Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very nice WWII German Schutzstaffel (SS) EM/NCO's Steel Painted Belt Buckle (Koppelschloß) with correct leather belt. It is embossed with a high relief, embossed, central motif pattern consisting of an SS style national eagle with out-stretched wings, clutching a wreath, encompassing a static swas. The swas and wreath are in turn encompassed by a circular, simulated, twisted rope border with the Gothic script motto, Meine Ehre heißt Treue!, (My Honor is Loyalty!). The original aluminum paint finish on the buckle is unfortunately quite worn on the outside surface, but a lot of the paint is retained on the interior. This is typical of a belt used in service.

The lack of any maker marking indicates it was manufactured by the Overhoff & Cie. firm in Lüdenscheid, who designed the buckle and were originally the only company authorized to make them. The Steel construction indicates construction around 1940, when the switch was made from aluminum to steel.

The belt itself measures 44” when fully extended, and is marked 108 on the buckle end (108cm is about 43 inches). The leather is somewhat worn, but condition is solid with no holes or tears, and leather is soft and pliable. The leather of the belt is in quite good condition, with a lot of the original textured black finish present. The steel end hook is the correct style for an SS belt, and also has traces of the original aluminum paint.

A very nice service used SS belt with buckle, ready to add to your collection!

History of the SS

The Allgemeine-SS, (General-SS), was originally formed in May 1923 under the auspices of the SA, Sturmabteilung, (Storm/Assault Detachment), as the Stosstrupp Adolf AH (Shock Troops). It was then 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.

As a subordinate unit to the SA, early SS personnel wore the standard SA style box belt buckle. It is believed that Adolf AH personally designed a new pattern box belt buckle specifically for wear by SS EM/NCO personnel with the manufacturing patent being originally granted to the Overhoff & Cie. firm in Lüdenscheid. This new style buckle was adopted for wear by EM/NCO personnel in late 1931 or early 1932. Generally the early buckles were produced in solid nickel/silver until sometime in 1936 when aluminum alloys replaced the nickel/silver versions. In 1940 the EM/NCO's belt buckles began to be manufactured in steel replacing the aluminum alloy buckles.  The steel buckles were zinc coated than painted grey.