SEE BELOW FOR DESCRIPTION
SEE BELOW FOR DESCRIPTION
S021665 CUSTOMS OFFICIAL'S VISOR CAP INSIGNIA. (Schirmmütze Abzeichen)
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 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. As a result of this appointment new regulations were instituted, on June 25TH 1936, to bring about uniformity in dress and included new insignia for the Customs personnel.
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: The insignia consists of an eagle, visor cap wreath and national tri-color cockade. The eagle is die stamped aluminum, construction national eagle with outstretched wings, clutching a wreathed, canted swastika in its talons. The eagle has a roughly, 65mm wingspan. The reverse of the eagle is a mirror image of the obverse. Retains all three of its original attachment prongs. The visor cap wreath and national tri-color cockade consists of a nicely detailed, die stamped, high relief, opened topped, oak-leave wreath with winged railway emblem in aluminum. Wreath is complete with both of its original attachment pins. Wreath measures 70mm x 45mm. The cockade features a black, fluted, stamped alloy base, a silver washed roundel, and an inset red felt centerpiece.
GRADE ****1/4 PRICE $102.00
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