M-1901 Imperial Naval Officer's Dagger w/Ivory Grip, Double-Etched Blade & Portepee. "High-Neck" Knight's Helmet, (WK&C) TM. As stated on page 55 of Collecting The Edged Weapons of Imperial Germany Volume I, the "newly-styled 'high-neck' helmet without the [WK&C] initials was introduced sometime around 1914". Gilded brass hilt fittings show light surface wear with much fire gilding remaining in the recesses of the superbly detailed open crown pommel with "squared" engraved cross on top of the crown's orb, and large capstan style crossguard with heavy quillon block and raised anchor motif. Genuine ivory grip with nice age toning has a faint hairline crack on the left and right edges but, shows virtually no surface wear with no chips or nicks. Long, center ridge, double-etched blade measuring 13 3/8" in length grades EX++/Near MINT showing minor surface wear with some light gray shadowing, but no pitting or nicks to cutting edges and is complete with red felt blade buffer pad. Both obverse and reverse blade feature 7 ¼" long etched panels with a central design of the Imperial crown above a fouled anchor flanked at the tip end by a military and naval equipment motif of oar and spike, flags, cannon and drums with a tall-masted sailing ship at the ricasso end. Both of the etched panels retain 100% of the light gray, background frosting. The dent-free, gilded brass, lightning bolt pattern scabbard shows light surface wear with portions of gilding remaining in recesses of etched design as well as the rope style Guilloche pattern suspension bands. The scabbard throat is retained by two, undamaged, side-mounted, flat-head screws. The portepee grades Near MINT and features a unique spiral woven knot in lieu of the regulation "reef knot" design. This alternate "tie" pattern must have been fairly popular as JRB&M has encountered it on several Imperial Navy Daggers. The black ribbed silk belt and hangers grade EX++ showing minor wear/age to the facing with wear and some fraying to the dark blue velvet backing on the belt where the buckle has rubbed over the years. The gilded brass fittings on the belt and hangers retain much of the fire gilding and are much heavier and more detailed than the fittings produced during the Third Reich. The buckle features a raised anchor beneath the Imperial Crown with superbly detailed lion's head faces on the hanger buckles. Nice Imperial Navy combination. Near MINT (26625) $3,850.SOLD