Measuring 35 3/4 inches in overall length, the 29 1/4 inch straight single fuller blade is well etched, with the Eickhorn "armed squirrel" on the left ricasso, a foot-long vine on the spine, and a 12 3/8 inch panel of geometric scroll etching on each side with gold highlighted presentation markings in royal blue fields, "In dankbarer Anerkennung" (In Grateful Appreciation) on the right side and "Der Oberbefehlshaber der Luftwaffe" (The Supreme Commander of the Luftwaffe) next to a reproduced Hermann Goering signature on the left. The gilt brass hilt is finely decorated with checkerboard and punch-dot engraving coupled with raised scroll and floral designs, with a silver Luftwaffe eagle on the obverse side of the double-folding guard, a 4 1/4 inch straight bar cross guard, "D" shaped knuckle bow, gilt wire wrapped cream-colored celluloid grip, and a sphere pommel with flared nut. With a black leather sheath with gilt fittings and a dark blue felt carrying case with blue leather reinforced tip. An assortment of paperwork is included with the sword from a previous owner, including a set of correspondence with the son of Private Cecil Brown, an American combat engineer who discovered this sword in a freshly-vacated officer's quarters, along with an assortment of papers from Luftwaffe Generalleutnant Erich Stein; born in Heilbronn in 1884, Stein began his military career on the ground as an artillery officer, retraining as a pilot in 1914. Retiring after World War One, he was brought back during the preparations for World War Two, originally as an advisor and later as a high ranking quartermaster for the Munich Air District and Air Fleet 3 in Occupied/Vichy France. Officially re-retired at the end of 1944, he is listed as deceased in Munich in December 21, 1945, cause unknown. Over his career he had earned a number of medals, including the Iron Cross (2nd and 1st), War Merit Cross (2nd and 1st, with Swords) and the German Cross in Silver. A number of the documents are of a benign, daily nature, including a late-pay notification from the General's insurance provider, a report from a subordinate on the establishment of a list of families of men under his command who many need assistance in event of an air raid, and a 1936 dated thank you card from his wedding, but among them are the official notification of his promotion to Generalleutnant from General Major and the official award certificates for the "Spange" for the 2nd and 1st Class Iron Cross (the award given to men who already had the Iron Cross from World War One and re-earned it in World War Two). Additionally, the lot includes a set of photographs, with two identified as being Stein and another as Private Brown.

Excellent, with a few extremely minor chips on the grip, and minor handling marks overall. The excellent scabbard is showing a few minor scratches. The blade is excellent plus. A highly attractive Luftwaffe General's sword with intriguing field-captured paperwork and documentation.