Steel SS Buckle – 155/40 – Cleaned

Product Description: This Steel SS Buckle is an original piece, that shows signs of having been heavily cleaned. It’s made of steel, and is bare metal on the front, with some traces of pitting where old corrosion was removed. The high points of the design show significant wear, with some brown rust remaining in the recesses of the design that provides some attractive contrast. On the reverse, no original paint remains, and the bare steel has taken on a brown patina. The spot welded steel catch and roller bar and prongs assembly are both complete and functional. Under the roller bar, this buckle is well marked with the logos of the RZM and the SS, and the maker code 155/40 indicating manufacture by the firm of F.W. Assmann & Söhne in Lüdenscheid. Despite the age and cleaning, this steel SS buckle still presents well. It’s in good condition.

Historical Description: The belt buckle 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 (“Koppelschloss”) was generally specific to each organization, with many organizations having separate belt buckles for officers and for enlisted personnel, sometimes with different colors and finishes to further denote specific purposes. The buckles were adorned with various mottos and designs specific to the organizations for which they were intended. Many designs used the German national eagle emblem, in a variety of forms. Belt buckles were worn with uniforms ranging from finely tailored officer parade uniforms, to the issue uniforms of enlisted soldiers in combat. Generally speaking, most German belt buckles of the Third Reich 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 mate with a hook on the belt, when worn. 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. 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 very rare.

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