Germany, SS. A Rare Waffen-SS M40 Overseas Cap for a Reserve Officer, by Heinrich Balke

(Waffen-SS Schiffchen für Ersatzwesen). A rare and well-preserved Waffen-SS overseas service cap for a Reserve Officer, constructed of field-grey wool. The cap is fully surrounded by fold-down side walls which are trimmed along the top edge with white wool piping. Stitched onto the peak is an insignia consisting of a black rayon backer bearing a machine-embroidered silver-grey SS-style German national eagle clutching a wreathed mobile swastika, measuring 65 mm (w) x 30 mm (h). Directly below the eagle, the front bears an additional insignia in the form of a machine-embroidered silver-grey Totenkopf presented on a black rayon backer, measuring 32 mm (w) x 32 mm (h). Notably, the Totenkopf is surrounded by a dark green rayon soutache, indicating issue to a Reserve Officer in a style discontinued by 1942. The interior is fully encompassed by a multi-piece olive-drab rayon liner. Stamped onto the left side of the liner is the maker’s mark of Heinrich Balke, Bremen, above a date of “1941”, while a size mark of “57” is stamped onto the left side. The cap measures approximately 29 cm (l) x 13 cm (h) when folded on a flat surface. Minor issues consistent with age and field wear are evident, and include some material fatigue to the exterior wool, including two small holes to the right back of the side walls, in addition to some soiling throughout the interior liner. This untouched and extremely rare example remains in a near extremely fine condition.