A German Auxiliary Police (Polizei) NCO's Shako

Molded sturdy, vulcanfibre body with a police green wool covering to the exterior. The body of the shako has an extruding, humped curve reverse, downward sloping vulcanfibre front visor and rear neck guard, along with a circular "coffee can" style top, in the traditional police helmet style, that was established in the 1920s and lasted until 1945. Both the front visor and rear neck guard are secured to the shako by a narrow horizontal strip of black leather which is machine stitched along the bottom edge. The circular "coffee can" style top is secured to the shako by a row of horizontal stitching running through small, evenly spaced, puncture holes. Each side of the shako body has two, small, screened ventilation holes situated just below the crown seam, with internal, sliding, vent closure panels permitting the forward vent to be closed. The front center of the shako has a large, high relief, stamped, natural aluminum, second pattern (c. June 1936 - May 1945), wreathed Police eagle insignia with outstretched wings, clutching a wreathed, canted swastika in it’s talons. The eagle shows nice detailing and is nicely convexed to fit the contours of theshako, the right side secured by one threaded screwpost with retaining nut that is visible on the interior, the left side unsecured as the screwpost has been lost to time. The front center of the shako also has a small, horizontal slot to accommodate the retaining loop of the national tri-colour cockade. The cockade is stamped aluminum, vertically oval, with five silver washed, simulated twisted rope outer edge encompassing a single, black painted, simulated twisted rope inner edge, a single silver washed, ribbed, inner trim and a red painted recessed centerpiece and is maker marked with the stylized Assmman "A" and marked "F.W. ASSMANN & SÖHNE LÜDENSCHEID" on the reverse. Theshako has a soft, black leather chinstrap with dual, aluminum, sliding, length adjustment buckles and aluminum retaining rings and posts. The underside of the visor and neck guard are synthetic and finished in forest green. The inside comes complete with its original supple nine-panel butterscotch-coloured leather liner, each panel with a hole at the tip for placement of the leather drawstring, which has been lost to time. The front of the liner has thirty-six rows of five holes each for ventilation, acting as a sweatband for the forehead, with the rust-coloured sponge-like pad on the underside remaining intact. The underside of the liner on the right side is dated stamped "1942" in black ink. The dome is maker marked "HANS ROMER Neu-Ulm (Donau)", marked "Echt Fiber-Tschako" (Real Fibre Shako) and size stamped "56 1/2". It measures 160 mm x 255 mm x 150 mm in height, the exterior exhibiting scattered edge wear on the strip of black leather, on the vulcanfibre pieces and the "coffee can" style top, scattered paint wear on the vent frames, along with light soiling on the liner. The shako retains its overall shape and integrity, with the stitching remaining intact. Better than very fine.