JKT1 Fantastic service worn Heer DAK Panzer EM M40 cap

Fantastic service worn Heer DAK Panzer EM M40 cap, this very cap is featured in a spread on pages 80 and 81 in the new book Afrikakorps 1940-1941 Vol. 1 by D. Bunch and D. Fisher, though the manufacturer markings have faded, the cap has the hallmarks of being a LAGO produced cap from 1940, the cap exhibits significant service wear and the olive twill fabric has faded to the famous 'bone white' shade favored by DAK soldiers, the red colored flat cotton liner is faded and worn, particularly where the liner met the wearer's forehead, the former owner's name PABST in penned to the liner in large capital letters, the ventilation grommets have lost their external finish but are firmly attached and are free of the active corrosion often seen, the woven tropical pattern insignia are factory sewn, the national emblem is applied in the 'zip and flip' style, being machine straight stitched across the top of the eagle's wing and having the lower portions being sewn by hand, the national colors rosette is completely machine straight stitched, the rosa colored soutache is also factory machine stitched, aside from the mentioned fading, the cap shows general sweat staining and there is scattered minor spotting from other sources, the top center seam has minute period hand repairs and darning with light colored cotton thread, the soutache is complete and retains its true color though the lower extensions of the soutache have frayed, no attempts have been made to repair them, there is a vertical separation approximately 4cm in length at the cap's lower left side aft of the grommets, the cap is large, sized approximately 59, a dream cap in the most desirable of Waffenfarbe and an iconic symbol of the heroic struggles in the North African theatre, this cap was recently sold but its owner is offering it again in order to fund another purchase, USD $13,500