In napped wave blue wool with red band and piping. Gold embroidery on the band and the visor as well as the chin cord. Patent leather visor with felt underside. The crown is of the characteristically early style, noticeably more compact than the 1960s version of the same hat and of course, far smaller than the oversized 1970s-80s issues. The hat badge is the two-piece "general's type", a 1955 model in gilded brass and high-quality enamel. The sweat label shows the logo of the Moscow TsEP Factory of the Ministry of Defense. The sweat band in dark brown leather has an adjustment c

In napped wave blue wool with red band and piping. Gold embroidery on the band and the visor as well as the chin cord. Patent leather visor with felt underside. The crown is of the characteristically early style, noticeably more compact than the 1960s version of the same hat and of course, far smaller than the oversized 1970s-80s issues. The hat badge is the two-piece "general's type", a 1955 model in gilded brass and high-quality enamel. The sweat label shows the logo of the Moscow TsEP Factory of the Ministry of Defense. The sweat band in dark brown leather has an adjustment cord, a standard feature of general officer hats. The brass side buttons are of WW2 (pre-1948) style, with 11 republics represented by the scrolls of ribbon in the Soviet coat of arms. (This is an interesting detail considering that the hat is from the 50s. The older buttons were apparently utilized from the unissued old stock due to the shortage of "up-to-date" buttons - a fairly common occurrence in the centrally-planned Soviet economy when factory managers had to cut corners to achieve production quotas or face reprisals.) Marked size 59 on the sweat shield, but due to natural shrinkage with age, the actual size is now closer to 58 (approx. US size 7 ¼ / Large).

Excellent condition. The wool is completely free of any moth bites or tracks, which is remarkable for the hat of 1950s vintage. Both the interior and exterior are immaculately clean. The gold embroidery is practically free of tarnish. The edge of the visor is slightly uneven due to warping of the leather, but it is not too noticeable or detractive; the leather remains "healthy", retaining a nice sheen, free of scuffs or cracks. The hat badge has a chip to the red enamel on the lower arm, but because of the dark patina on the affected area, it blends nicely with the red enamel on the rest of the star and is not too conspicuous, especially at a normal viewing distance.

Overall, this is an outstanding example of the early full-dress general hat which is often referred to as the "Victory Parade" type. These have become increasingly scarce in the past years, especially in such a superb condition as the example offered here.
$575.00  Add to cart