Description

Offered is an original 1920’s era German Stahlhelm organisation belt buckle.

A 47mm x 62mm example, slightly convex, stamped brass, two piece construction buckle featuring, to the obverse, a plain field upon which is a circular face plate with an embossed, profiled M16 helmet to its center. The visor and rear apron of the helmet extend into a ribbed border with simulated twisted rope trim along its inner and outer edges. The ribbed border has a spray of oak leaves to its base and, in Gothic script, “Front Heil” along its top. The face plate is attached by two soldered spots, visible to the reverse. Also to the reverse is its raised buckle catch, and a prong bar with dual prongs, for the belt’s retaining tongue. A very good unmarked example.

100% original & perfect for your collection.

“Der Stahlhelmbund” (The Steel-helmet-league) was conceived as a national veterans’ organization by Franz Seldte in November of 1918, and was officially founded on Christmas day of that year. It was mostly comprised of WWI veterans trying to assimilate back into what was then a devastated society. The Stahlhelm became the largest of the post-war veterans’ groups, incorporating many of the smaller “Freikorps” groups into it. Most of its members were assimilated by the SA in 1933, and it was disbanded in 1935, with its remaining members absorbed by the DRKB (“Deutscher Reichskriegerbund”), which, in turn, was absorbed by the NS-RKB (“Nationalsozialistische – Reichskriegerbund”) in 1938.