Early SS Trumpet Banner
by: Max Hansen
Description:
Hi,
My banner really is in excellent condition for its age; no rips or tears, just some smudging on one rune, and it is the real deal! The description below was taken from a website when I was searching Google for images, and there it was! Mine is actually in better condition then the one being described, and the pics posted are from mine.
Enjoy! Max
Silver fringe
The skull tradition
SS Trumpet Banner for the Totenkopf Verbande (Item FLAG 3-10, SS 35-24)
DESCRIPTION: This is a very early trumpet banner of the Death’s Head Standard. It is measured at 23 x 18 ½ inches not counting the fringe on the three sides; this silver bullion fringe is about 2 inches long. Also there are three cloth loops at the top that are about 1 ¼ inches long. These are for fastening the banner to the trumpet. The item has been black lighted and passes the tests. The piece was from the estate of PFC James D. Lund, U.S. Army 2679032 who was attached to the U.S. lst Armored Division. To see more about the Totenkopf Verbande go to our site in the Allgemeine SS section listings and go to page four and to SS 4-5. The skull on this banner is probably the ugliest I have ever seen but it must be kept in mind that in the earliest days of the NSDAP there was no issue of such things and it was pretty much go it on your own as far as such 
individual trappings were constructed. Much of the items like the banner would be pretty much left to the imagination of men in the units and perhaps their wives who did the sewing. The banner is certainly in keeping with the Esprit d’Corp of this unit of steel hard troopers. Later trumpet banners after 1934 were rather more artistically manufactured in a more professional manner. This however is much more rare in that it is a Kampzeit item (Time of Struggle). If it isn’t pretty it is strongly suggestive of power (Starke Macht!) These troops were not anyone that the Commie street hoodlums wanted to tangle with. They were tough and unrelenting.
The material is a heavy grade wool that has a natural stiffness to it, not at all light or flimsy. The wool has the same weave pattern as some of the NSDAP banners. The skull being jawless is much like the Hussar skulls on the busbies of those stalwart elite horsemen of old. The SS runes and skull are fashioned from a high grade linen and are applied by way of heavy machine stitching in an overlapped (V) pattern. Both display dye bleed into them from the black wool base. They have brown age discoloring in areas. There is one area where the weave has been slightly broken on one rune where this was folded onto itself. The bullion has a cotton base that has age where it is exposed to a camel brown color and the bullion itself has an age patina that is exactly like other flags that we have acquired from veterans. So, we are quite content that this banner is 100% original and extremely rare.
Enjoy!
Max
