Help with leather coat please

[Mogdala]

Hi,

i would like to hear some comments about this one civil or military related? Sorry no story behind.

thanks in advance

[Mogdala]

Sorry for the poor pics

[Mogdala]

...

[Mogdala]

I found no stamps or markings

[Mogdala]

....

[Mogdala]

.....inside

[Mogdala]

last for now

[phild]

It is a nice military coat but it is not German WWII. It looks similar to the Kraftfahr coats of WWI thru the early 30s...but it has a number of differences in the details.

About the best that I can say is that it is military, European (but not German) and would probably date from WWI (at the earliest) thru WWII or for some countries a little later even. I think that the coat may be French or Swedish and date from around the 1930s...

[Mogdala]

thanks for your input

[MikeP]

In the early 70s one of the big importers was scouring Europe for these overcoats and adding insignia as requested.

They were about a hundred bucks.

I had one with added straps that obviously had been a civilian piece.

I had a built in belt and the buttons were covered by a flap.

I would think there would be a great variety of pieces in original use as well.

[NTZ]

Here is a good thread with some real ones.

http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...hlight=leather

[phild]

IMO real WWII era German military and para-military leather overcoats are very easy to identfy and verify. I have been examining them since about 1977 and I think that they are about the safest and most "non-iffy" item of WWII German WWII uniform!

It is surprising too me why so many collectors seem to get that glazed over look in their eyes when discussing these and lump all of the civilian models (most of which is even post war) into the same catagory as the military models.

Just as important, but most always overlooked is the fact that many other leather overcoats were made for the militaries (including police) of several other countries during the period of 1914 thru 1945! The U.S Navy was just one other example of this. Also the Germans made a couple of different styles during this WWI and 1920s period as well (these varitions are rare as all get out!!!) and none of these styles mentioned above are ANYTHING like a civilian overcoat.

The example posted on this thread is absolutly a military overcoat, no question and no doubt about that. It is on the other hand NOT a German WWII officers coat although it MAY have been captured and used by one them as it is "close enough" to meet the general regulation...especially for more informal field wear....I'm not saying it was only that is possible.

[stonemint]

[quote=phild;2705815]IMO real WWII era German military and para-military leather overcoats are very easy to identfy and verify. I have been examining them since about 1977 and I think that they are about the safest and most "non-iffy" item of WWII German WWII uniform!


phil, truer words were never spoken. They have been reproduced, but never faked. 98% you see for sale are civilian leather coats or overcoats from other countries of different eras. Nothing beats the quality of a TR ledermantel, bar none, and next to the Stahlhelm, nothing is more stereotypical of the stereotyped Wehrmacht/SS officer so loved by Hollywood (and Hollywood's overcoats are usually wrong in some way, shape or form).

The funny thing is that the prices for them all seem to hover in the $500-$750 range, so, imho, they are underappreciated, and undervalued. They are next to impossible to find in mint condition (and I sold a stone-mint one 20 years ago... ), and are tough to find where the leather is still pliable.

If you do a search under ledermantel, there is a 4 page thread discussing these.

This is my LW officers one in blue-gray:

[stonemint]

Here is an SS generals that is for sale on a dealer site. The overcoat is real, but I can't speak for the SS part:

[Johnny R]

The coat tyat started the thread looks post War to me, the buttons are civilian. Black leather coats were worn by WP countries MPs and Goverment Police. Not sure what this is but it is not WWII German.