Police Shako Eagle, Front Plate Marked GHO

Product Description: This Police Shako Eagle is a large and very impressive piece of Polizei insignia. It’s made of aluminum, and features a large Polizei eagle and swastika emblem, with outstretched wings, within a very detailed wreath of oak leaves. This is a fantastic strike, loaded with detail, from the pebbling on the wreath to the feathers of the eagle. There is some extremely minor wear to the very highest points of the design, but on the whole, this remains in original condition. The reverse of this Police Shako Eagle is maker marked “GHO” indicating manufacture by the firm of Gustav Hermann Osang. The original screw posts for affixing this plate to the front of a Shako are intact, and each has a brass nut. The nuts don’t match, but they both have matching patina and it’s possible they have always been with this piece. This Police Shako Eagle is very clean and loaded with visual appeal. It would be prefect for completing a well-preserved Shako but it displays very well on its own.

Historical Description: The German Polizei (Police) had very many different roles before and during WWII. There were many different Police organizations that worked together for the purposes of law enforcement and maintaining order. The Ordnungspolizei was the regular police. Under the Ordnungspolizei umbrella were the various Schutzpolizei (protection police) units, including state, municipal, rural, and traffic police. There was also the Water Protection Police and the Fire Protection Police. Also within the Ordnungspolizei jurisdiction was the Hilfspolizei, a category which included volunteer fire departments, Air Raid Protection Police, postal protection, and Factory Protection Police, among other groups. Police batallions of the Ordnungspolizei deployed to occupied territories during WWII, where their duties included the roundup and elimination of Jews and other civilian groups the Nazis regarded as undesirable. Besides the Ordnungspolizei, there was also the Sicherheitspolizei, made up of the combined forces of the criminal police and the Gestapo secret police. Also under police jurisdiction was the Sicherheitsdienst, the intelligence service of the Nazi party and SS. Starting in 1943, all German police forces were placed under the command of SS leader Heinrich Himmler. The various Polizei organizations all had distinctive uniforms and insignia which indicated rank, organizational assignment, and occupational assignment. Headgear of Polizei units ranged from the mostly ornamental “Tschako” helmets of civilian police forces, to field caps and combat helmets. As with all Third Reich uniformed organizations, the Polizei had their own ID documents and awards, as well.

We are the leading team of military antique specialists. We have specialized in military antiques for over 25 years.

Epic Artifacts offers free evaluations and the highest prices available for your collectibles.

We purchase single items, entire collections, or family estates.

Click the link here to learn more: Free Evaluation or Inquiries

or feel free to email us directly: info@epicartifacts.com