State Forestry Officials Buckle

Product Description: This State Forestry Officials Buckle is a great example of an uncommon buckle to find. This buckle has a very appealing design, with a political style German national eagle and swastika emblem on a pebbled oval field, surrounded by a wreath of oak leaves. This buckle is made of aluminum, and probably dates to the 1930s. There never was any paint- these were issued bare. The front of this buckle has a pleasant, slight age patina, and shows virtually no wear, with all of the crisp detail still intact. The reverse of this buckle is complete, with an integral hook for the catch on the belt, and an aluminum loop that would be use to affix this to an officer style belt. The number “100” is written in typical period German style script on the reverse, perhaps a price or inventory number. There are no other markings. This State Forestry Officials Buckle is a scarce piece, and is in outstanding, near mint 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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