BACKGROUND: Visor caps were a standard item for all personnel during the Third Reich period and regulations dictated the form of dress they were to be worn with based on the individuals rank. Officer and senior NCO ranks were responsible for purchasing their own caps and could choose to purchase them from the army clothing depots or to privately purchase visor caps of higher quality. Originally the insignia worn on the visor cap consisted the Weimar Reichsheer patterns which included a blackened leather chinstrap for all ranks. In February 1927 new chin cords for Officer ranks were introduced with silver cords for the ranks of Leutnant to Oberst and senior NCO Officer aspirants and gilt cords for the ranks of Generalmajor to Generalfeldmarschall. Of Note: Both the first pattern Reichsheer era visor cap eagle and wreath were replaced with the second pattern in March 1935.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Nice quality, issued type, visor cap with a field-grey wool body and crown and a blue/green badge cloth centerband with white wool waffenfarbe to crown edge and the top and bottom edges of the centerband. The front center of the cap features a nice officers quality, hand embroidered national eagle in bright silver/aluminum and bullion wire threads on a cut-out blue/green badge cloth base. The front center of the centerband has a nice quality, hand embroidered, oak-leaf wreath in silver/aluminum threads encompassing a hand embroidered national tri-color cockade in silver/aluminum and black rayon threads with a red felt centerpiece on a cut-out blue/green badge cloth base. Both the eagle and wreathed cockade are neatly handstitched to the cap. Small hole above the eagle. The cap has a bright, twisted silver/aluminum chin cord which is secured in place by two, small, silver washed, pebbled, magnetic buttons. The cap has a black vulcanfibre visor which has a raised lip near the forward edge. The interior of the cap is fully lined in issue type orange/tan oilcloth. The interior crown lining has a clear celluloid sweat diamond which is almost fully intact. Size marked 56. The interior of the cap also has a wide tan leather sweatband in very nice original condition. This cap would have original been an EM/NCO example and has had the insignia restored to it at some point.