Blue steel Heer belt buckle marked N&H 1942

A very nice mid war belt buckle marked N&H 1942 indicating production by Nolle & Hueck, Lüdenscheid.  The buckle is finished in Blaugrau paint thats also known as Einheitsfarbe. The buckle is the earliest example of a blue painted Heer buckle that I’ve found. These early blue buckles are referred to as being made and issued to the Kriegsmarine. Later in the war the blue Heer buckles started being issued to other branches and officially labeled Einheitskoppelschloss. Hard to find a early blue buckle!