Original Item: Only One Available. Gorgets hold an interesting place in history, as they are a throw-back to the days of knights, when suits of armor included a neck protection device called a Gorget. They have been used since that time to identify membership or function in various military and police organizations, and Gorgets were thoroughly used during the Third Reich.

This is a very nice example of a mid-WWII style German National Socialist German Workers' Party (Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei - NSDAP) Political Leader Standard Bearer's Gorget. These would be worn at meetings and even in the field, to make it clear who was of a higher rank, who would also carry the standard / flag during parade formations. Similar gorgets were used in other parts of the NSDAP organizational structure.

The gorget is constructed of bronze and bronzed aluminum, with a large NSDAP Reichsadler (Party Eagle) in the center, and bordered on the outside with an overlapping oak leaf motif. It is marked with the ((RZM)) (Reichszeugmeisterei) insignia and maker marked M1/128 for Eugen Schmidhäussler of Pforzheim on the left chain clip. It is complete with the green felt protective liner on the back, which does have some staining and wear, as well as some minor mothing. It looks to have been exposed to moisture, allowing the rear of the gorget to oxidize as well.

The Gorget is hung on a bronzed and gilt aluminum chain, with alternating wreathed swas (hook cross) and art deco eagle insignias on the panels, again marker with the ((RZM)) insignia and maker marked M1/128 on the reverse of both end panels.

Overall condition is very good with light overall wear and oxidation on the front of the plate. The eagle is a bit loose, but still has both attachment fasteners, which can be felt under the fabric covering on the back. These are among the hardest to find examples of German World War Two Gorgets. Ready to display!

The National Socialist German Workers' Party (German: Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei , abbreviated NSDAP), commonly referred to in English as the NSDAP Party, was a far-right political party in Germany that was active between 1920 and 1945, that created and supported the ideology of National Socialism. Its precursor, the German Workers' Party (Deutsche Arbeiterpartei; DAP), existed from 1919 to 1920.

The NSDAP Party emerged from the German nationalist, racist and populist Freikorps paramilitary culture, which fought against the communist uprisings in post-World War I Germany. The party was created to draw workers away from communism and into völkisch nationalism. Initially, NSDAP political strategy focused on anti-big business, anti-bourgeois, and anti-capitalist rhetoric, although this was later downplayed to gain the support of business leaders, and in the 1930s the party's main focus shifted to anti-Semitic and anti-Marxist themes.