€ 9.000
1 in stock
This exceptional Wehrmacht General Visor Cap comes from the Berlin workshop of Aug. Schellenberg. It represents an early, privately purchased German Army General officer’s visor cap of particularly high quality. The cap combines rich Wehrmacht-green doeskin, a dark green velvet band and fine gold rank piping. Moreover, it retains early silver-coloured Heer insignia, a bullion cockade and gilt officer cords.
The materials remain well matched throughout. Therefore, the cap presents as a coherent early example rather than a later standard wartime version. Its elegant profile, premium interior and distinctive gold-and-silver insignia combination give it considerable historical interest.
The crown uses fine Wehrmacht-green wool doeskin with a soft, close nap. Its broad proportions create an elegant early profile. In addition, the dark bottle-green velvet band provides a strong contrast with the lighter crown.
Fine gold piping follows the outer crown edge. Further gold piping borders both edges of the velvet band. Consequently, the three lines of gold trim create the rank distinction associated with Army General officers.
The piping remains intact overall. Although it shows natural toning, it still retains a warm gold appearance. The colour also agrees closely with the original bullion chin cords.
The black visor has a gently curved early form. Meanwhile, its brown underside retains the original finely textured finish. Light surface wear remains visible, but the visor appears structurally sound.
The cap’s gold trim identifies its General officer status. Gold bullion chin cords rest above the visor and attach to matching gilt side buttons. Moreover, the woven sliders display the complex construction expected from superior private-purchase headgear.
The cords show even ageing and light colour variation. However, they remain complete and retain a strong formal appearance. Their subdued finish also matches the ageing of the piping and buttons.
Together, the gold piping, cords and buttons form a balanced rank arrangement. They also contrast effectively with the silver-coloured early cap insignia.
The crown carries a silvered Heer national eagle. It displays long, straight wings, clearly defined feathering and a sharply modelled wreath. Importantly, this is an Army-pattern national eagle rather than a Reich Forestry Service emblem.
Below the eagle, the velvet band carries a hand-embroidered silver bullion wreath and national cockade. The red centre remains bright. Moreover, the surrounding black and silver rings retain clear definition.
The oak-leaf wreath displays careful hand embroidery. Individual leaves overlap naturally, while the lower binding remains sharply formed. Therefore, the insignia match the premium quality of the cap body.
The combination of gold General officer trim and silver officer-pattern badges is historically important. The official Imperial War Museums catalogue record for an M1935 German Army officer’s Schirmmütze notes that General officers wore gold piping and matching gold cords. However, their badges initially followed the silver-coloured officer pattern.
Consequently, the silver eagle and bullion wreath do not conflict with the General officer attribution. Instead, they support the identification as an early form produced before the later adoption of gold-coloured General officer cap insignia.
The interior confirms the cap’s superior commercial manufacture. A cream lining covers the crown and retains the original diamond-shaped celluloid protector.
The printed maker’s mark reads:
Aug. Schellenberg
Uniformmützen-Fabrik
BERLIN O.27
Alexander Str. 40
Sonderklasse
The wording identifies the Berlin manufacturer, its factory address and the maker’s Sonderklasse quality designation. The label remains clear and highly presentable, although the celluloid shows normal scratches and light clouding.
A wide tan leather sweatband surrounds the interior. It includes a line of ventilation perforations and neatly executed stitching. Furthermore, the leather remains largely complete and shows only expected age-related use.
The black inner edge, cream retaining tape and lining seams appear consistent with the rest of the cap. Minor loose threads remain visible in one internal area. Nevertheless, no major interior loss appears in the photographs.
The materials and labelled interior point strongly towards private-purchase manufacture. Moreover, the shaped crown, quality velvet band and precisely applied piping demonstrate close attention to detail.
The capmaker created a broad crown with a restrained saddle form. The crown rises gradually towards the front rather than forming the exaggerated profile seen on some later caps. Consequently, the visor retains an elegant and distinctly early appearance.
The dark velvet band also has a dense, high-quality surface. It remains firmly attached and provides a clean foundation for the bullion wreath. Likewise, the gold piping follows the seams evenly and without major distortion.
These features distinguish the cap from standard-quality service headgear. They also explain the presence of the Sonderklasse designation inside the crown.
The Schirmmütze served as an important item of dress and service headgear for German Army officers. General officer versions differed through their gold rank piping and gold cords. However, early examples could retain the silver insignia used by other commissioned officers, as the Imperial War Museums record confirms.
For broader institutional history, the Deutsches Historisches Museum overview of the Wehrmacht places German military material within its correct historical setting.
Researchers can also compare this cap with period portraits in the German Federal Archives Picture Archive. The archive preserves extensive photography from the National Socialist period, including images created by Wehrmacht propaganda companies.
Should a named owner become known, the German Federal Archives guide to military personnel research explains how to request surviving military records.
The Wehrmacht General Visor Cap remains structurally strong and retains an impressive original profile. The crown has not collapsed, while the velvet band remains firm and evenly shaped.
The green doeskin shows scattered surface marks, light rubbing and several minor moth traces. However, these remain relatively limited and agree with long-term age and storage.
The gold piping and chin cords retain an attractive, evenly toned finish. Likewise, the silvered eagle and bullion wreath display natural oxidation. Their aged surfaces remain visually compatible with the surrounding cloth.
The visor carries light scuffing and handling wear. Nevertheless, the black upper finish and brown textured underside remain well preserved.
Inside, the cream lining displays mild staining and normal age discolouration. Meanwhile, the maker’s diamond remains fully readable. The tan leather sweatband also shows use but retains a complete and presentable appearance.
No cleaning, polishing or reshaping should take place. Instead, the cap should rest on an acid-free support in stable environmental conditions.
The visible features support the early General officer identification:
Taken together, these details create a convincing and consistent early configuration. Moreover, the early silver insignia agree with the documented first form of General officer cap decoration.
The photographs reveal no obvious modern materials. However, final authentication should include an in-hand examination. That inspection should check the eagle prongs, cockade stitching, concealed seams and areas beneath the sweatband.
The early gold-and-silver insignia arrangement gives this cap particular historical value. Later General officer caps commonly display gold-coloured insignia. By contrast, this example preserves the earlier silver officer badges with gold General officer rank trim.
Furthermore, the readable Aug. Schellenberg label adds significant maker interest. The strong crown shape, complete exterior and premium interior also give the cap considerable display appeal.
Related objects and reference material can be found within the Nordmenn Helmets and Headgear collection. Further study is also available through German Headgear in World War II and The Collector’s Guide to Cloth Third Reich Military Headgear.
This Wehrmacht General Visor Cap represents a particularly fine early General officer’s private-purchase visor. Aug. Schellenberg manufactured it in Berlin and marked the interior with the firm’s Sonderklasse designation.
Moreover, the cap retains its Wehrmacht-green doeskin body, dark velvet band and gold General officer trim. Its silver Heer eagle and bullion cockade represent the correct early insignia arrangement.
The coherent materials, honest age and strong original profile make this an important surviving example. Therefore, it would form a central display piece within an advanced German Army headgear collection.
