Auxiliary Police (Polizei) NCO's Shako

Auxiliary Police (Polizei) NCO's Shako - Molded sturdy, vulcanfibre body with a lacquered, black leather exterior. The body of the shako has an extruding, humped curve reverse with a black leather, 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 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, black leather, "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 the shako and is secured by two threaded screwposts with retaining nuts that are visible in the interior. 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, maker marked with an "A" and "F.W. ASSMANN & SOHNE LUDENSCHEID" on the reverse. The shako has a soft, black leather chinstrap with dual, brass, sliding, length adjustment buckles and brass retaining rings and posts. The underside of the visor and neck guard are synthetic and finished in dark green. The inside comes complete with its original supple nine-panel leather liner, each with one hole at the tip for placement of the drawstring, with a shoelace in place of the original leather drawstring that has been lost to time. The leather sweatband is perforated along the front edge with five tiny rows of forty ventilation holes each, with the ends stitched together at the rear. The dome is maker marked "HANS ROMER Neu-Ulm (Donau)", marked "Echt Fiber-Tschako" (Real Fibre Shako) and the size stamping scratched out. It measures 170 mm x 252 mm x 155 mm in height, has been re-lacquered and coloured, exhibiting crazing to the black leather of the narrow horizontal strip around the entire circumference of the shako, the leather liner has experienced a tear on the headband at the front, along with being discoloured, with the leather itself remaining supple, the stitching intact overall, in addition to contact and wear overall from active use. Fine.