Interesting O&C ges. gesch. Marked Buckle

[aechols83]

O&C ges. gesch. marked SA buckle??

[aechols83]

No…an Imperial Prussian roundel! This is a very interesting buckle in my eyes by the fact that it features what I regard as a later, post-Imperial Overhoff marked box that looks like it should belong to an SA. The box is no doubt original. The solder points and roundel and roundel also look good to me. The reverse situation that we see with early SA/NSDAP buckles where Imperial boxes are reutilized is not unusual. But why should this have been done? Perhaps a private purchase by a WWI veteran or some other sort of Kriegerverein context?

Of course any and all comments most welcome.

Best,
Adam

[kirby]

I was thinking it was going to be a SA or NSBO buckle. I don't remember ever seeing an inperial marked this way. There is a large Imperial buckle that I will have to check out.

[David North]

Dear Adam

There are several 1920's period buckle manufacturers catalogues which openly display for sale this "Imperial" buckle on essentially a "retro" basis. I assume that the buckle was sold as a commercial "remembrance of service" item, rather than being organisation specific.

Regards,

David

[aechols83]

Dear David & Kirby,

Thank you for your replies. David, could you tell that I was playfully taking a page out of your playbook from your prior post in the Imperials section regarding "cannibalized" Imperial-to-NSDAP buckles? Your explanation makes very good sense. Outside of proper organizations I suppose these manufacturers would have to produce something commerical for civilians and there were certainly many civilian/veterans who might have sprung for one of these as having "been there."

On a related note, where can collectors find these catalogs, and for me specifically catalogs from say 1926-1934? I for one feel I am missing an essential piece of reference here and which would be highly educational for me.

Best,
Adam

[aechols83]

Also curious if these should be considered scarce or rare? This is the first such one I have seen in my collecting experience.

[David North]

Dear Adam

"...could you tell that I was playfully taking a page out of your playbook from your prior post in the Imperials section regarding "cannibalized" Imperial-to-NSDAP buckles?...". Indeed I could and really, I do not think any of us anticipated that the buckle eventually shown was an "Imperial".

Personally I think that this buckle is rare, an oddity and quite desirable.

It is perhaps interesting to note that the Overhoff box displays the ubiquitous ges. gesch. The roundel surely is a generic Prussian Imperial type and toward which Overhoff could not make this bold claim. I suppose that the explanation could be that no thought was given to utilising a pre stamped box or that the buckle as a whole was protected. The latter really does not make sense as others produced this buckle post 1918 and attached is an extract from an Assmann catalogue which displays a 35 mm version - cheek and jowl with a buckle displaying a swastika !

Period catalogues are of course a superb source, although they are extremely rare and to my knowledge are hardly ever offered for sale.

Regards,

David

[aechols83]

Hello All,

My own images of the buckle which is now safely in hand. A very interesting early Christmas present to myself! Best, Adam

[aechols83]

New in my collection, another "Commemorative Imperial Service" buckle featuring a the later SA-style box construction. I believe this example to be by Berg & Nolte. For comparison, I have included a merged image alongside the reverse of my RZM 36 marked SA. Both buckles also feature the same silver washed roundel type.

Best,
Adam

[Ben Evans]

Very interesting and nice buckles Adam, yet another buckle from your secret foot locker! Buckle could well be Berge & Notle by the way the prongs are cut, very typical of that maker