German WWI M1915 Prussian Infantry Enlisted Pickelhaube, Complete
This item is listed for historical interest only. It was listed on our site previously but has been sold and is no longer available for purchase.
Sold for: $595.00

Original era manufacture. This is an interesting helmet, and the best part is that it comes with an original chinstrap and cockades.Black leather body, with a gray painted steel wappen, spike base and removable spike. The front visor trim is brass, as is the 1895 style rear spine made without a ventilator. The chinstrap lugs on the side of the helmet are also brass but display a matching gray paint finish.The black leather liner is complete, to include its original leather adjusting strip. No extra holes behind the wappen, however the ones that are there have had their metal reinforcing rings removed to allow the plate to fit properly. One original leather wedge remains in place. Stamped into the interior of the helmet is a depot marking, B.A.? 1915.The front and rear visors display surface bubbling, and the rear visor has pulled away from the body a bit, but is tightly stitched on the ends. The front visor is solidly attached to the helmet body.The leather chinstrap is an original example, with gray painted steel fittings. The Prussian and National kodarden are also of the period, but likely replacedby a previous owner at some point.How this helmet came to be fitted with brass and steel fittings is an unknown, however all of the components have been together for a long, long time, as there is considerable dust build-up behind the wappen, under the spike base, and surface corrosion on the reverse of the chinstrap lugs on the helmet's interior. Also, the toningof the metal fittingsmatches fairly well, as I didn't notice that the visor trim and rear spine were brass until typing up this description today.I feel this helmet represents an example of the extraordinary measures taken by the German army in an attempt to equip its massively expanding army in the early days of WWI. Pressed felt, and stamped tin Pickelhaubes are certainly known, as are other examples of emergency helmets produced during this time. Using a mix of brass and steel fittings on the same helmet is certainly within the realm of possibilities.