140 - GDR officer's dagger, National People's Army NVA, honor dagger for officers, scabbard and hanger

GDR officer's dagger, National People's Army NVA, honor dagger for officers, scabbard and hanger Steel, metal and textile. Officer's dagger of the NVA, GDR, honor dagger for officers, introduced in 1961, late model. Double-edged straight blade with two fullers on each side, blade root with an elongated piercing. Slightly curved crossguard, silver-colored, with acorn-shaped ends, grip ring with push button, yellow grip with raised rings, flat round pommel, silver-colored, with hammered surface. Black scabbard with silver-colored throat, on the front a round medallion with the state emblem of the GDR (hammer and compass in a wreath of wheat ears) above a field with oak-leaf relief, reverse with a plain field, two suspension rings with snap hooks, long chape with ball terminal. Hanger with two braid straps, silver-colored, on a dark backing, decorated rectangular buckles and coupling piece with oak-leaf relief. Struck blade number "66747" at the blade root. Worn condition commensurate with age, the spring of the push button broken. L. 39 cm, blade length 25 cm. The honor dagger of the National People's Army (NVA) was developed in the fall of 1960, introduced in 1961 and first worn in public at the May Day parade of 1961 in Berlin. As an officer's dagger it was reserved for officers, generals and admirals; at parades it hung from the field belt, and with the dress uniform it was worn on state holidays and on the Day of the NVA. Initially the officers had to buy the dagger; later, university graduates received it on their first promotion to officer. Officers of the Land Forces wore the dagger with silver-colored fittings on a dagger hanger of silver-colored braid on a stone-gray backing, which the officers of the Air Forces/Air Defense also wore; the People's Navy had gold-colored fittings and a hanger on a dark blue backing, generals and admirals gold braid on a colored backing. The honor daggers were manufactured in Mühlhausen in Thuringia; production ended with the dissolution of the NVA in 1990.