Germany, TeNo. A Rare Leader’s Visor Cap, by Max Drechsler

(Technische Nothilfe TeNo Schirmmütze für Führer). A rare Technische Nothilfe (Technical Emergency Corps/TeNo) Leader’s visor cap, constructed of dark blue wool. It features reinforced side walls which are fully lined on the exterior with a black doeskin cap band. Both the top and bottom edges of the cap band are trimmed with silver aluminum wire piping, while an additional length of identical piping trims the outer edge of the crown. Pinned onto the peak is an aluminum insignia consisting of a German national eagle clutching a mobile swastika defaced by a TeNo insignia, measuring 50 mm (w) x 30 mm (h). Directly below the eagle, the centre of the cap band bears an insignia consisting of a padded black wool backer bearing a silver aluminum wire laurel leaf wreath surrounding a tri-colour cockade executed in aluminum with a wool centrepiece, measuring 75 mm (w) x 45 mm (h). The lower edge of the cap band is flanked by pebbled aluminum buttons which accommodate a chinstrap constructed of silver aluminum wire, and adjusted with dual sliding knots. A protruding vulcanfibre visor completes the exterior features, and is finished in black on the obverse and in light brown on the reverse. The interior is encompassed by a multi-piece grey rayon liner, while a wide brown leather sweatband surrounds the walls. The crown retains a fully-intact transparent plastic moisture guard bearing a maker mark of “MÜTZEN-FABRIK MAX DRECHSLER, MÜNCHEN 2, DACHAUERSTRASSE 26”. The cap measures approximately 24 cm (w) x 28 cm (l) x 16 cm (h). The crown demonstrates extensive material fatigue to the base wool, likely reflective of moth exposure, but this scarce example shows no other signs of wear and remains in a very fine condition.