BACKGROUND: "Der Stahlhelmbund" (The Steel-helmet-league) was conceived as a national veterans’ organization by Franz Seldte in November of 1918, and was officially founded on Christmas day of that year. It was mostly comprised of WWI veterans trying to assimilate back into what was then a devastated society. The Stahlhelm became the largest of the post-war veterans’ groups, incorporating many of the smaller Freikorps groups into it. Most of its members were assimilated by the SA in 1933, and it was disbanded in 1935, with its remaining members absorbed by the DRKB ("Deutscher Reichskriegerbund"), which, in turn, was absorbed by the NS-RKB ("Nationalsozialistische - Reichskriegerbund") in 1938.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: A stamped, nickel-silver alloy pin, 18mm wide, in the form of a profiled M16 helmet, above whose chin strap rivet is stamped "Der Stahlhelm" in Gothic script. Complete with its original 50mm rifled pin.