all four counts presented by the prosecution. On October 1, 1946, the Tribunal found him guilty on Counts Two, Three, and Four: crimes against peace, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. The judgment addressed his participation in Germany's preparations for aggressive war, his involvement in the economic persecution of Jewish citizens, and the Reichsbank's handling of valuables taken from victims of the concentration camp system.

He was sentenced to life imprisonment and transferred to Spandau Prison in Berlin, where he remained until his release on medical grounds on May 16, 1957. Funk died in Düsseldorf on May 31, 1960, at the age of 69.

The collection was assembled by Daniel Roman, a member of Company D, 26th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division, who was stationed in Nuremberg during the historic trials. According to a recently notarized affidavit signed by his daughter, Roman frequently spoke of his experiences guarding detained Third Reich officials and other individuals connected to the proceedings. He described how identification photographs were posted outside prisoners' cells so guards could verify identities. Over time, some guards began removing the photographs and obtaining autographs directly from the prisoners, often in exchange for cigarettes or small favors. Roman carefully preserved these signed photographs and documents for decades, creating what is today one of the most extraordinary surviving groups of Nuremberg-related autographs ever assembled.

This collection contains signatures from individuals connected not only to the International Military Tribunal, but also to the subsequent Nuremberg Military Tribunals, including the Doctors Trial, Industrialists Trial, Ministries Trial, and other proceedings that sought to bring accountability to those responsible for the crimes of the Third Reich.

Among the most notable names represented within the collection are senior Third Reich leaders, military commanders, industrialists, physicians, and key participants in the trials, including figures such as Hermann Göring, Albert Speer, Karl Dönitz, Baldur von Schirach, Hans Frank, Julius Streicher, Joachim von Ribbentrop, Wilhelm Keitel, Walther Funk, Hjalmar Schacht, Fritz Sauckel, Arthur Seyss-Inquart, Ernst Kaltenbrunner, and numerous defendants from the Doctors and Industrialists Trials. Many of these men stood accused of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and crimes against peace, while others appeared as witnesses, defendants in subsequent proceedings, or individuals interrogated by Allied authorities.

The provenance accompanying these signatures is exceptional. The notarized family affidavit is supported by original wartime documentation confirming Daniel Roman's service in Nuremberg, including:

● Provost Marshal Identification Card identifying Roman as serving with the 26th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division.
● Class B Pass dated April 15, 1946.
● Army Ration Card dated October 20, 1945.
● Permanent Pass dated May 18, 1946.
● Nuremberg transportation pass dated September 8, 1946.

Historical records further confirm that the 26th Infantry Regiment assumed responsibility for the Nuremberg Trial prisoners in April 1946, directly corresponding with Roman's documented service at the prison facility.

Many of the original photographs in the collection retain small thumbtack holes near the upper edge. While such marks would normally be considered condition issues, in this case they provide compelling physical evidence supporting the family's account that these photographs were once displayed outside prison cells within the Nuremberg detention complex itself.

Each autograph in the collection has been carefully examined under magnification and exhibits the characteristics of a genuine period live-ink signature, rather than a printed facsimile or reproduction. The signatures remain exactly as obtained and preserved by Daniel Roman over seventy years ago.

Interest in the Nuremberg Trials remains as strong as ever, recently renewed by the Hollywood motion picture Nuremberg, which has introduced a new audience to the dramatic events, personalities, and moral questions surrounding these historic proceedings. Original artifacts with direct prison provenance have become increasingly difficult to locate, making this collection a rare opportunity for collectors, museums, researchers, and historians alike.

Included with Every Signature
To preserve the extraordinary provenance of this collection, every purchaser will receive:

● A printed copy of the notarized affidavit from Daniel Roman's daughter detailing the history of the collection.
● Printed copies of Daniel Roman's wartime identification cards, passes, and supporting Nuremberg service documents.
● A printed copy of a 1946 photograph showing Roman and fellow American Military Police personnel marching outside the Nuremberg courthouse complex.

A Direct Connection to History
Whether the individual represented was a principal defendant, witness, military leader, physician, industrialist, or other participant in the trials, each autograph from the Daniel Roman Collection offers a tangible connection to the historic effort to hold the leadership of Third Reich Germany accountable before the world. More than a simple signature, it is a surviving artifact from the very prison and courtroom complex where the foundations of modern international criminal law were established.

The signature offered in this listing is the exact example shown and comes from the documented Daniel Roman Nuremberg Collection, acquired directly from the family of the U.S. Army guard who assembled it during the trials themselves.