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**NickG** · 12-06-2008, 02:13 AM

The RBNr stamp is real...I have a twin of that hat which came from a reliable source (vet bring back) with the same markings, HOWEVER the SS flashes above the stamp are most likely an embelishment...post war added (along with the SS eagle). That does not necesarily mean that the metal SS eagle is bad...I'll let the SS eagle experts judge that. To me it does look old with patina but the head lacks detail...don't know, but the hat is fine! Nick

**bwanek1** · 12-06-2008, 07:23 AM

The eagle is original, as is the cap (less the bogus runes stamp). As to when the eagle was added to the cap, I cannot say.

I have owned two winer fur caps with metal SS cap insignia, which I believed to be originally applied. In both cases, they only had skulls, not eagles, though period photos show SS troops wearing fur caps with both skulls and eagles, each by themselves, and none at all.

Without solid provenance (one of my caps was bought untouched from a vet's family), you have to judge based on appearance alone. The wear on the insignia should match that of the cap and there should be an impression left in the fur, indicating that the insignia have been attached for a long time. While these are far from conclusive proof of originality, the absence of these may be damning. In this case, the eagle seems to show much more wear than the cap. It is possible that an older eagle was used on a newer cap, but the difference adds to my doubt that they were together during the war. I do find the manner in which the eagle is attached to be somewhat convincing, however, and the holes have a patina, which looks to show that they were not recently made.

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