Germany, SS. A Late-War Waffen-SS Officer’s M43 Field Cap

(Waffen-SS Einheitsfeldmütze M43 für Offiziere). An extremely well-preserved, late-war example of a Waffen-SS Officer’s M43 field cap, constructed of a field-grey wool blend. The cap is fully surrounded by fold-down side panels, with slight frontal scalloping, offering optional ear and neck protection to the wearer. When not in use, the panels are rolled up and secured in place at the front with two pebbled zink buttons on the right flap meeting analogous reinforced buttonholes on the left flap. A band of white wool piping trims the outer edge of the crown, in lieu of the silver aluminum wire piping formerly indicating Officer status on earlier Waffen-SS M43 caps. Stitched onto the peak is an insignia consisting of a field-grey rayon trapezoid, which bears a machine-embroidered silver-grey SS-style German national eagle clutching a wreathed mobile swastika, directly above a SS-style Totenkopf. The peak insignia measures 48 mm (w) x 45 mm (h). Completing the exterior features is a protruding cardboard-reinforced visor, fully lined in identical wool. The interior features a partial sweatband affixed to the forehead with a row of solid machine stitching, and is fully encompassed by a field-grey herringbone twill rayon liner. The former presents unmarked with the sole exception of a black ink size mark of “55” set onto the crown. It measures approximately 190 mm (w) x 260 mm (l) x 130 mm mm (h). Displaying only minor signs of wear to the exterior wool, the cap appears to be in a virtually unused and extremely fine condition.