Germany, Heer. An Armoured Officer’s Visor Cap, by Albert Kempf

(Heer Schirmmütze für Offiziere der Panzertruppe). A very well-preserved Heer Armoured Officer’s rank-upgraded visor cap, constructed of field-grey wool. It features reinforced side walls fully lined on the exterior with a smooth dark green wool cap band. Both the top and bottom edges of the band are trimmed with classic Panzer rose-pink piping, while an additional length of identical piping trims the outer edge of the crown. Pinned onto the peak is a silvered zink alloy insignia consisting of a Wehrmacht eagle clutching a wreathed mobile swastika, retaining both reverse attachment prongs and measuring 65 mm (w) x 25 mm (h). Directly below the eagle, the centre of the cap band is pinned with a multi-piece insignia consisting of a central aluminum tri-colour cockade featuring a red wool centrepiece, situated within a silvered zink alloy oak leaf wreath, measuring 70 mm (w) x 45 mm (h). Pebbled magnetic metal buttons flank the lower edge of the cap band to accommodate a chinstrap constructed of multiple rows of twisted and rolled silver aluminum wire, adjusted with dual functional sliding knots, indicating post-manufacture elevation to Officer. A protruding vulcanfibre visor completes the exterior features, and is finished in a glossy black on the obverse and in brown on the reverse. A multi-piece beige rayon liner encompasses the interior, with the crown retaining a transparent plastic rhomboid moisture guard bearing the “ALKERO” trade name of the firm of Albert Kempf, Wuppertal-Ronsdorf. The walls are surrounded by a brown leather sweatband, perforated across the forehead by an array of ventilation holes. Notably the sweatband folds down to reveal an intact moisture-absorbant sponge set in place across the forehead, in a style characteristic of this manufacturer. Minor material fatigue is visible to the exterior wool, while the metal insignia demonstrating loss of finish age-appropriate to zink examples, but this superb cap remains in an overall extremely fine condition.