Aluminum Heer Combat Buckle

Product Description: This Aluminum Heer Combat Buckle is a well-worn example, with an appealing look. Honest wear to the obverse has worn the eagle and swastika emblem smooth, while the protected recess details such as the rays behind the lettering, and the stippling to the field behind the eagle, remain intact. This buckle was originally painted field gray, as all issue type enlisted Army buckles were; only traces remain. The bare aluminum has taken on a slight age patina. The reverse of this buckle shows typical wear from extensive use on a belt. Most of the factory applied original field gray paint is still present on the reverse. The integral catch shows wear from the belt hook, and the aluminum roller bar and prongs are intact and functional. There is no maker mark, and no leather tab. This 1930s aluminum buckle likely saw years of wear during WWII. Many soldiers in 1945 surrendered wearing buckles just like this. Overall, this aluminum Heer combat buckle remains in very 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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