December 7th Militaria and Aviation Auction
Lot 190:
Description
This lot features an extremely rare and highly desirable piece of South Vietnamese military headgear: an Original Vietnam War Era Army of the Republic of Vietnam ARVN Special Forces Beret. These berets, in the traditional green color, were worn by elite South Vietnamese units, including the ARVN Special Forces L_c L__ng __c Bi_t and other highly specialized reconnaissance or commando groups.
The beret is constructed from dark green wool and features a shiny black leather or vinyl sweatband. The beret is in excellent, likely unissued or gently stored condition, retaining its shape and vibrant color. Crucially, the beret is affixed with a distinctive, period embroidered shoulder sleeve insignia SSI or flash, which is the primary identifying feature. This intricate patch is machine-embroidered with metallic bullion thread and silk, displaying a fierce white skull over crossed bones and a red and yellow-gold striped background on a shield shape. This particular -Skull and Stripes- design is associated with one of the elite combat or reconnaissance teams operating during the conflict, often referred to as a -pocket patch.-
The interior retains its original plastic liner protector and a clear Saigon retailer/tailor label. The label, printed in Vietnamese, identifies the shop as HUNG DAO at 44C TRAN HUNG DAO, SAIGON. A stamped size circle of 57 is also present. The combination of the specialized beret, the dramatic and highly scarce combat insignia, and the original Saigon provenance label makes this a top-tier collectible for the serious Vietnam War militaria collector.
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