Officer's coat frock : German Navy

Oberleutnant zur See's (senior Lieutenant) black wool superfine double breasted frock coat with stand and fall notched collar and plain cuffs. Each cuff has a single row of 12mm wide grey metallic lace surmounted by a gilded brass German Imperial Crown. The grey metallic braid shoulder straps, interwoven with fine red and black thread chevrons, carry a small gilded brass rank pip and are secured to the neck of the coat with gilded brass German naval officer's pattern buttons. There are five pairs of similar, larger buttons down the front of the coat (some made by G Bartling & Sohne, Kiel, and others marked only Extra Fiene). The left front breast carries a medal ribbon bar (RELAWM12204) for the Iron Cross, Prussian Order of the Red Eagle and Saxon Order of St Henry. The coat skirt is finished at the hem with a raw edge and has a centre back vent extending from waist to hem. Each side of the vent is finished with a self fabric artificial slash which carries three vertically aligned buttons, staring with at the waist seam, of the same size and pattern as those fastening the front.

The body of the coat is fully lined with a dark grey silk/cotton fabric; the sleeves with cream cotton twill. A welt pocket is set into the proper left front lining. Two broad bands of the grey lining extend from the side seams to meet at the centre front where they are buttoned together with four black fabric covered metal buttons (one missing), supporting the weight of the outer coat.

This Oberleutnant zur See's (senior Lieutenant) frock coat is an example of the type used in the Imperial German Navy during the First World War.