BACKGROUND: The Allgemeine-SS, (General-SS), was originally formed in May 1923 as the Stosstrupp Adolf Hitler (Shock Troops Adolf Hitler), 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 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 Troopers) 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), n 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, Sturm Abteilung, (Storm Troopers). 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 political 1927 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 were 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. With the rapid expansion of the Waffen-SS after the outbreak of the war the SS-Kleiderkasse also expanded to include no fewer then nine main offices with offices located in some of the occupied countries including, Poland, Norway, France, Czechoslovakia and Russia. The RZM, Reichzeugmeisterei, (National Equipment Quartermaster), was official 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, (Circa pre-1934), black wool construction body and crown with a black wool 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 moderate to heavy age tarnish which only enhances its detailing. The front center of the centerband has a first pattern, (Circa 1923-1934), nickel/silver plated, 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 nickel/silver plating with wear to the base alloy and light age tarnish. The cap has a blackened, leather, chinstrap with two, black painted, sliding, rectangular, sheet metal, length adjustment buckles and a central, rectangular, sheet metal, joining clip. The chinstrap is secured to the cap by two, small, black painted, smooth finish, magnetic sheet metal buttons. The cap has a forward, extended, black lacquered, leather visor. The visor shows numerous surface cracks to the black lacquered finish. The interior of the cap is fully lined with orangish/tan oilcloth to the crown and cheesecloth to the body. The interior of the cap also has a tan simulated, leather, alkor sweatband the crown lining and the sweatband both show numerous surface cracks and the sweatband also has a few fair sized tears. The cap has no visible size, manufacturer’s or RZM markings. The cap is in overall very good condition with minor age and usage toning and a couple of small spots of moth grazing resulting in lost nap and about a half dozen pin head sized moth nips. The cap is roughly size 56. Scarce, early SS visor cap.