Original Item: Only One Available. This is an original German WWII late pattern Metropolitan Police Tschako, or shako, with police green wool body, black leather trim, aluminum fittings, original chinstrap, and a 1938 dated aluminum Feldzeichen cockade by E. Hahn of Oberstein. The interior dome is clearly marked by C. Pose of Berlin and carries a size marking of 56. It remains a very attractive municipal police example with its principal fittings intact.

This later style police shako replaced the earlier all leather construction with a wool covered body while retaining leather visors and trim. This example is finished in police green wool with black leather edging, the black trim distinguishing it from the brown trimmed examples associated with rural police use.

The front carries a fine quality aluminum police eagle Wappen. Above it is the original aluminum Feldzeichen cockade, a component frequently missing from surviving examples. The reverse of the cockade is marked:

1938
E. HAHN
OBERSTEIN

The shako is also fitted with its black leather chinstrap with aluminum hardware. The strap remains complete but shows age related wear to the finish, light dry rot along the edges, and several partial cracks. It should be handled carefully to avoid further damage.

The black leather trim remains in good overall condition but shows checking and age related surface deterioration, particularly along the lower edge and the front and rear visors.

The interior retains its brown finished leather liner with the original leather top tie still present. The liner remains supple and the rear stitching is intact. The finish shows some cracking, particularly where the leather folds over the retaining band.

The interior dome is marked:

(56)

C·POSE·WEHRAUSRÜSTUNGEN
[Logo]
BERLIN O 34 - BOXHAGENER 16

The C. Pose marking identifies the Berlin supplier of the shako. No additional markings were observed beneath the liner.

The side mesh ventilation fittings remain in very good condition. Both retain their sliding closures, allowing the vents to be opened or partially closed depending on weather conditions.

Overall condition is very good, with the green wool body, aluminum police eagle, 1938 dated E. Hahn cockade, chinstrap, liner, and ventilation fittings all retained. The leather components show the expected checking, finish deterioration, edge dry rot, and cracking from age, but the shako remains structurally sound for display.

With its late pattern green wool construction, black Metropolitan Police trim, C. Pose Berlin marking, 1938 dated E. Hahn cockade, aluminum police eagle, complete chinstrap, and intact liner and ventilation hardware, this is a particularly appealing German Police shako. The checked leather trim, fragile chinstrap edges, partial chinstrap cracking, and liner finish wear are all fully disclosed. It would display especially well in a German Police headgear, Metropolitan Police, C. Pose maker, 1938 dated uniform accessory, or advanced WWII German headgear collection.

History of the shako-
The word shako originated from the Hungarian name csákós süveg ("peaked cap"), which was a part of the uniform of the Hungarian hussar of the 18th century. Other spellings include chako, czako, schako and tschako.

From 1800 on the shako became a common military headdress, worn by the majority of regiments in the armies of Europe and the Americas. Replacing in most instances the light bicorne, the shako was initially considered an improvement. Made of heavy felt and leather, it retained its shape and provided some protection for the soldier's skull, while its visor shaded his eyes. The shako retained this pre-eminence until the mid-19th century, when spiked helmets began to appear in the armies of the various German States, and the more practical kepi replaced it for all but parade wear in the French Army. The Imperial Russian Army substituted a spiked helmet for the shako in 1844-45 but returned to the latter headdress in 1855, before adopting a form of kepi in 1864. Following the Franco-Prussian War of 1870, military fashions changed and cloth or leather helmets based on the German headdress began to supersede the shako in many armies.

Although the mid-nineteenth century shako was impressive in appearance and added to the height of the wearer, it was also heavy and by itself provided little protection against bad weather as most models were made of cloth or felt material over a leather body and peak. Many armies countered this by utilizing specially designed oilskin covers to protect the shako and the wearer from heavy rain while on campaign. The shako provided little protection from enemy action as the most it could offer was in giving partial shielding of the skull from enemy cavalry sabers.