Germany, SS. A Waffen-SS Officer’s Crusher-Style Visor Cap

(Waffen-SS Schirmmütze für Offizier). A field-worn Waffen-SS Officer’s crusher-style visor cap, constructed of field-grey wool. It features reinforced side walls, fully lined on the exterior with a black wool cap band. Both the top and bottom edges of the latter are trimmed with white wool piping, and an additional band of identical piping trims the outer edge of the crown. Pinned to the peak of the cap is a silvered zink SS-style German national eagle clutching a wreathed mobile swastika. The reverse of the eagle is maker marked with a Reichzeugmeisterei (RZM) logo and partially-legible maker’s code of “M1/167”. It measures 65.97 mm (w) x 31.60 mm (h) and retains both of its reverse attachment prongs. Directly below the eagle, the centre of the cap band bears an additional silvered zink insignia in the form of an SS-style Totenkopf which is fully unmarked, retains both of its reverse attachment prongs, and measures 30.64 mm (w) x 28.87 mm (h). The cap band is flanked by black painted magnetic metal rivets which accommodate a two-piece blackened leather chinstrap which is adjusted with dual functional magnetic metal buckles. When not in use, the chinstrap rests upon a protruding vulcanfibre visor which is finished in black on the obverse and in brown on the reverse. The side walls are lined with a brown leather sweatband, while the interior is fully encompassed by a multi-piece beige rayon liner. Unmarked, the cap measures 22 cm (w) x 27 cm (l) x 15.5 cm (h). Extensive issues consistent with age and field wear are evident, and include material fatigue of the exterior wool with patchwork repair to the front of the cap band, loss of finish to the zink insignia with consequent surface oxidation, and soiling with material fatigue to both the sweatband and interior liner, the latter resulting in the loss of the crown’s moisture guard. Demonstrating the unmistakable signs of wartime usage, the cap remains in a very fine condition.