Germany, Heer. A Flak/Artillery Officer's Visor Cap

(Schirmmütze für Offiziere der Flak/Artillerie). A well-preserved Heer Flak/Artillery Officer’s visor cap, constructed of smooth field-grey wool. The cap 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 red wool piping, with an additional band of identical piping lining the outer edge of the crown. The latter has had its interior reinforcement removed, giving the cap the appearance of a crusher visor with a high peak. Pinned onto the peak is an aluminum insignia consisting of a Wehrmacht eagle clutching a wreathed mobile swastika. Measuring 65 mm (w) x 25 mm (h), the eagle insignia retains all three of its reverse attachment prons. Pinned onto the centre of the cap band directly underneath the eagle is an additional insignia consisting of a non-magnetic metal tri-colour cockade with a wool centrepiece, set within an aluminum oak leaf wreath. The cap band insignia measures 70 mm (w) x 45 mm (h) overall. It is flanked on each side by pebbled magnetic metal rivets, securing in place a decorative chinstrap constructed of multiple rows of twisted and rolled silver aluminum wire and adjusted with dual sliding knots. The chinstrap rests upon a protruding vulcanfibre visor, finished in matte black on the obverse and in khaki-tan on the reverse. A light brown leather sweatband fully lines the interior of the side walls and measures 42 mm in width. The interior is also encompassed by a beige rayon liner, formerly retaining a moisture guard on the crown which has since been lost to time. Unmarked, the cap measures 225 mm (w) x 255 mm (l) x 175 mm (h). Issues consistent with age and field use are evident, and include fatigue and mothing of the exterior wool, loss of finish to the visor, distortion of the side wall reinforcement, and soiling and fatigue of the interior liner. The cap is in an overall fair condition.