WW2 GERMAN POLICE UNIFROM KEPI LARGE CAP BADGE

Offered is an original German Police uniform Kepi cap badge. Die stamped aluminium eagle and wreath, retaining all original frosting and twin screw in posts to rear. Measures 158mm wide, not been shaped to fit kepi, so most likely unissued. Great condition and perfect to add to your uniform kepi or display.

The origins of the distinctive Shako has been somewhat shrouded with the passing of time with some military historians accrediting the French with its development in the 1780's, based on the design of the civilian top hat, while others acclaim that it was based on the Austro-Hungarian or Bavarian Casquette headgear that was introduced at roughly the same time. It is known, however, that the Shako was originally adopted by the Prussian army as a experimental model in 1801 and was the standard headgear utilized by Jäger and Schützen personnel during the Napoleonic Wars. The 1801 pattern shako went through numerous modifications and in March 1854 a new pattern was officially adopted by Jäger and Schnelle Truppen, (Light Infantry and Mobile Troops). Further minor modifications to the Shako occurred in 1860, 1888, 1891, 1892, 1895, 1897, and 1915. On June 17th 1936, Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler was appointed to the newly created position of Chef der Deutschen Polizei im Reichsministerium des Innern, (Chief of the German Police in the National Ministry of the Interior), effectively giving him full control of all police agencies within Germany. As a result of this appointment and the restructuring of all the separate German state police into a single national police force new regulations were instituted on June 25th 1936 to bring about uniformity in dress for all police through-out the country. One of the new dress regulations introduced a slightly modified version of the Shako for wear by all civil police personnel with minor variations. When worn the Shako was outfitted with a new style national eagle and swastika. Of Note: The first pattern police eagle and swastika was originally introduced on April 23rd 1934 and a slightly modified, second pattern, police eagle and swastika was introduced on June 25th 1936 to replace the first pattern.