BACKGROUND: The Allgemeine-SS, (General-SS), was originally formed in May 1923 as the Stosstrupp Adolf Hitler (Shock Troops Adolf Hitler), and was redesignated Schutz Staffel, (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 9^TH 1925. On January 6^TH 1929 Heinrich Himmler was appointed as Reichsführer-SS, (National Leader {of the} SS), and on July 20^TH 1934 shortly after the, June 30^TH 1934, purge of the SA, Sturm Abteilung, (Storm/Assault Detachment) on the "Night of the Long Knives", the SS was rewarded by Hitler by being granted the status of an independent organization under direct control of the NSDAP, Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei, (National Socialist German Worker’s Party). From its inception the SS began an aggressive policy of expansion which resulted in the formation of the SS-SD, SS-Sicherheitsdienst und Sicherheitspolizei, (SS-Security Service and Security Police), in June 1931, the SS-VT, SS-Verfügungstruppe, (SS-Special Purpose Troops), and the SS-TV, SS-Totenkopfverbände, (SS-Death’s Head Units), in March 1933, which would eventually evolve into the Waffen-SS, (Armed-SS), in December 1939. Originally members of the fledgling SS had no official uniform or headgear until April 1925 when they adopted, what was to become known as the, "Tradition Uniform" and personnel were outfitted with the same brown shirt uniform and kepi as the SA. In 1923 the Stabswache (Headquarter Guards), was the first SS unit to adopt the Imperial Prussian Danziger style skull for wear on their headgear which was extended to all SS personnel in April 1925. In November 1925 personnel of the newly formed SS adopted a black Kepi to distinguish them from their SA counterparts and in 1927 the SS were the first to adopted the national eagle insignia for wear on their headgear. In 1932, the first black SS service visor caps were introduced for wear to replace the kepi as the standard headgear for all ranks. Originally, SS personnel wore the Danziger style skull and the 1927, political pattern national eagle on their visor caps. In an attempt to distance themselves from the SA, the SS introduced a new pattern cap skull to replace the previously used Danziger style skull on October 6^TH 1934 and in February 1936 a new SS pattern national cap eagle was introduced. Both these pieces of insignia were worn through-out the war. Originally all ranks wore white piping on the visor caps until regulations of June 23^RD 1934 introduced silver/aluminum piping for the ranks of SS-Oberführer up to the rank of Reichsführer-SS while the ranks of SS-Anwärter to SS-Standartenführer continued to utilize the white piping. Also originally all ranks utilized a blackened leather chinstrap until regulations of 1935 introduced silver/aluminum chin cords for the ranks of SS-Oberführer up to the rank of Reichsführer-SS. After the outbreak of WWII the black service headgear was eventually phased out of wear for all but Allgemeine-SS personnel. SS Officers and certain senior NCO ranks were responsible for purchasing their own uniforms and headgear and as a result the SS established the SS-Kleiderkasse, (SS-Clothing Account), system in Munich in 1935. The Officers and certain senior NCO’s were allotted a one time clothing allowance from the government with the amount varying depending on the individuals rank. The Officers and certain senior NCO’s could also choose to purchase privately tailored garments of higher quality although the price may have been restrictive. The RZM, Reichzeugmeisterei, (National Equipment Quartermaster), was officially founded in June 1934 in Munich by the NSDAP as a Reich Hauptamt, (State Central Office), and was based on the earlier SA 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. Starting in late 1934 items manufactured for the SS came under the quality control of the RZM and were marked with an RZM/SS approval mark or tag. Of Note: In 1943 the Waffen-SS assumed full control over their uniform item production and no longer fell under the authority of the RZM.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Nice quality, early, black wool construction body and crown with a black velvet centerband and white wool waffenfarbe piping to the crown edge and both the top and bottom edges of the centerband. The internal crown stiffening wire has been removed but an internal, vertical, stiffener to the front center is intact and give the cap a nice, relaxed shape, with overlapping side crown panels and a high, central, front peak. The front center of the cap has a first pattern, (Circa 1927), nickel/silver plated, stamped alloy, national eagle, with outstretched, pointed tipped wings clutching a wreath in it’s talons which encompasses a recessed, blackened, canted swastika. The eagle shows light age tarnish and some minor verdigris spotting and the black paint to the recessed swastika is fully retained. The front center of the centerband has a first pattern, (Circa 1923-1934), silver washed, stamped alloy, Imperial Prussian Danziger style Totenkopf, with no bottom jaw, superimposed over crossed bones. The Totenkopf features two rows of teeth, oval eye cut-outs, a triangular nose cut-out and embossed cranium detailing. The Totenkopf only retains about 35% of its silver wash with wear to the base alloy with light age tarnish and some minor verdigris spotting. The cap has a twisted, silver braid chin cord which is secured in place by two, small, silver washed, pebbled, alloy buttons. The chin cord and buttons show moderate age tarnish giving them a dull, flat appearance. The cap has an extended, forward, black lacquered, leather visor with a subtly raised lip to the top of the forward edge. The visor shows minor surface cracking. The interior of the cap is fully lined with ribbed black rayon to the crown and brushed black rayon to the body. The interior crown lining has a clear, celluloid sweat diamond mostly intact with stitches missing from two sides. The interior of the cap also has a tan leather sweatband with ventilation perforations to the front, forehead section. The sweatband shows moderate age and usage toning and has a couple of small tears. The reverse of the sweatband has the handwritten owner’s name, "Becker". The cap has no visible size, manufacturer’s or RZM markings. The cap is in overall good condition with minor age and usage toning, some minor nap wear and about a half dozen spots of moth grazing to the white wool waffenfarbe piping. The cap is roughly size 52. Scarce, early SS visor cap.

GRADE ***1/4                             PRICE $ SOLD