German Mystery Jacket

For this week’s post I’m presenting an unsolved mystery. Almost certainly German - but for what, and when? A fellow collector added this to “sweeten the pot” on a trade we were negotiating. He didn’t know either.

The confusion begins in that the coat has the stiff stand-up collar I would expect to see in WWI, but the pebbled buttons I have come to associate with WWII and later - perhaps inter-war Reichheer? The large and small button backs say “Extra Fein” and a number indicating size. The large ones have a stylized A, the small ones a diamond shape with some decipherable mark inside.

Shoulder straps would be those for a major (if indeed it is an army jacket) on a yellow backing. The collar patches have yellow centers and a green backing. (Cavalry? Gendarmarie?) The jacket is not field grey, but sort of grey green, which does not show up well in the photos. Based on the color and insignia, I’d love to think this was Jaeger zu Pferde, but I’m afraid it may more likely be border police.

The buttonhole ribbon in photo 4 is another mystery. At first glance it’s a typical Iron Cross second class, but I’ve placed an Iron Cross beside it for comparison and you can see the difference. The buttonhole ribbon is 4cm wide, vice 3cm wide for the Iron Cross. Also, the Iron cross has black outer stripes; the button ribbon has just a little black edging. Wouldn’t it be lovely to think this was Pour le Mérite/blue Max ribbon? – nah, the white doesn’t seem silvery, and besides, what are the odds?

In addition to the outside pockets you see in photo 2, there is an opening to pass a sword hanger through that also has a small flap visible in photo 3. Inside is another pocket at breast level like a modern suit coat would have. It’s very nicely lined inside and has a couple labels, one on the inside pocket and the other over the opposite breast. Neither are legible, but one seems to be the manufacturer as I can make out “& Co.” I speculate the other label might have had the owner’s name.