black SS field cap for officers, ca. 193X.

**Friedrich-Berthold** · 03-12-2012, 07:30 PM

This item appeared, already commented on by Mr. Mint, but a noteworthy thing, all the same.

I have never seen such a thing offered for sale before. Maederer does collect caps himself, and I have gotten very nice SS caps from him. I have no commercial interest in this item. My interest is historical. Nor am I a field cap mad man, like some. But this "crusher" crushes many others as to its rarity and significance.

The error made in the secondary reference books suggests that this type (based on the field cap worn in the old army, i.e. prior to 1918) was introduced in the army of the III. Reich, whereas in its original form, it dates back to a much earlier period. Colleague d'Alquen is my authority on these items, bar none.

**Espenlaub Militaria** · 03-12-2012 07:30 PM

We also buy and trade your items and full collections!

**Friedrich-Berthold** · 03-12-2012, 07:31 PM

Not dissimilar to my cap, but mine has a leather peak, and the normal celleon sweat shield. The field cap above is for sale at triple the price of the item I own, so you will have to dig deeply into your pockets. I guess this one here was a bargain. That is what Manion always said in the golden era.

**Friedrich-Berthold** · 03-12-2012, 07:32 PM

This later variant of the black field cap for officers is also for sale, or was for sale....these things are pretty rare, actually.

**Bochmann** · 03-12-2012, 09:53 PM

I have to say F-B that without your input I would have dismissed this cap as yet another copy, without another glance.

However when you take another look at the Tk on it it does look as of it came out of the Leib Husaren handbook and it is such a shame that it is not in better condition.
The first cap I ever got from a school friend (for free) was a Heer crusher which was white piped but with a very blue/green central band.
Even after 70 plus years these things have a panache of their very own.
Thanks to you and Stonemint for posting.

**Friedrich-Berthold** · 03-12-2012, 09:57 PM

Thanks.
Bob Coleman and Mr. Mint made me aware of this item. Thanks are due to them, surely.

This kind of Totenschaedel was used in the SS, though an exception. I think this is a pretty exceptional cap, actually, though its price is even more exceptional.
It does have panache, to be sure.
I thought the thing to have meaning for our little circle.
For Maederer's price, you could buy a lot of other SS caps of slightly more pedestrian type, but this 'crusher' mania is a thing of its own.
I have not looked at the thing other than the images, but the pictures show real wear, and the real appearance of one of these things that has seen service.
I say this, because the other one I do own is identical more or less, to include the inner lining.
best wishes, FB

PS I do not make any money off of this, at all.

**BOB COLEMAN** · 03-12-2012, 10:14 PM

The cap is certainly a very rare, exceptional piece. I have never seen this form of totenkopf before. It certainly would be an outstandig addition to any collection. The price certainly limits the number of players myself being excluded.

**Friedrich-Berthold** · 03-12-2012, 10:18 PM

Our friend Tony Gordon had a cap with this badge forty years ago that ended up in the Saris book, actually. I have seen another black cap with this badge, too. The use of the early army Hoheitszeichen was typical in the early SSVT.

The ex T Gordon cap is on p. 58 of the Saris book of which your nice kepi decorates the cover. His cap was made in Vienna, and I always thought it might not really be an SS cap; but lo and behold, the thing reappears decades later.

Remarkable what does appear, especially in the digital age.

Also, the material of the sweat diamond is found in other caps of this type in grey color.

The conditions is hardly as if unworn, but the wear has its own poetry, that makes it appeal to a wide clientele. The officer corps in the Politische Bereitschaften, SSVT or even Allgemeine SS at which time this item was worn was quite, quite small. The officer corps of the whole SS was no more than 4,000 strong on 1 January 1935, that is, according to the table in the SS rank list of the year 1938.

**Bochmann** · 03-12-2012, 11:03 PM

Well if this cap is too rich for you guys then I am definitely out.

It is still nice to see however as one never knows what is going to turn up.

A few years ago a friend of mine got an original Kripo warrant disk in a coin tub on a junk stall, sadly though, I do not have his luck.