Kasernierte Volkspolizei (KVP) Koppelschloss und Lederkoppel /Belt and buckle

[Watchdog]

Just added this pairing of belt and buckle. Neither piece is too hard to find but as we all know you have to find the right one for your collection.

I doubt they ever "lived as a couple" but that doesn't matter as belt and buckle were issued as separate items and are likely to be interchanged over time.

Many of these buckles are either very worn with no paint remaining in the tricolour or seem to have hade the paint replaced and sometimes aged with a couple of scratches.

This one has jut the right amount of wear with about 90% of the tricolour remaining and no signs of retouching. The metal is magnetic.
If you see one of these with a "hook" rather than a "loop" to engage the other end of the belt as is found on the late pattern NVA buckles then it is a fake. That type of closure was only used 1970 - 90 and so can only be on NVA buckles.

The belts are usually the wrong type (often later NVA types) or very worn. Some wear is fine but these are not rare enough (yet!) to make a total relic item attractive.

This one is in mint condition and although some sign of use is preferable to me it has enough good points in that it is the correct type, is MdI marked for 2nd quarter 1959 and is a rare 135cm size just right for "Hauptman Zehnbauch"

All comments are invited and appreciated.

Regards

Mark

[Blitzvogel]

A very nicely preserved example! I agree, this is exactly the kind you want to have in your collection

-Joel

[Gunny Hartmann]

Very mice mate.

[HARRY THE MOLE]

Very nice... you can see its the 1st pattern by the fact that the 'hook' is stitched to the belt. I posted all the variations of the belts some time ago.

Cheers,
Steve

[Watchdog]

Thanks for the replies gents,

Just to clarify my comment about the loop versus hook buckle closure method; It should be noted that there was an earlier buckle type which did use a hook but that type was identical in design to the Soviet item but with the typical German "pebbled and silvered" finish and the KVP cap star insted of the hammer and sickle. The type was not used for long (was it made in USSR? Refer also to early DDR medals having Soviet suspension devices) before it was replaced by the traditional German style (maybe when the German factories were back online?). Prices in the area of three figures are typical for that type.



Also, to illustrate what I said about looking for the optimum example here are some pics of an obviously old belt but one that is not a collectible example in my opinion.
It is the wrong (later) belt leather with the riveted hook rather than the stitched type and the leather buckle "tongue" has been removed, the belt leather crudely shortened and new holes punched into the belt leather. This might have been an in-service mod but for the fact that the belt is later than the buckle so more likely it was done much later possibly to make a childs plaything?
The buckle is in a condition too poor for a good representative artifact in a collection.



Both these items are currently for sale on Ebay. The early buckle is fine but the belt and buckle, well, take a view!

Regards

Mark

[HARRY THE MOLE]

I spotted that one, there is also another with a matching holster.

[Camo1982]

I am looking for the earlier type (the Soviet looking one) if anyone has a line on one please feel free to email me.

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I am looking for the earlier type (the Soviet looking one) if anyone has a line on one please feel free to email me.

[Watchdog]

They do show up on Ebay. de but expect to pay 300 euros plus.

Regards
Mark

[Gugreze]

I love the 1959 belt, so difficult to find!