West German Nordhein-Westfalen State Polizei Police Shoulder Patch Vintage

This item is a vintage shoulder patch from the Polizei (Police) of the state of Nordrhein-Westfalen (North Rhine-Westphalia), West Germany. The patch displays the official emblem used by law enforcement in the region prior to German reunification in 1990. It typically features the state’s coat of arms, which combines traditional heraldic elements with police insignia, on a shield-shaped cloth badge. Shoulder patches like this were worn on police uniforms to designate state jurisdiction as well as official status. Nordrhein-Westfalen is the most populous federal state in Germany, and its police force played a significant role in public security during the Cold War era. This patch provides a representative example of mid-to-late 20th-century West German police insignia and reflects changes in uniform styles and administrative identifiers over time. It is a relevant artifact for those studying European police history, insignia evolution, or the visual identification of national and state authorities.