RUSSIAN CHEKA(KGB) 1917 ANTIQUE TRENCH ART LIGHTER SET UNIQUE

Description

UNIQUE
NOT SOMETHING THE SOVIET UNION WANTED TO REMEMBER.
THIS IS A TOTALLY INERT TRENCH ART DISPLAY ITEM WHICH HAS BEEN  PERMANENTLY ALTERED AND IS NOT CONSIDERED A WEAPON UNDER THE LAWS OF ANY COUNTRY. DISPLAY ONLY !
AS A 60+ YEAR COLLECTOR OF ORDNANCE ITEMS AND CONSULTANT I HAVE HAD THOUSANDS OF PIECES OF TRENCH ART COME MY WAY. OF THESE THOUSANDS I COLLECTED ONLY THE FINEST , RARE AND INTERESTING PIECES FOR MY PERSONAL COLLECTION. THESE RANGE FROM FANCY DECANTERS MADE FOR A NAZI FIELD MARSHALL , TO ITEMS MADE BY A U.S.N. MEDAL OF HONOR WINNER  TO A UNIQUE BOMBLET MADE FROM JAPANESE FUZES BY THE FIRST ORDNANCE SQDN. TINIAN AND PRESENTED TO COL. TIBBITS UPON HIS RETURN FROM DROPPING THE FIRST ATOMIC BOMB.
MY PERSONAL COLLECTION CONTAINS ONLY 50 PIECES AND THIS IS ONE OF THEM.
IN 1917 THE GERMAN IMPERIAL STAFF RETURNED VLADIMIR LENIN TO RUSSIA TO HELP FOMENT THE REVOLUTION WHICH EVENTUALLY TOOK RUSSIA OUT OF WW1 AND RELEASED THOUSANDS OF GERMAN TROOPS FROM THE EASTERN FRONT. IN ADDITION TO TRANSPORTING LENIN AND HIS STAFF THROUGH GERMANY AND TO RUSSIA THEY ALSO PROVIDED MONEY AND ARMS FOR THEIR USE. PART OF THE AMMUNITION WHICH WAS SUPPLIED WAS THE STANDARD RUSSIAN 7.62MM AMMUNITION FOR USE IN RIFLES AND MACHINE GUNS. THIS AMMUNITION WAS MADE AT POLTE MUNITIONS IN GERMANY.
IN LATE 1917 LENIN FOUNDED THE CHEKA WHICH WAS THE FIRST VERSION OF THE SECRET STATE SECURITY POLICE WHICH EVENTUALLY BECAME THE KGB. THESE WERE SOME VERY SERIOUS GUYS LED BY A RUTHLESS FELLOW NAMED DZERZHINSKY.
AS A SOUVENIR FOR THE OFFICERS OF THE CHEKA A SMALL NUMBER OF TRENCH ART CIGARETTE LIGHTERS WERE MADE FROM THE GERMAN MADE 7.62MM RUSSIAN CALIBER SHELLS WITH THE CHEKA SWORD AND SHIELD INSIGNIA ATTACHED.
THE SHELLS WERE MADE BY POLTE AT MAGDEBURG (GERMANY) IN SEPTEMBER OF 1917. BASE MARKINGS P M 9 1917 , SEE THE PHOTOS.
THIS ONE HAS NEVER BEEN USED AND IS IN EXCELLENT CONDITION. THE BASE SCREW HAS BEEN REPLACED DUE TO LOSS.
LARGE
DZERZHINSKY AWARD INCLUDED.
In 2005, the GOVERNMENT OF BELARUS rebuilt the manor house of Dzerzhinovo, where Dzerzhinsky was born, and established a museum.
Annually, the graduating class of the KDB (THEIR VERSION OF THE KGB) academy holds its swearing-in at the manor.
In 1943, the manor had been destroyed and family members (including Dzerzhinsky's brother Kazimierz) were killed by the Germans, because of their support for the POLISH HOME ARMY.
WELCOME TO THE CRITTENDEN SCHMITT ARCHIVES ON LINE MUSEUM AND DEACQUSITION SALE. THE ITEMS IN OUR REFERENCE COLLECTION DATE BACK TO ABOUT 1849 WHEN MY GREAT UNCLE, RALPH CRITTENDEN AND HIS PARTNER RICHARD TIBBALS CREATED THE FIRST SUCCESSFUL AMMUNITION FACTORY IN THE UNITED STATES FOR THE PRODUCTION OF DRAWN CARTRIDGES , PERCUSSION CAPS AND ALL FORMS TO AMMUNITION OF INTEREST TO THE GUN MANUFACTURING FACTORS OF THE DAY. SPENCER , SHARPS , HENRY , VOLCANIC, JENNINGS, REMINGTON, JOSLYN,WESSON,BALLARD,BACON,BLISS,WARNER AND SMITH AND WESSON ALL SOLD CRITTENDEN AND TIBBALS AMMUNITION UNDER THEIR OWN TRADE NAME. THE UNION ARMY BOUGHT MILLIONS OF CTM PERCUSSION CAPS AND HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF SPENCER CARTRIDGES DURING LINCOLN’S WAR AND ALL OF THE SPENCER AMMUNITION USED IS THE FIRST MAJOR BATTLES INCLUDING GETTYSBURGH WERE ALL MADE BY CRITTENDEN AND TIBBALS.
**Over the course of the next couple of years we will be offering for sale thousands of rare specimens of museum quality many of which have never been offered for sale before and which you will likely never see for sale again. Why are we selling this archive and reference collection? After 150+ years of interest in ammunition there is no one else interested in the field in our family. My personal collecting has spanned 50 years and I am at an age when it is time to stop and pass on such activities to others.