SS SD Security Service Sleeve Diamond

Product Description: This is a perfect example of the very desirable SS SD Security Service Sleeve Diamond. This pattern of diamond was worn by personnel of the Hauptamt (main office) of the Sicherheitsdienst, the intelligence service for the SS and the Nazi party. The goal of the SD was to keep every member of the German Reich under surveillance, and for their wartime activities they were labeled a criminal organization at the Nuremberg Trials after the war. This SS SD Security Service Sleeve Diamond is the pattern worn by enlisted soldiers and NCOs. It bears the Sicherheitsdienst organizational emblem, machine embroidered in silver-gray thread, on a black wool base. This SS SD Security Service sleeve diamond is in mint condition, unissued, never sewn on a uniform. The paper hinge on the reverse is original to the piece. This is a rare pattern of SS sleeve diamond to find.

Historical Description:  The uniforms worn by the various SS branches before and during WWII used a variety of insignia to indicate rank, unit assignment, and role, including collar tabs and shoulder boards, cuff titles, and sleeve diamonds. The sleeve diamonds were initially authorized in October 1935. Each had a distinctive letter, symbol or emblem, with its own unique meaning. SS sleeve diamonds were used to indicate which SS organization the wearer was assigned to, specific roles of SS personnel, special achievements such as proficiency in sports or marksmanship, or to recognize former service in other Nazi Party organizations. Some diamonds were specific to certain SS branches, such as the Allgemeine-SS, Waffen-SS, or the SS-Totenkopfverbände. Other sleeve diamonds could be worn by a member of any SS branch. The materials and construction of original sleeve diamonds varied. Some were either hand-embroidered or machine-embroidered on black wool, while others were “Bevo” machine woven on a rayon base. Generally, silver-gray thread embroidery was used for enlisted ranks and NCOs, while officers wore hand embroidered wire bullion. Diamonds could be edged with silver-colored twisted wire cord for officers, or black and silver twisted cord for NCOs. Originals existed with paper or cloth RZM tags on the reverse, or were unlabeled. In total, there were dozens of different types and variations of these made between 1935-45. Some were produced in limited numbers, and others are more commonly encountered today, but all are desirable and collectible pieces of SS regalia.

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