Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very nice Imperial German WWI Prussian enlisted man/NCO leather waist belt complete with its correct M1915 steel belt buckle, or Koppelschloß. The buckle is the wartime steel version of the familiar Prussian box buckle and displays the classic crowned Prussian insignia surrounded by the motto GOTT MIT UNS ("God With Us").

The slightly convex buckle is constructed from stamped steel and retains good definition to the central crown, lettering, border, and surrounding foliate decoration. The surface has developed a dark gray and brown patina, with areas of oxidation and traces of the original wartime finish still visible. The buckle is mounted to its original-style brown leather waist belt. At the buckle end is the perforated leather adjustment tongue, which remains complete and shows period wear. The opposite end retains its sewn leather reinforcement and steel hook fitting, with much of the original stitching still present. The main belt body remains quite presentable, showing scattered staining, scuffing and areas of surface crazing.

The history of German and Prussian belt buckles dates to the nineteenth century, when the Prussian Army introduced its distinctive box buckle featuring a crowned royal cypher and the motto GOTT MIT UNS. The design soon became one of the most recognizable pieces of German military equipment, worn by Prussian enlisted men and NCOs, as well as troops from several other German states that followed the Prussian pattern.

Early buckles were commonly produced in brass, nickel silver, or other non-ferrous alloys, often with bright polished or plated finishes. As military requirements expanded during the First World War and Germany faced increasing shortages of strategic metals, manufacturers introduced simplified wartime patterns made from stamped steel. The M1915 steel buckle represented by this example reflects that transition, retaining the traditional Prussian crown, motto, and decorative border while using a more economical and durable wartime material.