Germany, Heer. A Flak/Artillery Officer’s Visor Cap, by Peküro

(Heer Schirmmütze für Offiziere der Flak/Artillerie). A well-preserved Heer Flak/Artillery Officer’s visor cap, constructed of field-grey wool with a subtle whipcord weave. It features reinforced side walls which are fully lined on the exterior with a dark green wool cap band. Both the top and bottom edges of the band are trimmed with red wool piping, while an additional length of identical piping surrounds the outer edge of the crown. Stitched onto the peak is an insignia consisting of a dark green wool base bearing a hand-embroidered silver aluminum wire Wehrmacht eagle clutching a wreathed mobile swastika, measuring 70 mm (w) x 25 mm (h). Directly below the eagle, the centre of the cap band features an additional insignia in the form of a dark green wool backer bearing an aluminum tri-colour cockade situated within a silver aluminum wire oak leaf wreath, measuring 78 mm (w) x 45 mm (h). The lower edge of the band is flanked on each side by pebbled aluminum studs which accommodate a chinstrap constructed of multiple rows of twisted and rolled silver aluminum wire. A protruding vulcanfibre visor completes the exterior features, and is finished in black on the obverse and in brown on the reverse. The interior is encompassed by a multi-piece beige rayon liner, while a wide brown leather sweatband surrounds the walls. The crown bears a maker’s mark of “PEKÜRO”, indicating manufacture by the former firm of Peter Küpper, Wuppertal-Ronsdorf. Issues consistent with age and wear are evident, and include some wear to the base metal where the side walls half impact the crown, post-manufacture hand replacement of the eagle insignia with consequent penetration of stitching through the interior liner, and some soiling to the interior liner. The cap remains in a better than very fine condition.