Original Item: Only One Available. The SS (Schutzstaffel - 'Protection Squadron') was originally formed in 1925, ostensibly to act as a small, loyal bodyguard unit to protect the Führer, Adolf H. Under the direction of the Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler, the SS grew to be the most ruthless and feared organization of the 20th century. They were the vanguard of NSDAP and eventually controlled nearly every function of German life and much of Occupied Europe.

This is a fantastic early pattern 1938 dated German Allgemeine SS "Other Ranks" Schirmmütze Visor Cap in size 56. The body is produced in black wool that is in near excellent condition with some minor wear and a few tiny nips to the top panel. The white wool piping also has some minor discolorations and a few nips. All of this is minor, and does nothing to take away from this very handsome cap.

The center band is produced in black badge cloth and in very good condition. The nickel silver finished insignia are in wonderful crisp condition. The black leather chinstrap is very good. The black vulkanfibre visor has some very minor crazing but is otherwise in great condition. The underside is finished in an orange/brown hue and has the distinctive black ᛋᛋ doppelte Siegrune (Double Sig/Victory Rune) RZM paint stamp.

The interior top panel is finished in orange/brown oil cloth while the remainder of the interior is finished in orange/brown cloth. There is a square VA / 1938 date stamp on the inside of the crown. The diamond shaped moisture shield is fully present, though there is some cracking. The gold silk screened ᛋᛋ symbols are fully intact. There is a paper name tag under the moisture shield. It reads:

F. Witten
76/11
Radstadt

The sweatband has some very minor discoloration and wear from use. Unfortunately, there is a lot of tearing cracking to the leather due to age degradation. Under the sweatband the cap still bears its original fabric RZM tag, which is in great shape. The tag identifies the cap as a TUCHMÜTZE für ᛋᛋ (Cloth Cap for SS), and features the RZM logo as well as the ink stamped numerical designation of the Hersteller (manufacturer) 4 over lot No. 086392. Everything about the tag is absolutely correct.

The SS Visor Cap Skull was made by the firm of Deschler & Sohn of München (Munich) in Bavaria. The skull rates, overall, in good condition, and is non-magnetic with a silver wash. The rear shows a clear raised RZM mark over M1/52, the manufacturers RZM code for Deschler. Two flat wire attachment prongs are attached to the reverse for mounting to a visor. The prongs are soldered to two flat discs which give the prongs added strength by allowing more of a solder area to secure to. Both prongs are original to the skull and have no repairs, confirmed by the silver wash. We carefully removed the skull to picture the rear to verify the authenticity.

A top quality, early cap, that is in great condition, with everything absolutely correct! These do not come along very often at all!

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 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.

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.