BACKGROUND: The German army utilized a wide variety of assorted anti-personnel and anti-vehicles mines as well as assorted demolition charges. The mines and demolition charges were generally handled by Pioneers, (Combat Engineers), troops. As a result the Engineers were issued assorted specialized equipment designed to meet their needs as the spearhead troops tasked with destroying enemy obstacles and creating forward defensive positions for their own troops. Along with the engineer’s assault packs, long handle shovels, picks and axes and explosive tool kits the engineers were also equipped with a wide variety of explosive charges including the assorted Teller Mines. The Teller, (Plate), mines gained there name after their flat, round, plate like appearance and were originally developed as the TMi-29 in 1929. The Teller mines were produced in at least four variants with the TMi-35 and the TMi-35 Stahl, (Steel), developed in 1935, the TMi-42 in 1942 and the TMi-43 Pilz, (Mushroom), in 1943. The TMi-35 was the most common of all the variants and was manufactured up until 1943. The TMi-35 utilized roughly eleven pounds of TNT and could be activated by a trip wire or pull cord or by applying roughly three hundred pounds of pressure to an igniter that was inserted into the top center of the mine. The German army went to great lengths to ensure its personnel were provided with the best in-depth training that was available at the time. The training took many forms and there were numerous training manuals for all of the specific branches of service. In an attempt to replicate the most realistic combat conditions possible the German army also used live fire training exercises and found a one percent training fatality rate as acceptable, reasoning it was better to remove inadequate personnel in training as opposed to having them risk other lives in actual battle. Although the German’s did use live fire training exercises, for economic and safety reasons they also utilized a wide variety of dummy training weapons including the anti-tank Teller mines.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Two, roughly, 2 5/8" tall, 12 1/2" diameter, multi-piece, tooled steel and magnetic sheet metal construction TMi 35 training, anti-tank teller mines feature a two-tiered, top pressure plate and a central, screw threaded fuze insertion port to each. The central, screw threaded fuze insertion ports both have a roughly, 2 1/4" tall, 1 5/8" diameter, tooled brass and steel construction TMi 35 fuze. The fuzes both have screw threaded bottoms and a horizontally extended pull cord attachment bar. The top edges of both fuzes have three inset securing screws, a flush, screw slotted activation nut with impressed directional arrows with impressed script to each side consisting of, "Sicher", (Safety), to one side and, "Scharf", (Primed/Armed), to the other side. The fuzes are both well marked with a stamped waffen-amt, the manufacturers stylized initials consisting of two "R"s with one being reversed indicate manufacture by Richard Rinker of Iserlohn and different impressed numerals to each with "401-39", to one and, "384-38", to the other. The sides of each mine have ten small, circular cut-outs, ten flush securing screws and an additional circular, screw threaded port for inserting a pull igniter. The sides of each mine also have two small horizontally extended tabs which secure a heavy, tubular metal, swivel, carrying handle. The sides of each mine are also well marked with an impressed waffen-amt and the manufacturers stylized initials and date consisting of two "R"s with one being reversed, and the dates, "1936", and "1939", indicate manufacture by Richard Rinker of Iserlohn. The bottom of each mine has three circular depressions with internal, extended, screw thread bars and corresponding tooled brass nuts. The bottom of each mine also has an off-centered, screw threaded port for inserting another pull igniter. One mine retains about 65% of its original field-grey paint while the other retains about 40% of its paint and both show moderate to heavy surface spotting and pitting. Both of the mines have an additional, faint, red stenciled designation that appears to be, "Üb. T.Mi. 35", indicating, Übungs Teller Mine 35, (Training Teller Mine 35). The mines come housed in a roughly, 12 3/4" tall, 12 3/4" wide, 9 1/8" thick, tooled and injection molded alloy construction carrying case with steel fittings. The field-grey painted case features injection molded alloy panels with dual, large, central, circular cut-outs, swivel hinged bottoms and dual, steel, pressure closure clips to the top of both the obverse and reverse of the case. The ends, top and bottom of the case area all opened and the sides each have a central, vertical alloy bar to secure the mines in place. The top has a central, swivel, tubular alloy carrying handle and the bottom has dual tubular, alloy retaining bars. All four exterior corners of the case are angled inwards diagonally and the interior corners have semi-circular alloy, steel and leather panels to secure the mines in place. The mines can only be inserted into the case in one direction with the tops facing inward. The case retains about 85% of its original field-grey paint with small areas of light to moderate surface spotting and oxidization. Both the obverse and reverse panels are well marked with a white stenciled designation, "2T.Mi.35", a stamped waffen-amt and the impressed manufacturers initials and date within a circular recess, "LL 1939", indicating an unknown manufacturer in 1939.

Please note, due to Postal Regulations. De-activated Ordnance may not be shipped outside of Canada.

GRADE ***                             PRICE $775.00