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

(Heer Schirmmütze für einen Offizier der Flak/Artillerie). A well-preserved Heer visor cap for a Flak/Artillery Officer, constructed of field-grey wool with a subtle whipcord weave. It features reinforced side walls which are lined on the exterior with a dark green wool cap band. Both the top and bottom edges of the band are trimmed with length of red piping, while an additional band of identical piping surrounds the edge of the crown. The former’s internal wire reinforcement has been removed to give the cap a preferred but non-regulation “Sattelform” appearance. Pinned onto the peak is a silvered zink alloy Wehrmacht eagle clutching a wreathed mobile swastika, measuring 65 mm (w) x 25 mm (h) and retaining both attachment prongs. Directly below the eagle, the centre of the cap band is pinned with a two-piece zink and aluminum wreath and cockade, measuring 65 mm (w) x 40 mm (h). Pebbled metal studs flanked the lower edge of the cap band for the accommodation of a chinstrap which is 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 light brown on the reverse. A multi-piece beige rayon liner encompasses the interior, while a wide brown leather sweatband surrounds the walls. The crown retains a transparent plastic moisture guard, covering a silvered maker’s mark of “EREL SONDERKLASSE”, indicating manufacture by the former firm of Robert Lubstein, Berlin. The cap measures approximately 22.5 cm (w) x 27 cm (l) x 17 cm (h). Issues consistent with age and wear are evident, and include minor fading, fatigue, and soiling to the base cloth, some loss of finish to the metal insignia, bending of the side walls, and soiling to the sweatband consistent with moisture exposure. This untouched cap remains in a very fine condition.