BACKGROUND: The Allgemeine-SS, (General-SS), was originally formed in May 1923 under the auspices of the SA, Sturm Abteilung, (Storm/Assault Detachment), as the Stosstrupp Adolf Hitler (Shock Troops), and was redesignated Schutzstaffel, (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 9TH 1925. As a subordinate unit to the SA early SS personnel wore the standard SA style box belt buckle. It is believed that Adolf Hitler personally designed a new pattern box belt buckle specifically for wear by SS EM/NCO personnel with the manufacturing patent being originally granted to the Overhoff & Cie. firm in Lüdenscheid. This new style buckle was adopted for wear by EM/NCO personnel in late 1931 or early 1932. Generally the early buckles were produced in solid nickel/silver until sometime in 1936 when aluminum alloys replaced the nickel/silver versions. In 1940 the EM/NCO’s belt buckles began to be manufactured in steel replacing the aluminum alloy buckles. This example is an unofficial buckle presumably intended for wear by SS personnel in the region of Essen although there is no evidence it was ever issued or worn. Allegedly personnel serving with the American, 86TH Infantry Division discovered stockpiles of these buckles from the F. W. Assmann & Söhne firm in Lüdenscheid when they liberated the city on April 12-13TH 1945. For a photographic example see J. R. Angolia’s book, Belt Buckles & Brocades of the Third Reich, Revised Edition, page 220.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Die stamped steel, construction, box belt buckle with a matte, field-grey, painted finish, features a pebbled outer field with a high relief, embossed, central motif pattern consisting of an SS style national eagle with out-stretched wings, clutching a wreath encompassing a canted, swastika. The swastika and wreath are in turn encompassed by a circular, simulated, twisted, rope border with the embossed Gothic script, "Gau Essen", with ornate "S" shaped swirls flanking the script. The script is situated on a subtly textured background field and is encircled by the inner and outer simulated, twisted, rope borders. The buckle retains about 99.9% of its matte, field-grey painted finish. The reverse of the buckle is a mirror image of the obverse and the brazed buckle catch, prong bar and prongs are all intact. The buckle has no visible manufacturer’s markings. Excellent example!

GRADE ****3/4                                                         PRICE $1,190.00