Germany, Heer. A Heer Panzer/Armoured EM/NCO’s Visor Cap, by Georg Pickel

(Heer Schirmmütze für Männer der Panzertruppe). A Heer Panzer/Armoured EM/NCO’s visor cap, constructed of a field-grey wool cloth. It features reinforced side walls, fully lined on the exterior with a dark green wool cap band. Both the top and bottom edges of the cap band are trimmed with bands of classic Panzertruppe rose-pink wool piping, while an additional band of identical piping lines the outer edge of the crown. Pinned onto the peak of the cap is a silvered zink alloy insignia consisting of a Wehrmacht eagle clutching a wreathed mobile swastika, retaining all reverse attachment prongs and measuring 62 mm (w) x 26 mm (h). Directly beneath the eagle, the cap band is pinned with an additional insignia consisting of a silvered zink alloy oak leaf wreath surrounding a tri-colour cockade with a red wool centrepiece, measuring 64 mm (w) x 45 mm (h) overall. The cap band is flanked on each side by black-painted magnetic metal rivets, securing in place a multi-piece black leatherette chinstrap, itself adjusted with dual magnetic metal buckles. When not in use, the chinstrap rests upon a protruding vulcanfibre visor, finished in black on the obverse and in light brown on the reverse. The interior reveals a brown leather sweatband which surrounds the side walls, perforated near the forehead with an array of ventilation holes and bearing an embossed mark on the left of “DEUTSCHES LEDER”, indicating genuine German leather manufacture. The crown features a light brown rayon-blended liner, bearing a partially-legible maker’s mark of “GEORG PICKEL, BAMBERG”, formerly protected by a transparent plastic moisture guard which has since been lost to time. Additionally, the peak retains a reinforced stabilizer, severed at the bottom end, which previously maintained the cap’s profile. The removal of the interior crown reinforcement rings gives the cap a “saddle” type appearance with a high peak, which remains in place despite the compromise of the reinforcement. It measures approximately 248 mm (w) x 250 mm (l). In addition to the aforementioned issues, other factors consistent with age and field usage are evident to the cap, and including sporadic mothing throughout the wool of the crown, moderate loss of insignia finish, soiling and minor deterioration to the sweatband and liner, and some bending of the side walls. This cap, which displays hallmark signs of extensive wartime field usage, is in an overall very fine condition.