German Forestry Service Officials Buckle

Product Description: This German Forestry Service Officials Buckle is an attractive, original example, in very good condition. It’s made of aluminum, and never had any finish applied, as is typical for this type. The front of the buckle features a German national eagle and swastika emblem, superimposed on a pebbled field, and surrounded by an oval wreath of oak leaves. It’s a striking design. This German Forestry Service Officials Buckle shows only extremely minor wear to the high points of the eagle emblem on the front, and retains lots of fine detail. The rear of this buckle is clean, with only extremely minor age patina, and is devoid of manufacturer markings. The catch is intact, but both of the keepers are missing; this cannot be mounted on a belt. The German Forestry Officials Service Buckle is a scarce piece of Reichsforstdienst regalia, that is not easy to find. This one is a good representative example.

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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