Original Item: Only One Available. This is an original German pre-WWII early SS “Danziger” style Totenkopf cap badge of nickel plated brass construction. This older skull pattern predates the standardized SS Totenkopf design adopted during the 1930s and reflects the earlier German military skull tradition from which the organization drew some of its insignia imagery.

The SS initially used several early skull patterns before adopting a more standardized and distinctive Totenkopf design during the mid-1930s. The so-called “Danziger” style is associated with this early period and also has roots in earlier German military use, including pre-WWI and WWI era skull insignia. While this example has been identified as an early SS cap badge, its exact date of manufacture cannot be established from the surviving physical features alone.

The badge measures approximately 1 1/4" across and is made from nickel plated brass alloy. The front shows honest wear and patination, with the finish thinned across the raised surfaces, while the reverse retains a noticeably greater amount of the original nickel plating.

One of the original attachment prongs remains present on the reverse, while the second has broken away. Aside from this loss and the expected age related finish wear, the badge remains a solid and displayable example.

With its early “Danziger” skull form, nickel plated brass construction, surviving original attachment prong, and clear period wear, this is a particularly interesting example of early SS headgear insignia. The missing second prong, frontal plating wear, and uncertain exact production date are all fully disclosed. It would display especially well in an early SS insignia, pre-WWII German headgear, Totenkopf badge, or advanced political and military insignia collection.

Use of the Totenkopf as a military emblem began under Frederick the Great, who formed a regiment of Hussar cavalry in the Prussian army commanded by Colonel von Ruesch, the Husaren-Regiment Nr. 5 (von Ruesch). It adopted a black uniform with a Totenkopf emblazoned on the front of its mirlitons and wore it on the field in the War of Austrian Succession and in the Seven Years' War. The Totenkopf remained a part of the uniform when the regiment was reformed into Leib-Husaren Regiments Nr.1 and Nr.2 in 1808. The skull continued to be used by the Prussian and Brunswick armed forces until 1918, and some of the stormtroopers that led the last German offensives on the Western Front in 1918 used skull badges. Luftstreitkräfte fighter pilots Georg von Hantelmann and Kurt Adolf Monnington are just two of a number of Central Powers military pilots who used the Totenkopf as their personal aircraft insignia.

The Allgemeine-SS, (General-SS), was originally formed in May 1923 as the Stosstrupp Adolf AH, (Shock Troops Adolf AH), and was redesignated Schutzstaffel, (Protection Squad), in April 1925 with the official acceptance of the name verified on the second anniversary of the failed Munich "Beer-Hall" Putsch on November 9TH 1925. On January 6TH 1929 Heinrich Himmler was appointed as Reichsführer-SS, (National Leader {of the} SS), and on July 20TH 1934 shortly after the, June 30TH 1934, purge of the SA, Sturm Abteilung, (Storm Troopers) on the "Night of the Long Knives", the SS was rewarded by AH by being granted the status of an independent organization under direct control of the NSDAP, Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei, (National Socialist German Worker’s Party).

The SS developed the distinctive SS style cap Totenkopf (death's head) skull and cross bones on October 6TH 1934 and introduced the SS pattern national cap eagle in February 1936. After their introductions the skull and eagle were to be worn on all forms of SS headgear. In 1944 the SS developed a single piece of cap insignia which incorporated both the skull and eagle on a one piece trapezoid base for wear on the M43 field cap. Originally these trapezoidal pieces of insignia were produced in a machine woven version until a final, embroidered version was introduced in late 1944. The first versions of the trapezoidal cap insignia featured dual rows of teeth in the skull while later versions only had a single row of teeth. Panzer personnel’s cap trapezoids were produced with a black base to match the color of the cap it was to be worn on.