SS Officer Cap Eagle – Silver Bullion

The SS Officer Cap Eagle was one of the characteristic insignia worn on SS officers’ headgear during the Second World War.

Positioned on the front of the cap above the Totenkopf, it depicted an eagle with outstretched wings clutching a wreath containing a swastika. Its form followed the characteristic SS eagle pattern, with strongly defined, elongated and geometric wings.

Officer examples were frequently produced using hand-embroidered silver bullion, with metallic or metal-effect threads worked onto a black textile backing. Different directions of embroidery were used to define the individual sections of the wings, body, claws and wreath.

The bullion construction created a slightly raised, three-dimensional surface, with variations in reflection produced by the orientation of the metallic threads. The textile backing remained flexible enough to follow the curved front of the cap.

Original hand-embroidered examples can show variations in shape, embroidery density and thread arrangement, reflecting differences between manufacturers and individual hand-finishing techniques.