Nice quality, private purchase, visor cap with a field-gray doeskin wool construction body and crown and a dark green wool centerband with red wool waffenfarbe piping to the crown edge and the top and bottom edges of the centerband. The front center of the centerband has a second pattern, stamped, polished natural aluminum, oak-leaf wreath encompassing a three piece, high relief, national tri-color cockade. The cap has a blackened patent leather chinstrap intact with two, black painted, rectangular, sheet metal retaining clips and two black painted, vertically oval, sliding length adjustment buckles. The chinstrap is secured to the cap by two, small, smooth finish, black painted, magnetic sheet metal buttons. The cap has an extended, forward, black lacquered, vulcanfibre visor with a subtly raised lip near the forward edge. The interior of the cap is fully lined in gold rayon. Nice complete sweat shield with makers logo. The interior of the cap also has a wide leather sweatband which is complete and in nice condition. The cap is roughly size 57. Excellent. Visor caps were a standard item for all personnel during the Third Reich period and regulations dictated the form of dress they were to be worn with based on the individuals rank. Originally the insignia worn on the visor caps consisted of the Weimar Reichswehr pattern oak-leaf wreath and cockade and a blackened leather chinstrap for all ranks. In February 1927 new chin cords for Officer ranks were introduced with silver cords for the ranks of Leutnant to Oberst and gilt cords for the ranks of Generalmajor to Generalfeldmarschall. On March 14TH 1933 the Reichswehr’s oval black, red and gold cockade was replaced with a circular cockade in black, white, and red and on February 17TH 1934 the Third Reich pattern national eagle for the army was officially introduced for wear on the visor cap. In March 1935 a new, more detailed, pattern wreath and cockade and a second, larger pattern national eagle were also introduced for wear and in late 1935 regulations altered the Reichswehr era field-grey colored centerband to a dark blue/green coloration which was utilized until the end of the war. Further regulations of February 26TH 1936 also permitted senior NCO’s who were Officer Candidates to wear the Officers twisted silver/aluminum chin cord on their visor caps as opposed to the standard EM/NCO’s leather chinstrap. The different branches of service within the German army were allocated a specific, identifying, waffenfarbe, (Branch of Service Color), with red being chosen for artillery, personnel which was displayed as piping on the shoulder straps.