BACKGROUND: Military belts and their corresponding buckles date back centuries and were initially designed for attaching swords and daggers. In 1847 a new innovative box buckle with a quick release catch and corresponding belt were introduced which resulted in a Prussian, Hauptmann Virschow, initiating a new method of carrying personal equipment with the belt and shoulder straps supporting the majority of the weight. This system, with modifications, remains in use in most of the armies in the world to this day. The Weimar era, (circa 1919-1933), Reichswehr, (National Defence {Force}), belt buckle was introduced in May 1919, for wear by EM/NCO personnel serving in both the Reichsheer, (National Army), and the Reichsmarine, (National Navy), with a different colored finish for each branch of service. Although introduced in May 1919 the belt buckle wasn’t widely distributed until 1921. The buckle retained the same basic design as the Imperial German belt buckle but replaced the Imperial crown with the newly introduced national eagle. The Reichswehr era belt buckles were most commonly manufactured in solid nickel/silver although steel buckles were also produced. Of Note: On January 24^TH 1936 a new pattern EM/NCO’s belt buckle was officially introduced to replace the Reichswehr belt buckles although both were worn concurrently for a short period of time. The new pattern belt buckles retained the basic design of the Reichsheer belt buckles with the addition of the new Wehrmacht, (Armed Forces), style national eagle. This example is an anomaly in the fact that it is RZM, Reichzeugmeisterei, (National Equipment Quartermaster), marked although German army items were never under RZM control. In J.R. Angolia’s book, Belt Buckles & Brocades of the Third Reich, the author states, on page twenty-five, that one manufacturer, Paul Cramer & Co. of Lüdenscheid did in fact mark some military buckles with the RZM mark, but this example was manufactured by Paulmann & Crone Co. of Lüdenscheid along with their stylized initials. Of Note: The RZM, was officially founded in June 1934 in Munich by the NSDAP, Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei, (National Socialist German Worker’s Party), as a Reich Hauptamt, (State Central Office), and was based on the earlier SA, Sturm Abteilung, (Storm/Assault Detachment), Quartermaster’s Department. The functions of the RZM were not only to procure and distribute items to Party formations, but also to approve chosen designs and to act as a quality control supervisor to ensure items manufactured for the Party met required specification and were standardized. Speculatively this buckle was manufactured between late 1934 and early 1935 when the RZM introduced new divisions and subdivisions within the RZM and assigned numerical codes with a letter and numeral prefix. It appears there may have been some confusion at Paulmann & Crone firm as to what markings were to be applied to what items. Of Note: Paulmann & Crone’s assigned RZM code for political belt buckles was, M4/28, while their assigned RZM code for political metal insignia and badges was M1/78.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Standard issue, die stamped, solid nickel/silver alloy construction, box buckle features a pebbled outer field with a high relief, embossed, Weimar style, national eagle with down-swept wings, to the slightly domed, smooth finished, center, encompassed by a laurel leaf cluster to the bottom and script, "Gott Mit Uns", (God With Us), to the top. The laurel leaf cluster and script are on a ribbed background and are encircled by both an inner and outer simulated twisted rope border. The eagle shows nice detailing. The reverse of the buckle is a mirror image of the obverse, excluding the outer pebbled field and has the brazed catch, prong bar and prongs all intact. The reverse of the buckle is well marked with the embossed RZM logo within a circular border, the manufacturer’s numerical code without the letter prefix, "78", and the stylized, overlapping manufacturer’s initials, "PuC", indicating manufacture by Paulmann & Crone Co. of Lüdenscheid. The buckle is in overall very good condition with light age tarnish and some small paper remnants to the obverse bottom edge. Unique anomaly.

GRADE ***3/4                             PRICE $115.00