Can anyone provide information about the markings "L.P.D. Memel No.175" on a late model 07 with angled slide cuts and central grip screw. I just purchased it from an internet auction site. I'm sure it's "right", it's marked above the grip in the same style as two other 07's I have, but I don't know what the "L.P.D." means.
07 Dreyse Police
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Hello,
answer is coming late, but better than never. Reason is that I just joined this site and now started reading back through the postings.
Your Dreyse 07 marked "L.P.D.Memel No.175" is a pre-WW1 german police pistol. The mark reads "Landes Polizei Direktion Memel, Weapon No. 175", Landespolizeidirektion (today written in one word, but in that time abbreviated and written either seperated or with -, like Landes-Polizei-Direktion) means, roughly translated, "county police department", "Memel" naming the geographical area around the river Memel, which in that time was part of the German Reich, today belonging to Poland, Estonia, Lithuania or Lathvia, I am not so good in geography to give the exact borders, sorry.
There are several other police markings like yours known, I own another Dreyse with "P.D.P. No.xxx" from the "Polizei Direktion Potsdam" and have seen a picture of another one with "Sächs.Gend.No.xxx" for "Sächsische Gendarmerie", meaning Saxonian Gendarmerie.
So far there has no official order been found which gives exact instructions about marking pre-WW1 police weapons. Only two orders are known from Prussia, the first from 1922 and the second from 1932, but nothing from before 1922.
It would be great to see some pictures of your gun, if you dont want to post them on the net contact me in a personal mail.
Greetings, Andy
answer is coming late, but better than never. Reason is that I just joined this site and now started reading back through the postings.
Your Dreyse 07 marked "L.P.D.Memel No.175" is a pre-WW1 german police pistol. The mark reads "Landes Polizei Direktion Memel, Weapon No. 175", Landespolizeidirektion (today written in one word, but in that time abbreviated and written either seperated or with -, like Landes-Polizei-Direktion) means, roughly translated, "county police department", "Memel" naming the geographical area around the river Memel, which in that time was part of the German Reich, today belonging to Poland, Estonia, Lithuania or Lathvia, I am not so good in geography to give the exact borders, sorry.
There are several other police markings like yours known, I own another Dreyse with "P.D.P. No.xxx" from the "Polizei Direktion Potsdam" and have seen a picture of another one with "Sächs.Gend.No.xxx" for "Sächsische Gendarmerie", meaning Saxonian Gendarmerie.
So far there has no official order been found which gives exact instructions about marking pre-WW1 police weapons. Only two orders are known from Prussia, the first from 1922 and the second from 1932, but nothing from before 1922.
It would be great to see some pictures of your gun, if you dont want to post them on the net contact me in a personal mail.
Greetings, Andy
Andy, MANY thanks for the information! I was certain someone would know the answer. I'd like to post pictures to the forum, but when I try to post multiple immages, they all wind up as copies of the first immage I attached. If someone tells me how to keep them seperate, I'll post them here, otherwise look for them on E-mail once I get them all photographed. I also have Dreyse 07 K.PR.Z.V. No.2515 (Royal Prussian Finance Administration), and K.P.P.B. No.6862 (which I believe is a Detectives Division (Kriminal) pistol from the Berlin Police Presidium).
Hello,
well it is nice to hear what other kinds of marks exist.
Just to give some minor corrections. "K.PR.Z.V." should read "Königlich-Preussische Zoll Verwaltung" which is Royal-Prussian Customs Administration, which is some sub-division of the Ministry of Finance and "K.P.P.B." will be "Königliches Polizei Präsidium Berlin" which is Royal Police Presidency Berlin.
As I mentioned before, there has no order found until today which explains the marks on police-pistols before 1922. In the order of 1922 as well as in the order of 1932, both for Prussia only, there is "K" for "Kriminal" (which is Detectives Branch), but I guess that the "K" being used before 1918 always stands for "Königlich" which is Royal. In that time it was much more important to mention the loyality to the King, than to seperate between Detectives (Kriminal) and uniformed Police (Schutzpolizei, often "S"). But as I said before, no proof on that, just guessing.
Greetings, Andy
well it is nice to hear what other kinds of marks exist.
Just to give some minor corrections. "K.PR.Z.V." should read "Königlich-Preussische Zoll Verwaltung" which is Royal-Prussian Customs Administration, which is some sub-division of the Ministry of Finance and "K.P.P.B." will be "Königliches Polizei Präsidium Berlin" which is Royal Police Presidency Berlin.
As I mentioned before, there has no order found until today which explains the marks on police-pistols before 1922. In the order of 1922 as well as in the order of 1932, both for Prussia only, there is "K" for "Kriminal" (which is Detectives Branch), but I guess that the "K" being used before 1918 always stands for "Königlich" which is Royal. In that time it was much more important to mention the loyality to the King, than to seperate between Detectives (Kriminal) and uniformed Police (Schutzpolizei, often "S"). But as I said before, no proof on that, just guessing.
Greetings, Andy
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Ed
Andy, I'm grateful for the corrected information. I always felt there was something wrong with the translation of K.P.P.B, and the correction to K.Pr.Z.V. is also most welcome. I've entered these into my data base. Hopefuly, (thanks, Weimar_Police!) I will post some photos soon.
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