Description
Product Description: This Luftwaffe EM Buckle is a great representative example of the iconic wartime belt buckle worn by all branches of the German Air Force. It is made of steel. It has been painted with a typical wartime dark field blue paint with a smooth texture. Surface wear has exposed bare steel at the high points, with a mellow shine that gives this buckle very appealing contrast. The edges of the buckle also show normal wear with some old patina to the steel. This buckle is nicely struck and all of the fine original detail is still intact. On the reverse, this buckle shows expected typical wartime features, with a spot-welded catch and steel roller bar and prongs assembly. There is no evident maker mark, which is not unusual on these. This Luftwaffe EM Buckle shows clear signs of having been worn, and has a great “been there” character that would be perfect for a combat display. It has no damage or repairs and remains in excellent condition.
Historical Description: The belt buckle (“Koppelschloss”) was an important part of the regalia worn by all uniformed military, civil, political, and paramilitary organizations during the Third Reich. The belt (“Koppel”) was part of the uniform and would always be worn while on duty. The belt buckle was typically specific to each organization, with many organizations having separate belt buckle designs for officers and for enlisted personnel respectively, sometimes with different colors and finishes to further denote specific purposes. The buckles featured various mottos and designs specific to the organizations for which they were intended. Many designs used the German national eagle emblem, in a wide variety of forms. Belt buckles were worn with uniforms ranging from finely tailored officer parade uniforms to the standard issued uniforms of enlisted soldiers in combat. Most German belt buckles of the Third Reich took the same functionality as their Imperial predecessors and were made with two prongs on the reverse, to allow the buckle to be worn and adjusted on a belt. The buckle had a catch that would attach the metal hook on the belt. The earliest Third Reich buckles were often made of brass, or nickel silver. Later, aluminum became very common, and was used on private purchase as well as enlisted buckles of the German military, with or without a painted or plated finish. After WWII began, most enlisted military buckles were steel. With most uniforms, the belt and buckle were always worn when the wearer was on duty. The belts were made of brown, black, and natural leather, with sewn or riveted hooks made of aluminum or steel, depending on the pattern of the belt and the era in which it was made. There were also belts made of cotton webbing, intended for tropical use. Officer belts were often different; many types of officers wore the “Zweidornkoppel” belt with buckle featuring two permanently affixed prongs, while other uniforms or organizations called for a leather belt that was like the enlisted pattern, but wider, to accommodate the officer-specific buckles. Nazi belt buckles were popular souvenirs for Allied troops who served in Europe. Some types were made by the millions and remain quite common today. Others were made in limited numbers and are now quite scarce.
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