Germany, Heer. A Kavallerie-Regiment 13 Armoured Reconnaissance Officer’s Visor Cap, by Willy Sprengpfeil

(Schirmmütze für Offizier der Kavallerie-Regiment 13). A unique and rare visor cap for an Officer of Kavallerie-Regiment 13, constructed of padded field-grey wool in a whipcord weaving. The cap features reinforced side walls lined on the exterior with a smooth dark green wool liner. Bands of golden-yellow Waffenfarbe piping fully surrounded the crown, as well as the top and bottom of the cap band, indicating armoured cavalry and reconnaissance personnel. Pinned into the front of the cap just underneath the peak is an unusual insignia consisting of a Braunschweiger-style Totenkopf, constructed of a silvered bronze alloy and measuring 27 mm (w) x 34 mm (h), secured in place with dual reverse attachment prongs. This traditional badge has been in use since the Napoleonic Wars and possesses a lineage traceable to the Kavallerie-Regiment 13, and in the case of this example, indicates the owner was a member of one of the regiment’s armoured reconnaissance companies. Underneath this unique insignia is a wreath and cockade, both constructed of aluminum, with the latter featuring a red wool centrepiece. This insignia measures 65 mm (w) x 48 mm (h) overall. The cap is flanked on each side by two magnetic metal rivets, with two finished in a pebbled and silvered motif and two in glossed black. The former secure in place a decorative chinstrap, constructed of multiple rows of twisted and rolled silver aluminum wire piping with two slidable knots. At the reverse, the black rivets accommodate a functional blackened leather chinstrap, adjusted with two functional blackened magnetic metal buckles. The secondary chinstrap is presumably a utilitarian piece used to secure the cap in place while the wearer was travelling in open vehicles. Completing the exterior features is a protruding vulcanfibre visor which is finished in a lacquered black on the obverse, and in a matte brown on the reverse. On the interior, a brown leather sweatband fully surrounds the lower circumference and measures 38 mm in width and is secured to the cap with a row of machine stitching. A light brown rayon liner fully encompasses the interior, with a transparent plastic moisture guard stitched onto the crown. Underneath the guard is a black ink size stamp of “56”, while a nametag reading “PINZEL” inserted underneath. The sweatband folds down to reveal a maker’s mark reading “WILLY SPRENGPFEIL, MÜTZENFABRIK, HAMBURG 1939”. Issues indicative of age and use are evident, and include consistent mothing to the exterior wool near the cap band, with additional fatigue to the wool of the crown and cap band itself, as well as the silver aluminum wire; the removal of an eagle insignia formerly located at the peak; material fatigue of the leather elements; soiling of the interior liner, and; partial disintegration of the moisture guard. This unique and unit-attributed example is in an overall very fine condition.