Germany, Luftwaffe. An Officer’s Summer Visor Cap by Robert Lübstein

(Luftwaffe Sommermütze). This is an extremely well-preserved Luftwaffe officer’s summer visor cap, constructed of white cotton twill with a woven black rayon cap band. The latter is trimmed at the top and bottom by twisted silver thread “Waffenfarbe” piping. Two pebbled, silvered zink buttons are pinned into each side of the cap, accommodating a twisted silver aluminum bullion wire chinstrap, finely knotted at each end, which rests upon a lacquered black leather visor. The cap band features a central machine-embroidered silver aluminum bullion wire insignia in the form of Luftwaffe-style wings with centre oak leaf wreath and tri-colour cockade. Pinned into the peak of the cap is a second pattern, Luftwaffe-style German national eagle clutching a mobile swastika, constructed of machine-embroidered silver aluminum bullion wire on a white wool background, measuring 68 mm (w) x 35 mm (h). The interior of the cap has a fully intact, 45 mm-wide brown leather sweatband complete with ventilation perforations. The sweatband is embossed “EREL Stirnschutz” (“EREL Forehead Protection”). The interior is completed by a white rayon liner with a silky texture, with a rhomboid, transparent moisture guard securely stitched into place at the top. Underneath the moisture guard, a gold-coloured stamp is clearly visible, inscribed with “Verkaufs-Abteilung der Luftwaffe, Berlin SW68, Puttkamrstr. 16/18” and maker’s mark “EREL” for Robert Lübstein, Berlin. Inserted into the moisture guard is a small size tab reading “57 ½”. The cap measures approximately 266 mm (w) x 268 mm (l) x 134 mm (h). There is some soiling of the exterior peak, but the cap is in an unissued and otherwise extremely fine condition.