S001795 VARIANT SS BELT BUCKLE.

BACKGROUND: The Allgemeine SS, (General SS), was originally formed in May 1923 under the auspices of the SA, Sturm Abteilung, (Storm Troopers), as the Stosstrupp Adolf Hitler (Shock Troops), and was redesignated Schutzstaffel, (Protection Squad), in April 1925 with the official acceptance of the name verified on the second anniversary of the failed Munich "Beer Hall" Putsch on November 9TH 1925. As a subordinate unit to the SA early SS personnel wore the standard SA style box belt buckle. It is believed that Adolf Hitler personally designed a new pattern box belt buckle specifically for wear by SS EM/NCO personnel with the manufacturing patent being originally granted to the Overhoff & Cie. firm in Lüdenscheid. This new style buckle was adopted for wear by EM/NCO personnel in late 1931 or early 1932. Generally the early buckles were produced in solid nickel/silver until sometime in 1936 when aluminum alloys replaced the nickel/silver versions. In 1940 the EM/NCO’s belt buckles began to be manufactured in steel replacing the aluminum alloy buckles. Of Note: The RZM, Reichzeugmeisterei, (National Equipment Quartermaster), was official founded in June 1934 in Munich by the NSDAP as a Reich Hauptamt, (State Central Office), and was based on the earlier SA Quartermaster’s Department. The functions of the RZM were not only to procure and distribute items to Party formations, but also to approve chosen designs and to act as a quality control supervisor to ensure items manufactured for the Party met required specification and were standardized. Starting in late 1934 items manufactured for the SS came under the quality control of the RZM and as a result were to be marked with the RZM/SS approval/acceptance mark. In 1943 the Waffen SS assumed full control over their uniform item production and no longer fell under the authority of the RZM.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: After May 1945, SS buckles remaining at the Overhoff factory (either unsold or undelivered) where de-nazified and finished off by the addition of this radial pattern face plate. Also of note is it very interesting how they cut out "Meine Ehre heißt" (My Loyatly is) but left "Treue!".  They can be found finished in brown as well. Comes with an excellent M44 pattern, 115cm leather belt. Also included is a period shoulder strap with d-ring. Quite rare on today's market!

GRADE ****1/4                             PRICE $3,499.00

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