Description
This is a Beamte (a military or non military official) officer’s pickelhaube. The helmet has a leather body that exhibits some wear in the form of limited cracking. Also, some settling of the pickelhaube’s crown can be seen in the accompanying photographs. All of the helmet’s furniture, including the wappen, chin scales, cruciform, trim, and spike, is silver. Only the officers’ stars are gold. It is interesting to note that the spike is fixed to the cruciform, and is not removable (usually it CAN be removed). Also please note that the chin scales are vaulted, which often signifies a cavalry regiment rather than an infantry regiment’s flat chin scales. The silver, Prussian wappen features a gold-toned Beamte Eagle directly below the “FR.”. (The Eagle confirms that the officer was a Beamte). The exterior’s final details are the officer’s state and reich’s kokarden in place behind the posts that also secure the chin scales.
The interior presents a brown, leather sweatband secured to a rust-colored, silk liner. The liner exhibits some wear in the form of minor shredding, which is quite common on many pickelhauben that have been worn. All of the original hardware is present under the silk liner, with no double holes, meaning the wappen is original to the helmet. Finally, the size, “56 3/4” is marked on the leather liner. [It is on the large side for a pickelhaube. We generally see them in the “54-55” range. Anything above 56 is uncommon].
This is an attractive, original helmet in every respect.
