A good example of a fairly rare buckle of gilt aluminium construction. This is the buckle for the dirk, not the sword, belt, being approximately half the size of the latter. As buckles go, it's the rarer of the two for the sea-going navy.

This is the mid-war version, which replaced the gilt aluminium / gilt steel / brass type of the pre-war and early war years. It is virtually mint, with a little rust at the goal post catch on the reverse. Otherwise there is hardly any paint missing from the piece, one of the best examples I have come across. There is no maker mark.

This is the first pattern Heer aluminium issue waist buckle, stamped 'FLL' near the catch (for Friedrich Linden Co of Ludenscheid). The leather tag is faintly stamped 1938. These belts were worn in all the early campaigns: Poland 1939, France 1940 and in the beginning of the Russian campaign of 1941.

This is the first pattern army buckle of the Czech Army, based on the structure of the old Imperial Russian design. Later it was replaced by an Austrian style design die struck in brass or steel. There are traces of an EPNS finish to both sides, with evidence of long sustained use.

This 'feldbindung' or officer's dress belt was introduced in 1896 to replace the schaerpen (a sort of bullion cummerbund with large tassels) throughout the German army. Baden and Oldenburg shared both the design of the buckle (with the Imperial crown replacing the royal one) and the braid of the belt (with its characteristic thin red stripe).