A Second Pattern Air Raid Protection League Belt & Buckle by Richard Sieper & Söhne

(Reichsluftschutzbund = RLB): Buckle in silvered die-stamped steel, maker marked "R.S.& S." (Richard Sieper & Söhne, Lüdenscheid) on the reverse, illustrating the 2nd pattern RLB (Reichsluftschutzbund) wings insignia, matching receiving clip on the left end, the clip maker marked with the Schmölle & Co., Menden insignia and dated "38" (1938), the buckle measuring 49 mm x 64.8 mm. Belt with a smooth finished black upper, raw underside which has lost its coarseness, emboss stamped "180" on the underside on the right end, a tab with a smooth finished black upper stitched in place on the underside at the right end, the tab with seven six rows of two holes each for length adjustment, emboss stamped "R.L.M." (Reichsluftfahrtministerium = German Air Ministry), with an eagle insignia bearing the initials "L" and "S" (Luftschutz) on either side of the swastika that the eagle is clenching in its talons, maker marked "FR. AUG. MÜHLENFELD BARMEN" (Friedrich August Mühlenfeld, Barmen) and marked "G.m.b.H." (Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung = Company with Limited Liability) where the belt wraps around to the reverse on the left end, securing the receiving clip in place, the belt measuring 44 mm x 1,390 mm. Contact marks evident on the finish on the obverse of the buckle, light crazing on the belt's upper. Near extremely fine.

Footnote: From the collection of approximately 900 German buckles accumulated by John R. Angolia, who start collecting buckles, belts and brocades from 1944 until around 1990; most of the buckles were obtained from the American and German veterans; most of these buckles present a core of Angolia’s book “Belt Buckles & Brocades of the Third Reich”, published in 2001.