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S006060 CUSTOMS OFFICIAL'S SERVICE BOOTS. (Dienst Stiefel)
BACKGROUND: The German Customs Service can be traced back to 1834 when a Customs Union was formed to allow the separate German States to trade amongst themselves without trade and tariff taxes, while still imposing import trade taxes on other European nations. With the unification of the German States into a single nation in 1871 the Customs Service became a national paramilitary organization, under control of the Reichsfinanzministerium, (National Finance Ministry), in Berlin. The national Customs Service was still responsible for imposing and collecting import trade taxes but was also tasked with border defence duties. In 1936 the Customs Service was reorganized and given further policing responsibilities including the apprehension of individuals attempting to escape from the NSDAP’s, Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei, (National Socialist German Worker’s Party), yoke. The German Customs service was divided into two separate branches with one branch consisting of the Landzollbeamte, (Land Customs Officials), which was subdivided into the Zollgrenzschutz, (Land Customs Border Guards), and the Wasserzollbeamte, (Water Customs Officials), and the second branch consisting of the remaining Zollbeamte, (Customs Officials). On June 17TH 1936, Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler was appointed to the newly created position of Chef der Deutschen Polizei im Reichsministerium des Innern, (Chief of the German Police in the National Ministry of the Interior), effectively giving him full control of all police agencies within Germany including the Customs service. Besides the helmet, the tall, leather boot is probably one of the most instantly recognizable items of the German military and para-military organizations. The traditional tall boots were also utilized by the Police and Customs Officials. Of the assorted branches of Police/Customs service only the Gendarmerie, (Rural Police), the Polizeibeamten, (Police Officials) and the Landzollbeamte, (Land Customs Officials), utilized brown leather accoutrements, including footwear while the other branches, utilized blackened leather accoutrements. Of Note: Police Officers and Customs Officials holding the rank or position equivalent to Polizei-Leutnant to Generaloberst der Polizei were responsible for purchasing their own uniforms and footwear and could purchase them through the SS-Kleiderkasse, (Clothing Account), system which was originally established in Munich in 1935. The Officers and Officials were allotted a one time clothing allowance from the government with the amount varying depending on the individual’s rank/position.
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Nice quality, multi-panel, age darkened, natural tan leather construction boots are roughly, 12 3/4" tall from the top of the heel to the top of the back calf section. The boots have a wide, stitched on, dual layer, central, vertical, spine to the reverse. The foot portion of the boots are constructed of two leather panels with a large forward panel and a smaller rear panel covering the heel area. The boots have stacked leather heels and forward soles with the typical diamond shaped wooden retaining dowels to the insteps and forward soles. Both of the boots have forty-five steel hobnails to the forward sole and inset, steel "horseshoe" plates to the heels. The instep of each boot is well marked with the impressed size numerals, "29", and "5", and the abbreviation, "RFV2", indicating, Reichs Finanz Verwaltung 2, (National Finance Administration {Department} 2). The interior top edges of the boots have all four of the original woven black fabric pull tabs intact and both have a faint, illegible impressed marking. The boots are in overall very good, unissued condition with light to moderate age toning and some small surface scarring. The boots are roughly size 8 1/2.
GRADE **** PRICE $699.00
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