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
How to identify the Iron Cross 1939: EK1 and EK2 compared, construction, maker marks, authenticity checks, rarity and collector value.
How to identify original WWII German medals: rarity, maker marks, materials, documentation and the factors that drive collector value.
The most valuable Third Reich decorations: their history, rarity, award numbers, collector value and notable auction records.
What a facsimile signature is, why it matters to collectors, how to identify one and how it differs from an original handwritten autograph.
Historical autographs, rare documents and militaria can hold long-term value when supported by scarcity, authenticity, provenance, condition and serious collector demand.
Responsible collecting is not ideology, but preservation. Historical artifacts can be studied, documented and preserved with neutrality, context and intellectual independence.
Original documents, signatures, medals and artifacts transform history from abstract narrative into physical evidence, helping collectors preserve and understand the past with greater accuracy.
Why Collect Historical Autographs and Militaria? A Collector’s Reasons, Responsibilities and Rewards
Historical collecting is more than acquiring objects; it is a personal dialogue with memory, identity and the responsibility of preserving tangible fragments of the past.
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.
Luftwaffe Soldbuch with EK I, EK II & KVK Entries – Franz Wallrafen, Flak – plus 1935 Reich Aviation Führerschein
Original price was: 250,00 €.199,00 €Current price is: 199,00 €.
Limited-Time OfferOriginal WWII Luftwaffe Soldbuch – Paul Moldenhauer, Luftnachrichtenschule 6, Dievenow/Wollin, Unteroffizier
Original price was: 250,00 €.199,00 €Current price is: 199,00 €.
Limited-Time OfferVolksabstimmung 1938 Ballot – Anschluss Plebiscite & Großdeutscher Reichstag, Unmarked Front
Original price was: 75,00 €.65,00 €Current price is: 65,00 €.
Limited-Time Offer1936 Hitler Election Ballot – Reichstag für Freiheit und Frieden, Oberbayern-Schwaben, Pencil-Marked
Original price was: 75,00 €.65,00 €Current price is: 65,00 €.
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.