BACKGROUND: The DRKB, "Deutscher Reichskriegerbund" (German National-veterans’-league), was formed during WWI, and was based on the DKB, "Deutscher Kriegerbund," originally formed after the Franco-Prussian war in the 1870s. By 1936 it had incorporated most of the varied veterans’ associations into it, and was itself re-named the NS-RKB, "Nationalsozialistische - Reichskriegerbund," in 1938. Uniform and headgear regulations were introduced prior to 1933, were modified in 1936, and again in 1938.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: A 1936 pattern, black wool construction visor cap. The cap features a one-piece circular crown, a body with seams to each of its cardinal points, a one-piece center band whose vertical seam is to the reverse, and a blackened leather visor. Fixed to the forward seam line of the body is a gilt-colored, stamped metal oak leaf wreath surrounding an enameled metal oval. The 1935 pattern, stamped metal oval, 7/8" wide and 1 1/8" tall, features the embossed outline of the "Kyffhäuser," a monument to a united Germany located in Saxony, filled in in black enamel with a white enamel background. Beneath the outline of the monument is a red enamel field upon which is embossed a mobile swastika, filled in in black, against a white enamel disk. The black rayon center band features alternating, machine embroidered Kyffhäuserbund monuments, within shields and above tri-colors, and mobile swastikas. Fixed by black painted, convex metal buttons is the typical black leather chinstrap. The leather visor has blackened canvas reinforcing stitched along its edge. The interior of the cap is fully lined in mid-blue rayon, and features a 1 1/2" wide, thin, tan leather sweatband. Stamped, in gold, to a celluloid diamond sewn to the interior crown is "Deutscher," "Reichskriegerbund," "Kyffhäuser," and "(ges. geschutzt)" (for "gesetzlich geschützt," or, by-law protected), above a shield with the Kyffhäuser monument and national tri-colors to it. Beneath the diamond is an approximately 2 5/8" x 7/8", white oilcloth tag, upon which is printed, in blue, "D.R.K.B. ‘Kyffhäuser’- Mütze," followed by a "Herstellerfirma Nr.," and the Kyffhäuser monument and national tri-colors within a shield. The cap is roughly a size 58. Nice clean example.

GRADE ****                             PRICE $250.00