Original Item: Only One Available. This is an original German WWII Heer Army Panzer EM/NCO Schirmmütze visor cap with a well developed saddle form crown, rose pink Waffenfarbe piping, dark bottle green band, aluminum insignia, and black leather chinstrap. The interior is size marked 54 1/2 and carries a 1936 dated retailer or supply cooperative marking.

The cap is constructed from field gray whipcord weave wool with a dark bottle green Flaschengrün badge cloth band. Rose pink, or rosa, piping runs around the upper crown and along both edges of the band, identifying association with the Panzertruppen and other armored or motorized troops using this branch color.

The crown has lost or had removed its internal support stiffener, allowing it to settle into the characteristic crushed or saddle form appearance associated with well worn visor caps. The shape is particularly attractive and gives the cap a strongly broken in field appearance.

The front is fitted with a silvered aluminum Heer eagle above an open silvered aluminum wreath surrounding a metal tricolor cockade. The aluminum insignia remain bright overall. The cockade shows light oxidation and plating loss, while its red felt center insert remains present with strong color.

A dual buckle black leather chinstrap is attached to black lacquered side buttons, consistent with EM/NCO wear. The leather shows deterioration to the glossy surface, including checking, crazing, and areas where the finish has softened or begun to break down with age.

The visor is constructed from Vulkanfiber with a smooth black leather look upper surface and brown underside. It shows light edge wear and a fine pattern of age related checking and crazing. The visor remains firmly attached, though the stitching around the forehead area has been repaired at some point in the past.

The interior is lined in light brown service cloth type material across the crown and sides. The lining shows expected wear and staining from use. The original celluloid sweatshield diamond is completely absent, together with portions of its stitching, but a clear size marking remains:

54 1/2

The brown finished leather sweatband remains supple and soft with no major tears. It shows localized finish wear, especially around the forehead area.

Beneath the sweatband is a retailer or supply cooperative marking:

Landes-Lief.-Genossenschaft
Kürschner u. Mützenschaft
Mitteldeutschland     [13]

1936

The wording refers to a regional supply cooperative associated with furriers and cap makers in central Germany.

Overall condition is very good, with the field gray wool, dark green band, and rose pink piping retaining strong color. There is localized damage to the piping at the rear, likely from moth activity, along with light general wear, but no other major exterior damage is noted.

With its rose pink Panzer piping, saddle form crown, aluminum Heer insignia, EM/NCO leather chinstrap, 1936 dated interior marking, surviving size 54 1/2 stamp, and attractive service worn appearance, this is a strong example of a German WWII Heer Panzer visor cap. The rear piping damage, aged chinstrap finish, repaired visor stitching, stained lining, missing celluloid sweatshield, and minor cockade oxidation are all fully disclosed. It would fit especially well in a Panzer headgear, Heer EM/NCO visor cap, early war uniform, or advanced German WWII collection.

The German Schirmmütze Visor Cap:
The visor cap (Schirmmütze) was an important part of the headgear worn by German uniformed military, civil, paramilitary and political organizations during the Third Reich. This was the standard cloth headgear worn as a part of the service uniform. Visor caps were worn outdoors as well as indoors, and were often required to be worn by all personnel on duty. Visor caps were made in versions specific to each organization and were often further differentiated through the use of insignia, colored piping, or style of chin cord, to indicate rank, role or branch. The insignia used on these caps ranged from simple stamped metal emblems, to elaborate hand embroidery. Visor caps were issued to enlisted soldiers and NCOs in the military and in some other organizations. Officers had to purchase their own hats, and lower ranks could choose to purchase caps that were of a higher quality than the rather basic, issue examples. The private purchase caps were generally made in very high quality, with fine materials. A wide variety of fabrics were used, from Trikot and doeskin, to heavy wool, or even lightweight white fabric for summer wear. In the military, issue of these caps was generally suspended shortly after the outbreak of the war, but they continued to be worn by some troops until the end of the war.