BACKGROUND: The M34 Overseas cap for wear by EM/NCO personnel was initially introduced on March 24^TH 1934, with non-functional front buttons, a branch of service soutache and the Reichswehr era national cockade. Regulations of October 1935, did away with the buttons and altered the insignia utilized on the cap. The M34 cap was worn by EM/NCO’s until the introduction of the newly designed M42 overseas cap on July 21^ST 1942. Although based on the modified M34 field-grey overseas cap as introduced in October 1935, the black version of the overseas cap wasn’t introduced until March 27^TH 1940, as Panzer crews were being issued with the black Panzer beret previous to that. Due to the fact that the Panzer Beret was unpopular with the troops and didn’t facilitate the use of the headsets it was discontinued in January 1941, to be replaced with the newly introduced black overseas cap. The German army originally adopted a slightly modified version of the NSDAP’s, Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei, (National Socialist German Worker’s Party), national eagle by order on February 17^TH 1934, with instructions to have it applied to all steel helmets, visor caps, and tunics by May 1^ST 1934. Regulations followed on October 30^TH 1935 that stipulated the national eagle was also to be applied to all field caps. On March 14^TH 1933 the Weimar Reichswehr era oval black, red and gold cockade was replaced with a circular cockade in black, white, and red and was utilized through-out the Third Reich period. The different branches of service within the army were allocated a specific, identifying, waffenfarbe, (Branch of Service Color), with pink being chosen for Panzer, (Armored), personnel. Of Note: The general waffenfarbe for all armored units was pink although other colors were utilized including red for armored artillery units, golden yellow for armored reconnaissance units and the 24^TH Panzer Division, lemon yellow for armored signals units and, for a short time, alternating black and white for armored engineer units. Originally the early M34 and modified M34, (circa October 1935), overseas caps, were outfitted with an identifying branch of service soutache until regulations of July 10^TH 1942 abolished the use of the soutache and instructed it to be removed from the caps, although the directive was not strictly adhered to. Of Note: The M34 overseas cap was only intended for EM/NCO’s ranks while officers ranks wore the old "Crusher" style visor cap until the introduction of the officer’s M38 overseas cap on December 6^TH 1938. Officially wear of the old "Crusher" style visor caps was extended until April 1^ST 1942.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Black wool/rayon blend construction cap, with fold down side and back panels with downward scallops to the front and forward sides. As is typical the fold down panels are stitched in the upright position at the front center of the cap. The cap has a black painted, magnetic sheet metal, ventilation grommet to either side positioned just below the crown edge. The ventilation grommets retain all of their black paint. The front center of the cap has a machine woven, national eagle with out-stretched wings, clutching a wreathed, canted, swastika in it’s talons, in white, rayon thread, on a cut-out, woven, black rayon base. The eagle shows some chafe wear and moderate age and usage toning and is neatly handstitched to the cap. The front center of the fold down panels has a machine woven, national tri-color cockade, in black, white and red rayon threads on a diamond shaped, woven, dark blue/green rayon base. The cockade is machine stitched to the cap. The cap also has inverted "V", pink rayon soutache flanking the cockade indicating service with the Armored troops. The soutache has been applied in the correct manner, being machine stitched in place and inserted through two small puncture holes near the bottom edge of the cap. The interior of the cap is fully lined in ribbed, greyish/tan cotton twill. The lining has a couple of small puncture holes to the center crown seam where it appears the original owner had personalized the cap by applying a safety pin to give a jaunty appearance in spite of regulations that prohibited the practice. The lining is well marked with the black inkstamped size, "55", and the manufacture’s name, location and date, "Robert Lubstein Berlin No 55 1940 V". The cap is in overall good condition with spots of moth grazing resulting in moderate nap wear, numerous small spots of an off-white glue like residue and about a dozen small rips and tears.

GRADE ***                             PRICE $1,785.00