SA Greatcoat

[RUHL13]

Hi All,
What are your thoughts on this SA Mantel?
It had bad collar tabs, so there gone now.
I realize the pics are kinda poor, just something quick, plus it's hard to photograph these, I think anyway.
Silver tress?...
There are some red thread remains on the sleeve as if it was just stitched a few places to keep it there, something usually done at the time?
Thank You for any input.
Regards,
Gary

[RUHL13]

2

[RUHL13]

Need more pics?...do what I can when time permits

[Erich B.]

The basic coat looks fine. I can't tell if the piping is good or not from these photos. The RZM label looks good and even though it's sewn in somewhat sloppily, if there are no extra sewing holes it looks fine.
Erich

[RUHL13]

Thanks Erich, I will try and get better pics of the silver tress.

[RUHL13]

This help?

[sgstandard]

Coat

Is there any evidence of a shoulderboard or shoulderboards having been on there?

[RUHL13]

Nothing I can see, no holes, threads or loops.

[Erich B.]

If the white core of the cording doesn't react under UV light and if it's not a modern synthetic, the piping could be original. Your photos are fine, but for me an in=hand inspection is needed. It's sewn on well, however if one or both of the shoulder seams were never opened for a shoulder strap, and there's no sign of one being sewn on or in (did you check to see if there is any evidence of a should strap button being sewn on at one time?), I don't see why there would be piping around the collar. Anything is possible, but why only the piping would be applied is a ?
RE the armband--usually these would be attached at the factory and machine sewn, but I have seen original tunics where they were very well hand sewn on. Usually not just tacked on, as with a brownshirt.
Erich

[sgstandard]

Coat

The absence of shoulderboard evidence leads you to suspect that the coat was probably unissued, and maybe the piping added post-war, but certainly no guarantee of that. But it wasn't ever worn that way. One could argue that the coat was pre-1933, when no shoulderboards were worn, but then it wouldn't have an RZM tag. Best guess: An unissued piece with the POSSIBILITY that the piping was added post-war, though as Erich says, anything is possible.