Railway Eagle # 506
Railway Eagle # 506
Hitler decided very early on that the National Socialist movement needed a recognizable and moving image with which to identify his Party. He eventually decided upon the swastika, which was everywhere during the Third Reich, from Military uniforms and belt buckles, to Firemans helmets to stamps. When combined with the national eagle, it made for a striking image representing the new Germany. A very attractive piece to come from the Reich was the railroad eagle. Popular among modern enthusiasts, it is a highly desirable collectible, always in demand. As with many items of the era, there were multiple makers, and subtle differences between them all. The bird featured here is a very well known variant. The front features the correct crisp, left facing eagle perched atop an oak-leafed, mobile swastika. On the reverse, the letters LOK presumably stands for Lokomotive, the German word for Locomotive, and the RZA mark is speculated to mean Reichsbahn Zug Adler, or basically National Railroad Train Eagle. This maker is known to exist in 24, 27, and 28 1/2 inch lengths. This example is 27 inches. Many of these were originally damaged during their removal, with percentage of them having been sawed off, leaving the bolts behind. This one is particularly desirable in that it is intact, even with the original nuts. A very aggressive looking display piece, it represents a safe place to put your collecting dollars, in that there are always more buyers than eagles. This will instantly dress up your collecting room. Unquestionably authentic, you will not be disappointed.
Railway Eagle