A State Forestry Official's Double Open Claw Buckle & Belt By Overhoff & Cie

Two-prong open-claw buckle in gilt feinzink with a pebbled upper on the right end, marked with the RZM (Reichszeugmeisterei) insignia and maker marked "M5/71" (Overhoff & Cie, Ludenscheid) on the reverse, the buckle measuring 46.5 mm x 74 mm. Belt is fabricated from a very thick leather with a smooth finished black upper, forest green felt glued in place on the underside, emboss stamped with the maker mark "CROUPON", numbered "1249" and dated "1938" on the end of the belt where it wraps around the reverse behind the buckle, seven rows of two holes each for length adjustment on the left end, rear underside of the belt with a leather strap stitched in place, the strap with a sliding strap housing a D-ring, the belt with one slider and measuring 5.9 cm x 108.5 cm. The buckle has traces of the original gilt remaining, the upper exhibiting light wear and crazing, the felt reverse with wear patches evident and is peeling away from the body of the belt at the left end. Better than very fine.

Footnote: From the collection of approximately 900 German buckles accumulated by John R. Angolia, who start collecting buckles, belts and brocades from 1944 until around 1990; most of the buckles were obtained from the American and German veterans; most of these buckles present a core of Angolia’s book “Belt Buckles & Brocades of the Third Reich”, published in 2001.