At Empire, we believe that collectors who specialize are the true duty expert in that area. Accordingly, we have selected a small team to serve on our board of experts. These individuals possess the greatest skillset and most knowledge within their field of interest. Our board does not rubber stamp our lots, but actually vet items that fall within their area of expertise. Members have actual veto power over items they deem inappropriate, quetionable, or too controversial, in their area of expertise. This gives bidders automatic confidence in the originality of every item included in our auction.
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| Houston Coates. Houston Coates brings over 40 years of experience in the field of edged weapons to Empire. He is world-renowned for his expertise in the field of hunting, forestry, and shooting daggers, and presentation bayonets. However, his knowledge of other types of blades produced in Germany is extensive. In addition to his knowledge of German edged weapons from every era and type, he has an astute memory of the very early reproductions and fantasy pieces that currently plague modern efforts to collect. |
 | Jeff Clark. Jeff specializes in uniforms, insignia, and other artifacts associated with the NSDAP. His collection is the product of over 30 years of research and travel. He is the author of a recently released book on the NSDAP - the first in depth published work in over twenty years on Third Reich Political Leaders uniforms and their regalia. Jeff holds a degree in criminal justice, and has served in law enforcement both at the state and local level. He lives in Arizona his family. |
 | Dave Delich. Dave Delich has studied SS uniforms and insignia for over 4 decades. Armed with this knowledge, Dave has assebled a celebrated collection of over 40 uniforms and countless original SS insignia. He is considered one of the world's most reliable resources for authenticating and evaluating material in the world, and has contributed to over 30 reference books on the subject. With three degrees under his belt, including a Masters in History, Dave taught school for 35 years, and has consulted with many major auction houses, dealers, and collectors worldwide. Every piece of cloth SS material auctioned by Empire Military Auctions has been reviewed for authenticity by Dave. |
 | Kelly Hicks. Kelly Hicks has collected WWII militaria since 1964, focusing primarily on German helmets. His tenure in the collecting field has yielded four books on the subject of SS Helmets, the most notably the landmark book "SS Steel" from Bender Books, published in 2003. Kelly lives on the East coast, and continues to actively research and collect WWII related memorabilia. Kelly is regarded by dealers and collectors to be the ultimate authority on German helmets. Each helmet auctioned by Empire Military Auctions has been reviewed for authenticity by Kelly. |
 | Dietrich Maerz. Born in 1953 in Germany, Dietrich holds masters degrees in mechanical engineering and buiness administration, and has a burning interest in world history. This passion has expressed itself in a love of medals and orders, and Dietrich now resides in the United States, where he owns a publishing company that produces books focusing on medals and orders of the Third Reich. He is the author on the latest book that covers the German Knights Cross. All knights crosses (and higher versions of the award) offered through Empire are reviewed by Dietrich. |
| Dennis Porrell. Dennis is our Allach Porcelain expert. Photo and biography coming soon. | |
 | Jean Pierre Redeuilh. When you think of SS Buckles, Jean Pierre's name is at the top of the list as the world's formost expert in the subject. Born in France, JP (as he is known to friends) has been collecting since 1976, and began focusing on SS buckles in 2001. The founder of the Wehrmacht-Awards.com Belts and Buckles forum in 2002, and the first moderator of a similar forum on Germandaggers.com. Jean Pierre is used by the world's leading dealers to vet SS belt buckles, and has contributed to many books on the subject matter. His research and hard work stopped the collector panic that spread in 2000 as reproductions began flooding the market, and is the driving force behind SS buckle collecting worldwide. |
 | Wayne Techet. Wayne has been collecting bayonets and other edged weapons since the 1960s. His book, German Etched Dress Bayonets, 1933-1945 is the definitive reference book on the subject, and his evaluations of dress bayonets is highly sought after by collectors and dealers alike. Wayne lives in Las Vegas, Nevada, where his collection of etched dress bayonets is considered second to none. A fixture at both MAX and SOS shows in the United States, all etched bayonets offered by Empire have been reviewed by Wayne for authenticity. With Wayne on the team, you can be confident that any bayonet we offer at auction is described and graded accurately.
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 | Pieter Verbruggen. Pieter is a world-class collector with expertise on a broad range of material including embroidery, formal award documents, orders and decorations, and uniforms. Dealers and collectors worldwide rely on his knowledge and judgement in these areas. Empire is proud to have him as a member of the Board of Experts. Pieter lives in Keerbergen Belgium with his family, where he practice Prosthetic Orthodontics. |
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