Collector’s Journal
Research, identification guides and reflections on original historical autographs, documents, medals and militaria — written from pieces in the collection, with sources, and from the perspective of a qualified handwriting examiner.
Browse the collection Autographs · Documents · Medals & Militaria · Collector’s Offers
Old German handwriting can defeat even native German speakers. This collector's guide explains the Sütterlin alphabet, how it differs from Kurrent and Fraktur, and a practical method for transcribing handwritten letters, Feldpost and military records.
Why does Adolf Hitler’s facsimile signature appear on so many original documents? A collector’s study of authority, bureaucracy and terror in Nazi Germany, and how a printed signature differs from an autograph.
A practical collector’s guide to cataloguing historical autographs, documents and militaria: reference numbers, photography, provenance, condition, related groups and collection records.
Learn how to read WWII German military abbreviations, unit stamps and service entries in Wehrpass, Soldbuch and other wartime documents.
Autograph value depends on far more than the name at the bottom of the page. Learn the nine factors collectors use to assess signed letters, documents, photographs and historical signatures.
Learn how to read and research a German Wehrpass, from personal details and military units to awards, campaigns, casualty entries and authenticity checks.
Understand the difference between a Wehrpass and Soldbuch, what each document recorded, how they were used, and what collectors should examine today.
Explore WW2 German documents including Wehrpass, Soldbuch, Kennkarte, Arbeitsbuch and award papers, with guidance on identification, authenticity, provenance and collector research.
About the editor
Juan García Nicolás is a collector and a qualified graphologist and forensic handwriting examiner. Every guide is written from original pieces and cites its sources.
From the collection
Pieces available to collectors
The guides in this journal are written from the pieces I hold. These are some of the original autographs, documents and medals currently available by personal enquiry.
Adolf Hitler Metal Profile Relief – Hollow Wall Portrait, Reverse Marked GES. GESCH.
Original price was: 290,00 €.260,00 €Current price is: 260,00 €.
Limited-Time OfferNamed Treudienst-Ehrenzeichen 40 Years with Award Document & Case – Hermann Rieder, Tübingen 1938
Original price was: 700,00 €.590,00 €Current price is: 590,00 €.
Limited-Time OfferGerman Faithful Service Decoration 40 Years – Treudienst-Ehrenzeichen 1st Class in Gold with Case
Original price was: 175,00 €.149,00 €Current price is: 149,00 €.
Limited-Time OfferGerman Mother’s Cross in Bronze – Mutterkreuz 3rd Class with Long Ribbon
Original price was: 60,00 €.50,00 €Current price is: 50,00 €.
Limited-Time Offer
What You Will Find in the Collector’s Journal
The Collector’s Journal is where I publish the research behind the collection. Each guide starts from original pieces I have handled and examined, and explains how to identify, date and assess them: how to tell a handwritten signature from a printed facsimile, how to read a German Wehrpass or Soldbuch, how Iron Crosses and other decorations were made, and what really determines value.
Every article cites its sources, distinguishes clearly between what is documented and what is assumed, and treats material from war and dictatorship as historical evidence. Material from the National Socialist period is documented for collecting, preservation, education and research, without any endorsement of its ideology.
If you are new to the subject, start with the guide to facsimile signatures or the Autograph Value Guide.