mining cap question

[seeker007]

I have seen caps offered for sale with 2 different seals on the front:






Were both types used? Or is one not as it should be?

[Rev462]

Seeker,

I am not 100% sure about this, as I don't have any photographic evidence or regulation manuals to back it up. I am just going by the hats in my collection.

I have seen two styles of insignia on these miner's hats. One style is the crossed hammer cockade in combination with the crossed hammer device on the crown, as in the top photo. The other style is simply a DDR Staatswappen cockade without any accompanying crossed hammer device.

The crossed hammer cockade + device is on hats with yellow piping, while the simple Staatswappen cockade is on hats with red piping.

Based on my experience, the hat in the top photo is correct, while the one in the bottom photo needs the crossed hammer cockade.

If anyone has any further information or photos I would love to know about it.

[uscob]

I never saw a Staatswappen on the Caps. A I got stuff from the Wismut, they allways had the Top picture cocade and not the Staatswappen one. I think, somebody found Caps, as they came in Boxes of 18 without attachments to fix them with the right Stuff, but not the Insignia.
Nico

[seeker007]

I thought maybe the lower one was a "put together" and wanted to check. Thanks for responses.

[Gordon Craig]

As Nico says, there never were state cockades worn on miners caps. However, there were two different cap badges worn. One of them was the cocakde shown on the cap that has the crossed hammers in the centre. The other is part of a cog wheel with VEB inside of it. The VEB cap badges normally have red central stripes to the centre of the letter. Sorry that I don't have a picture of one of these badges from my collection as they are in storage. There was also two colours of trim used on these caps. Yellow as shown and red. There are also caps with a plain black leather chin strap.

Regards,

Gordon

[Rev462]

Gordon & Nico,

Thanks for the information. I was unsure about the use of the Staatswappen cockade.

Does anyone know if the cockade was always used in combination with the crossed hammer device on the crown, or were there cases where only the cockade was used?

Gordon:

I have occasionally seen blue-piped miner's hats on German Ebay. I have only seen 2 or 3 of them, and they were all very early examples from the 50's.

[Thälmannpionier]

Hello Collectors,

to get something right...the Staatswappen surely was used on Miners Visor Hats with red Piping (only red piped).. I myself owned a complete Uniform from a private household that was red piped and had the Staatswappen Corckade but then, it only must have the Staatswappen Corckade and no crossed Hammers on the Top.. The Man worked in a Metal-Factory "Stahlwerk Brandenburg"

P.S. and I think the Hat Strap has to be yellow.

Regards
Andreas

[Rev462]

Andreas,

Thanks for your comment! Your information is in agreement with what I have observed in my collection.

[Gordon Craig]

Andreas,

That sure is a strange combination on the uniform you had. I have never seen a yellow cap strap. I'll have to find my rank charts for the Miners and see what information is avaiable there. Do you remember what devices were on the collar tabs?
One more thing, working in a steel factory doesn't make him a miner. Perhaps they wore similar uniforms but not the same ones?

Regards,

Gordon

[Thälmannpionier]

I will post photos of the Uniform tonight when Im home.. I think the Wismut AG was linked with many Factories in the DDR and therefore they had those Uniforms.
Andreas

[Thälmannpionier]

here are the Photos of my once owned DDR Miners Uniform...

red piped with golden Staatswappen Corckade

[Thälmannpionier]

1

[Gordon Craig]

Andreas,

Interesting uniform pictures. Thanks for posting them. Too bad we can not see what the crossed tools are on the collars. I am waiting on some rank charts for Bergbau and Metellurgie. I hope they can shed some light on this uniform when compared to others I have in my collection. In the meantime here are some other cap badges I have seen on Bergbau related uniform caps.

Regards,

Gordon

[Katze Felix]

Hi Gordon,
The images of the VEB badges are interesting, the badge on the left appears
to have prongs which are typical on hat badges. The badge on the right appears to be a pin set up for wear on clothing. Is the badge on the right an
award or just a membership badge? If possible do you have any images of the
reverse of these badges and if so could you post them?
KF

[Gordon Craig]

KF,

You are correct that the badge on the viewers left is a cap badge and the other is not. Sorry for the mistake. They are only file pictures so I can not show you the other side. The only other ones I have are on some hats which are in storage so I can not even show the back to you once I get home!

Regards,

Gordon