December 7th Militaria and Aviation Auction
Lot 122:
Description
An outstanding and highly collectible original World War II German M24 Stick Grenade Stielhandgranate 24 , definitively dated to the very start of the war in 1939. Commonly known as the -Potato Masher,- this piece is the iconic close-combat weapon of the Wehrmacht. It features a cylindrical, sheet-steel head painted in the original dark olive green/field gray finish, which shows genuine wear and age. The grenade is exceptionally well-marked, providing significant historical detail: the wooden handle is clearly stamped with the date -R 1939- or $text{_R}$ 1939 , which often denotes the manufacturer Richard Rinker G.m.b.H. and confirms its early-war production. The head features a large, stenciled -K- which stands for Kalt Cold and signifies that the explosive filling was a winter variant guaranteed to function in cold climates, intended for the Eastern Front or other cold theaters. Adjacent to this is a faint stencil, likely a fill date and composition, appearing to be -SF 21/9/44- or similar, which would indicate that the explosive charge was updated or replaced in September 1944. This combination of an early-war handle with a late-war update stencil is an authentic field modification and adds great historical depth. The grenade is complete, featuring the metal end cap that unscrews to reveal the hollow handle, and the internal components, including the porcelain pull-bead, cord, and friction igniter base all inert materials , are present. This piece is certified inert deactivated/empty and is offered strictly as a collector s display item, representing a historically significant and well-documented example of WWII German ordnance.
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