Original Item: Only One Available. This is an original, apparently unissued German WWII SS EM/NCO Second Pattern left sleeve eagle insignia, or SS-Ärmelhoheitsabzeichen. Machine embroidered in gray silver thread on a black wool backing, it retains a clean, well defined appearance with only light fraying around the unfinished edges. The original coating on the back is well-preserved as well.

The insignia measures approximately 3 5/8" x 1 9/16". No evidence of previous attachment to a uniform is apparent from the supplied description, supporting its identification as an unissued example.

The SS, or Schutzstaffel, was established in 1925 as a small bodyguard organization for Adolf H and other NSDAP leaders. After Heinrich Himmler became Reichsführer-SS in 1929, it expanded into a powerful party and state organization that controlled major elements of German policing, intelligence, and the camp system. Its military branch, the Waffen-SS, was established at the beginning of WWII and eventually included German personnel as well as foreign volunteers and conscripts.

Insignia of this general style are sometimes attributed by collectors to production associated with Dachau, and quantities are reported to have been recovered following the camp’s liberation. However, we were unable to confirm a documented connection between this particular example and Dachau, so no specific place of manufacture or recovery is asserted.

With its crisp machine embroidered eagle, contrasting gray silver thread, black wool backing, and apparently unissued condition, this is a particularly appealing example of a recognizable German WWII SS uniform insignia. Its compact size and strong visual contrast make it well suited for display in an SS insignia, German WWII uniform, or military embroidery collection.