Auction house pledges to no longer include Nazi items in future militaria sales

Independent

12-02-2025

An auction house has said it will no longer include Nazi and SS artefacts in future auctions after holding a sale featuring such items.
Several artefacts from the Third Reich went under the hammer in the militaria auction at McTear's in Glasgow on Wednesday.
They included a 1939 Iron Cross medal and a 1933 badge featuring the swastika, which together sold for a hammer price of £300, and Nazi bunting, also emblazoned with the swastika, which sold for £50.
A Third Reich Luftwaffe dress dagger sold for £220 while items linked to high profile Nazi Hermann Goering were also included in the sale.
McTear's said it fully understands the 'sensitivity' around the sale of such items and will no longer include them in future sales, adding that it will receive no income in fees from the Third Reich related artefacts sold on Wednesday.
While it is not illegal to sell Nazi memorabilia in the UK, sales of such items have been controversial.
In 2019, Bloomfield Auctions in Belfast cancelled a sale of such artefacts after an outcry from Jewish leaders.
A spokesperson for McTear's auctioneers said: 'As the only auctioneer in Scotland to run dedicated sales of historic militaria, McTear's has frequently auctioned important artefacts from both World Wars, some of which have been purchased by museums both in the UK and overseas.
'On occasion, our auctions, like many others across the world, have included a small number of items relating to Nazi Germany, which have always been handled with sensitivity.
'It is important to note that these historical artefacts provide a tangible link to an important – albeit extremely dark – era in our history that should never be forgotten.
'That said, we fully understand the sensitivity surrounding the sale of these particular historical items and have now taken the decision to cease the inclusion of Nazi and SS artefacts in future auctions.
'With regard to the items sold in today's Militaria sale, McTear's will receive no income in fees.'
Other artefacts in Wednesday's sale included two silver plates thought to be from Goering's personal train dining wagon, which sold for £500 each and an item described as a 'Third Reich North Africa propaganda one pound note' which sold for £10.