Germany, Waffen-SS. A Private Purchase Panzer Division Leibstandarte A.H. Unterscharführer Service Tunic

A well-preserved example of a fine quality manufacture private-purchase service tunic belonging to an Unterscharführer of the 1st SS Panzer Division Leibstandarte A.H. It is constructed of fine quality field-grey wool with a turned-down collar that transitions into double breasted lapels, and is flanked on each side by collar tabs. Both collar tabs are constructed of a buckram core with a black wool upper and are surrounded by a string of twisted silver aluminum bullion wire. The right tab features a set of SS runes constructed of fine quality twisted silver aluminum bullion embroidery. The left tab features three silvered aluminum rank pips mounted diagonally, which together denote the rank of Unterscharführer. The shoulders are decorated with sew-on style shoulder boards, constructed of black wool, with a string of white Waffenfarbe piping and dual-U shaped silver aluminum bullion tresse along the center of the boards. They are secured into place via intact stitching on the shoulder as well as a single pebbled aluminum button per side. The front of the tunic features a total of four pleated pockets, two at breast height and two at waist height. All pockets are secured shut via a scalloped flap and a pebbled non-magnetic button. It features a series of four matching vertically aligned pebbled non-magnetic buttons that are met by reinforced buttonholes on the opposing side. Sewn into the top loophole are ribbons for an Iron Cross 1939 Second Class and a Bulgarian Order of Military Merit. The interior is lined with dark blue-green rayon blended fabric, except for the sleeves, which are lined with fabric displaying a striped and dotted pattern. Suspended from the left armpit is a dagger hanger with a metal clip, with a horizontal slit in the pocket for feeding through the dagger hanger. Sewn into the waist of the tunic is an integrated belt assembly with dual magnetic metal clips to secure the belt shut. The collar is lined with a forrest-green wool liner with a a black tailor’s label directly underneath, with “Karl Hohlwein, Wiesbaden” embroidered into it using white stitching. On the right sleeve at shoulder height are faint needle-holes where once an NCO’s SS eagle would have been fastened, along with miniscule needle holes along the left cuff where the “Leibstandarte” cuff-title used to be sewn to the tunic. It measures approximately 42 cm across the shoulders (seam to seam), with a sleeve length of 57 cm, and an overall body length of 72 cm. This is an example of a fine quality manufacture and extremely well-preserved tunic, with very light material fatigue and without moth nips of any kind. It is complete with the exception for the missing Waffen-SS eagle and “Leibstandarte” cuff-title, and in overall better than extremely fine condition.