[Guest]

Question for Jan or other informed members. In your Imperial Lugers book, you show an estimated production of 1914 Erfurt LP08's of 23,000 with 108 reported; 15,000 1915 DWM's with 15 reported; about 20,000 1916 DWM's with 37 reported. I am curious if there are any theories as to why there is such a large number of Erfurts reported compared to the early production of the DWM LP08's. Estimated production numbers aren't that far apart. There may be updates on the site so forgive me if I am plowing old ground. I just acquired a 1915 DWM LP08. This is what peaked my curiosity. Thanks, Nick

 

[Edward Tinker]

Nick, welcome to the forum.

I think you are asking why there seem to be more erfurts reported than DWM's? If so, then I beleive this would be because Jan was contacted by or he contacted a collector who specialized in erfurts.

ed

 

[Guest]

Ed, thanks much. That fact would skew the numbers a great deal. I notice that 1917 dated DWM's are about all you see on the market. Nick

 

[keoki7]

Until I bought Jan's books some years ago I considered Erfurts a real find. As a consequence I regarded a fair Erfurt that I owned much more highly than I did my first 1915 which was a pristine no suffix example. I traded off the 1915 for a second Erfurt. Then I got an education.


I think that there are numbers of Erfurts reported out of their "ratio" because many collectors wrongly consider them rare and therefore hold onto them and thus they are recorded. The nature of the collector community sometimes has an effect on the perception of scarcity.

Everyone I know accepts that the 1914 DWM LP08 is the all elusive prize to find. A very nice example brought over $9000 a few weeks ago in Louisville. Ironically historical information would indicate that the 1914 is not the rarest German production run LP08. I think that the rarest (smallest production run) is the so called Siamese contract. These banner Lugers are supposedly all in the US, all Odin marked and number 100 or less. I bought mine from Sarco some five years ago for $1150 and it came with a matching magazine and a correct Siamese contract stock.

Other than the prewar prototypes, 70s Mauser commemorative, the post war french pieces and the various interregnum types such as AEs, Stoeger and Pacific Arms I think the Siamese is the rarest. It is certainly the most undervalued.

Sorry Nick for wandering off topic but I have been known to do that.

 

[Pete E.]

George,

Can you make me a bit smarter about the pre-war "prototype" LP-08's ?

Dated or not-dated ? How many ? Any other differences from the production traits ?

Do you have one in your collection that you could post photos of ?