Germany, Luftwaffe. An Officer’s Visor Cap, by Erel

(Luftwaffe Schirmmütze für Offiziere). An extremely well-preserved Luftwaffe Officer’s visor cap, constructed of dark grey wool. The cap features reinforced side walls, with the exterior bearing an interwoven black cotton-blended cap band. Silver aluminum wire piping adorns the crown, as well as the top and bottom of the cap band. Stitched onto the peak is an insignia in the form of a dark grey wool backer bearing a machine-embroidered silver aluminum wire Luftwaffe eagle clutching a mobile swastika, measuring 70 mm (w) x 40 mm (h). Stitched onto the cap in the centre of the cap band is an additional insignia in the form of a winged tricolour wreath and cockade, constructed of machine-embroidered silver aluminum wire and measuring 130 mm (w) x 40 mm (h) overall. The cap is flanked on each side by pebbled magnetic metal button, securing in place a decorative chinstrap constructed of multiple rows of twisted and rolled silver aluminum wire, woven into knots are each end. The chinstrap wrests upon a protruding vulcanfibre visor, finished in a matte black on the obverse and in green on the reverse. The interior features a light brown leather sweatband, measuring 50 mm in width and secured in place by a row of machine stitching. The cap band is perforated with a number of ventilation holes near the forehead. A golden-yellow rayon liner fully encompassed the interior, and bears a transparent plastic teardrop-shaped moisture guard on the crown. The moisture guard covers a silvered mark of “VERKAUFS-ABTEILUNG DER LUFTWAFFE, BERLIN SW68” and a maker’s mark of “EREL, SONDERKLASSE”, indicating a privately-purchased example. An additional silvered Erel mark is featured on the left side of the sweatband. The cap measures 235 mm (w) x 250 mm (l) x 170 mm (h). Two small mothing holes are visible to the exterior of the crown, with an additional small hole near the reverse of the exterior. It is in an otherwise near extremely fine condition.