1945 WWII Liberty Ship Christening Set Gorham Sterling Plate Fall Of Berlin Day

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1945 WWII Liberty Ship Christening Set Gorham Sterling Plate Fall Of Berlin Day:
$10000.00

MUSEUM-GRADE WWII MARITIME ARCHIVE: 1945 GORHAM STERLING SILVER PRESENTATION PLATE & ORIGINAL DISPLAYED CHRISTENING BOTTLE IN SHIPYARD OAK CASE. Frederick Austin – Launched May 2, 1945 (The Day Berlin Fell) New England Shipbuilding Corporation – South Portland, Maine.

OFERVIEW OF THE ARCHIVE Offered here is an extraordinarily rare, completely intact, and museum-grade World War II naval presentation archive. This estate grouping represents the ultimate "time capsule" from the closing days of the war in Europe, bringing together the official commemorative silver and the exact physical artifact used to christen a United States Liberty Cargo Ship. This complete archive includes: The Official Sponsor Plate: A massive, heavy-gauge solid Gorham Sterling Silver presentation plate custom-engraved with the ship’s profile and launch details. The Ceremonial Christening Bottle: The actual, shattered champagne bottle encased in its original, vibrant patriotic red, white, and blue silken ribbon mesh. The Shipyard-Crafted Presentation Box: A masterfully constructed oak display case featuring a protective glass face, built by shipyard carpenters to house the wet, smashed remnants of the bottle. The Matching Silver Presentation Plaque: A custom-engraved silver plaque affixed securely to the wooden case, mirroring the exact font and styling of the main presentation plate to bind the provenance of this archive forever. DEEP HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE & PROVENANCE. A Ship Born on the Day Berlin Fell! The SS Frederick Austin was a classic EC2-S-C1 Type Liberty Cargo Ship built to serve as the logistics lifeblood of the Allied war effort. This vessel was officially launched and slid into the waters of South Portland, Maine on May 2, 1945. Across the Atlantic Ocean on this exact morning, one of the defining moments of human history was unfolding: General Helmuth Weidling unconditionally surrendered the Berlin Defense Zone garrison to the Soviet Red Army, marking the absolute fall of Berlin. Coming just two days after Adolf Hitler’s suicide, the launch of this ship was perfectly synchronized with the total collapse of the Third Reich, paving the way for V-E Day just six days later.⚓ The Emotional Name and Backstory Liberty ships were traditionally named after notable deceased Americans. This vessel carried an incredibly emotional and immediate wartime tribute. It was named directly in honor of Second Mate Frederick Austin, a brave American merchant mariner who tragically lost his life when his vessel, the R.W. Gallagher, was torpedoed and sunk by a German U-boat in the Gulf of Mexico in 1942. The sponsor chosen to christen the ship was none other than his grieving widow, Mrs. Mary C. Austin. This archive represents a proud, emotional moment where a wartime widow stood before a crowd of 30,000 shipyard workers to smash this bottle and honor her fallen hero husband at the very twilight of the global conflict. SPECIFICATIONS & CONDITION REPORT 1. Gorham Sterling Presentation Plate Manufacture: Gorham Manufacturing Company (Providence, Rhode Island) Hallmarks: Authentically stamped with the Gorham trio (Lion Passant, Anchor, and block letter "G"), marked STERLING, shape number 544, and features the 4 inside a square box date symbol—certifying a precise production year of 1945. Weight: An incredibly heavy 0.94 lbs (approx. 426 Grams / 13.71 Troy Ounces), offering immense baseline precious metal value. Condition: Excellent vintage condition with beautiful, genuine age patina. The face exhibits fine surface swirling, character scratching, and minor tarnish expected of an untouched, 80-year-old family heirloom. The custom ship silhouette engraving along the bottom rim remains incredibly sharp. 2. Christening Bottle & Presentation Case: The Bottle: Original shattered glass pieces entirely secure and wrapped inside the original, heavily braided red, white, and blue patriotic silk ceremonial ribbon netting. The Wood Case: Sturdy, custom-joined oak timber case with a clear glass display pane. The wood finish retains a deep, warm vintage amber glow. The Plaque: Heavy silver plaque fastened with its original screws, deeply engraved with matching shipyard font. Condition: The archive is completely unrestored and uncleaned to protect its value. The silk ribbons show light fading and minor staining consistent with being soaked in champagne during a shipyard ceremony in 1945. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for advanced military, maritime, and precious metal collectors to own a highly emotional piece of American history from the exact day World War II was won in Berlin. Looking for hopefully a local New England buyer as I do not wish to ship this item due to its incredibly historical value and fragile nature. I also am not accepting returns for this reason and would be more than happy to meet a buyer if they are traveling from miles away to pick up. Please message me with any questions before placing offers.