What is your favourite SS item from your collection?

[Military]

Hi Chris,

Thank you very much for sharing this knowledge. I appreciate it. Another question - So for the miniature long service award, how could one tell if it was 4, 8 or 12 years of service, since no numerals are imprinted onto the device?

What it the other smaller badge on the bar?

Mil

Hello Mil,

The top piece is an original, (and controversial, due to many recent fakes), SS tuxedo breast badge insignia made of aluminum. These are mostly rare because of the fact that this type of formal dress uniform was only worn for a few years until it was quickly discontinued. You can find more info about this uniform on the Internet if you wish.
It is my understanding that only a dozen or so are known to exist within the collecting community here.

The bottom piece is a ribbon bar awarded to an SS member. It is also very rare because it has the miniature device that represents the SS 4-year long service medal, (made of Tombac). There were miniatures awarded for at least, the 4, 8, and 12 year SS service medals that are known to exist, (all of which are extremely rare because again, these pieces were only awarded for a few years until they were discontinued). Also, the SS service medals were only awarded to members of certain branches of the SS, (Allgemeine and Waffen SS not included).
It is still a bit strange, because the actual full size SS service medals, (at least, the 4 and 8 year versions), are not all that rare.
The collector's reference section of this website states that only two or three examples have ever been encountered of each type, (when the page was created), although a few more examples have been acknowledged since then.

Anyway, these are my two favorites, due to rarity alone. It took a lot of effort and funds to acquire them after several years of searching, (although they are very similar to other average SS items, as far as materials and construction methods are concerned).

Hope this answers your questions.

Chris

[SScollector]

Hi,

Each SS medal, (and ribbon bar device), were made of a different design. The four year device, as you can see, has the SS runes and a wreath around them, just like the full size medals. The eight year devices have the SS runes in front of a larger swastka and has a smaller wreath around the runes. The SS 12 year ribbon bar device however, does not look like the full size version, but is instead just two silver plated tombac SS runes with horizontal lines all over them, (probably to make these look more like they were sewn on cloth, but were really made of one piece of stamped metal). Anyway, you can find pictures of all of these devices on this forum as well as via Internet search.

As for the other devices on my bar, the one on the left is for the war merit cross with swords and the one on the right is the castle bar that was added to the Czech ocupation medal.

Hope this helps!

Chris

[Military]

Thanks Chris! Very meaningful post! I've learned lots and many thanks for the input. Your collection is top notch!

[SScollector]

Thanks, Mill!

Chris

[J. M. C.]

I still like tabs. You really could spend a lifetime collecting just collar tabs.

My most recent is another TK tab set fresh from an esteemed collector in WI. I know they are not super rare but for some reason they still catch my eye.

[MrMiler]

Hard to choose. I'm a dagger guy, but this visor probably takes the win.

[praubal]

That is one VERY ugly abortion of a hat.

[MrMiler]

That is one VERY ugly abortion of a hat.

Thank you for your input praubal.
You should not judge a book by its cover.
Read this:

https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink?sha...3&share_type=t

Here is the back of the visor



Thanks,
MrMiler

[Ben70]

Thanks to sharing this rare ss items
B Regards

[Stive]

My favourite SS item shoulder straps waffen-ss.

[Monarch 10EE]

This is my favorite from my small collection.

[Robert H]

very nice Jeff

[dhcoleterracina]

http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...1&d=1502728354

[ZacharyB]

I enjoy the study of SS history and looking at the fine items in other people's collections, but SS artifacts are generally out of my price range.

For that reason, I have never actively worked toward an SS section in my collection. The few items that I do have were acquired because of the personality of the historical figure involved.

Here is my favorite item. It is a signed copy of one of Walther Darre's books. I realize that it was signed post-war and does not compare to some of the rare items seen in this thread, but still an interesting item because of the influence this man had on events.

Thanks,

Z

[ZacharyB]

Here's the inscription.

Z