You are correct that these shoulder boards are no different than the Heer medical Arz boards. They do seem to be original to this coat and have wear and tear commensurate with being contemporary to the coat. The greatcoat itself shows no sign of ever having a sleeve eagle or medical patch. The other interesting thing about this coat is the absence of any collar piping. The coat was manufactured in this manner and has not had any piping removed. The Mantel simply is what it is as a material culture artifact.
Here is the picture that I found from Jack Angolia's "Cloth Insignia of the SS (updated)" page 467. (Utilized here for scholarly review/discussion Jack) These boards appear to have dark underlay, but the photo is not as distinct as yours Joe. Can you see if there is any piping on the collar or down the front on your tunic photo Joe?
George
"You can't please everyone, so you've got to please yourself." Ricky Nelson
[This message was edited by ORPO on 02 January 2004 at 10:03.]
