Original Excellent German WWII 1941 Dated Heer Panzer Signals EM-NCO Black Wool M38 Overseas Cap by Esser & Co. – Size 59 Original Items

Original Item: Only One Available. This is an excellent, close to unissued condition example of a German WWII Heer Panzer Signals EM-NCO M38 overseas cap (Schiffchen). The overseas cap, nicknamed in German military slang as Schiffchen, or literally “little ship” as it resembled an up-turned row-boat, was standard issue for all branches of the Heer.

This example is constructed of a black wool exterior as used by the Panzerkorps, with a olive gray cotton lining, which still has a manufacturer ink stamp visible! It reads:

59
Esser & Co.
K ö l n
Krebsgasse 10
1941

The marking was slightly mis-stamped, but is still legible.

It features a fine machine embroidered eagle on the front, with gray thread on a black base, the standard Panze colors. There is a very nice Zitronengelb (lemon-yellow) V-shaped soutache, which is the Waffenfarbe (Corps Color) for the Heer Army Signal corps, responsible for setting up and maintaining communication equipment. This was sewn in before the cap was finished, as the stitches of the bottom go over the soutache ends. Inside of this is a machine embroidered bullion National Tri-Color Cockade.

Condition of this cap is truly excellent, with all the colors well retained and vibrant on the insignia. There is no mothing we can see, and little to no sign of use overall. There is just a bit of wear from storage, and the usual bits of fuzz that love to attach themselves to anything black. The tack stitches that hold down the ends of the ‘scallop” on the skirt are still intact.

This is the first panzer M38 that we have had, and this example would be nearly impossible to improve on. Ready to display!