Prussian Zoll, or Polizei, or Zoll Polizei Wappen? What is it?

[JohnS3rd]

I recently picked this wappen up mainly because it looked cool. I have seen several wappen displaying Prussian Crowned Eagle emblem with a "W" on the chest of the Adler. A few have a metal brass “W” on an Eagle, the bird being more ornate, both are fire gilded, like the one I have.

However, the majority I see have the same elaborate Adler, but the “W” is silvered, and it is also more complex. Are the styles from the same branch with silvered ones for senior ranking Polizei?

Thanks in advance for the history of this style of Adler!
Best regards,
John

 

[Naprawiacz]

A heraldic eagle crowned with a royal name from the pickelhaube of a senior customs official.The item comes from a private purchase of a wealthy official.The gilding is done by fire, and the monogram itself is made of platinum.The police Adler was the same, but instead of a monogram in the middle, it usually had the coat of arms of the city it came from.

 

[JohnS3rd]

Wojtek,
Thank you very much for the information. So, would the wappen I posted be for a Polizei Pickelhaube, and your Pickelhaube is for a senior customs official?
Thank You!
John

 

[Naprawiacz]

Wojtek,
Thank you very much for the information. So, would the wappen I posted be for a Polizei Pickelhaube, and your Pickelhaube is for a senior customs official?
Thank You!
John

John
Your Adler is a senior customs official..The provisions of the Prussian Civil Service Act were first adopted in 1871. , and subsequently by other Länder.A career as a senior and mid-level civil servant had to be financially rewarding. A diploma and several years of unpaid work in an office were prerequisites for a future paid position. Serving as a civil servant was associated with a good reputation among the population. Less well-off families hoped for social advancement in a civil service career. Social origin favoured entry into the administration. Aristocratic background remained particularly favourable. Membership of the student corps and the reserve officer's patent also widened the possibilities for accepting applications for a managerial position.It is also interesting to note that there were no social democrats in the higher "customs" positions, and liberals mostly had to be content with working in local authorities.The selection criteria that developed in the Prussian state allowed the consolidation of an extremely socially homogeneous and politically clearly conservative group of civil servants in the higher administrative service. Most middle and lower civil servant positions also retained their conservative character. Opportunities for advancement in the profession, especially for civil servants, were closely linked to years of military service. More than half of all civil servants came from the military. Soldiers at the rank of non-commissioned officer became eligible for employment in the civil service after twelve years of service. Hierarchical thinking in terms of command and obedience was thus increasingly transferred to the structures of the administrative apparatus. Military patterns of behaviour became indispensable in everyday life.The gratitude of civil servants for the reputation they had acquired and the provision of their livelihoods was expressed in loyal attitudes towards the state and the government

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)

 

[JohnS3rd]

Wojtek,
Thank you for the background and history of my Adler. I appreciate the historical knowledge of the positions held by such officials and how any individual obtained such a position in the post-Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71 within the recently unified Germany.
Best regards,
John

 

[poniatowski]

Since city crests were often used, it was my thought that these helmets / wappen (I have one also) came from the Berlin administrative district. Is that correct?

 

[Naprawiacz]

Since city crests were often used, it was my thought that these helmets / wappen (I have one also) came from the Berlin administrative district. Is that correct?

As far as I know, and I may be confusing Adler with the monogram of the Emperor's name, it was intended for Prussian customs officials and was the same for everyone. There is still the subject of the municipal police, where I also found this monogram.

 

[CLOVIS 57]

In general, the customs and the gendarmerie had helmets with gilded brass fittings and the police with silver nickel fittings. Customs had the Prussian eagle above, the Reichsgendarmerie had the Reichsadler and the police had the provincial or municipal coat of arms in silver. The font point is silver small in Perlring and small top ball different from the higher "tulip" point without Perlring and gilded from Customs.
Below are the helmets of Kommunal-polizei from Colmar en Elsass, from Berlin, and Provinzial polizei from Saxe, Hesse ...
And to compare, a Reichsgendarm on the left of the border post and on the right a Customs officer.

 

[Sandmann]

In general, the customs and the gendarmerie had helmets with gilded brass fittings and the police with silver nickel fittings. Customs had the Prussian eagle above, the Reichsgendarmerie had the Reichsadler and the police had the provincial or municipal coat of arms in silver. The font point is silver small in Perlring and small top ball different from the higher "tulip" point without Perlring and gilded from Customs.
Below are the helmets of Kommunal-polizei from Colmar en Elsass, from Berlin, and Provinzial polizei from Saxe, Hesse ...
And to compare, a Reichsgendarm on the left of the border post and on the right a Customs officer.

Clovis, is it a real sign or a replica? I love it

 

[JohnS3rd]

Clovis,
Thank you for the information and pictures. You have a very striking display in the last photo.
Best regards,
John

 

[Peter B]

Yes that is one great sign Clovis.

 

[CLOVIS 57]

Hello,
Yes, these border posts were torn off after the armistice of 1918, when Alsace and Lorraine returned to France. Some of them are found at scrap metal dealers, but not all of them have been destroyed. There are about ten authentic listed, including one on the town hall square in Mars La Tour. In cast iron, the panel alone weighs at least 60 kgs. Mine was all black, and I repainted it identically.

I am enclosing the back of mine, then that of the Gravelotte museum, and that of the town hall of Mars-La-Tour.

If you are interested, I will do a post on this topic on occasion.