I have had this collar device for many years and I have been unsuccessful in trying to identify this. I initially thought that it may be something for a very high ranking SS official that would have been on a collar tab. Well I was not totally wrong with my assessment.
This validates the use of reference books when trying to obtain information. I may have mentioned before that I am a firm believer in having a reference library and I have collected reference books just as long as I have collected insignia. Over 40 years worth of books now sit on my bookshelves and I have several thousand books now.
With the advent of the internet and world wide web, it has made identifying insignia much easier and quicker, but I am old school and still enjoy flipping through the pages of a good book. Last year I was able to purchase the 2 volume set: "Uniforms, Organizations & History of the German Police", Volumes 1 and 2 by John Angolia and Hugh Page Taylor.. These books were not cheap but they hold some valuable information within the pages. I was very happy to see this collar device in the books since I have not had any luck finding one similar on the internet.. (This just validates for me that reference books are still a valuable commodity, even those that are several years if not decades old)...
So valuable in fact, I was able to identify the device that had alluded me for so long. It is without question the same device that I have now in my collection and can be properly marked and cataloged. To further confirm what the actual device is, the authors of the book also referenced the F.W. Assmann and Sohne catalog and it is clearly identified in the catalog.
According to the authors of the German Police Books: "The special metal collar badge, worn as a reverse image matching pair by the Bavarian LP, as advertised by Assmann under their reference 18175"..
I present to you the collar device and supporting documentation..
Comments and feedback are always welcome..
Smitty
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