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). 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 old Imperial Danziger style Totenkopf, (Death’s Head), to be worn on their headgear. In June 1934 the first pattern "schiffchenform", (boat form), EM/NCO’s overseas cap was introduced and issued for wear until November 1940 when the second pattern overseas cap was introduced. In an attempt to distance themselves from the SA, the SS introduced a new pattern cap skull to replace the previously used Imperial Prussian Danziger style skull on October 6^TH 1934. Originally the overseas cap skull was produced as a metal button that was affixed to the front center of the cap until regulations in 1939 introduced a machine woven version that was utilized for the duration of the war. Of Note: 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 a RZM/SS approval/acceptance mark. 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: Sheet metal and alloy construction button with feldgrau paint, features a subtly pebbled background field with a central, embossed, smooth finished, second pattern, (Circa 1934-1945), Totenkopf superimposed over dual crossbones. The reverse of the button has an inset, alloy, backing plate with a close looped, attachment shank. Unmarked.