With careful experimentation, you may well find a specific solvent that removes the new paint but not the old...

Sorry, this cap has been sold...

The Reserve one is certainly original, but the shape of the other one is all wrong and I would think its a repro...

I would have expected to see a squared front visor, cruciform spike base, fluted spike, and Fuerst rather than Koenig on the motto. To me it suggests that this is a Prussian Guard helmet with the star added...

I'll pile on here and state that Ken is one of those people I enjoy dealing with the most! Never had anything resembling a problem with him in many years of business...

Beautiful piece!

I LOVE the natural patina on that helmet!

This is not a helmet I would have bought...lots of repro parts, to include the plate IMO...

Gorgeous! I see that your Wurt. helmet is missing its feldzeichen- drop me a line as I have an extra...

Here is a REPLICA of the plate purporting to be from Sachsen-Meiningen. I have never seen an original, and can't say wether this is an accurate representation or not. Very pretty nonetheless!

I just came across this helmet for auction in Germany- does it fit in here as a Brunswick Zahlmeister's helmet?

The S-C-G "mystery" helmet is so rare, that if someone out there does have a plate, it likely comes from this very helmet!

I do see the blue paint on the cockade, but I also think I can see some red peeking through there. Not sure what to make of it. For those interested the correct plate for this is a silver guard type eagle with "Fuerst" motto, adorned with an enamelled star of the Ernestine House Order. I have no pic...

A Flugeladjutant's helmet from Saxe, Coburg, und Gotha! Good luck finding that plate! I assume the existing mounts are silver?

For those that have an original specimen at hand, is the banner stamped separately an attached to the skull, or is it all stamped in one piece?

Neil, I would say...another fake. To me the giveaway is the rough texture of the white metal skull and bones. I believe this is caused by bubbling during the galvano process. The originals shown here were “punched” out so the details are perfect, clean cut, smooth surface, no rough texture. Compare...

Yes, the wappen is certainly a copy, and quite possibly the eagle plate too...I'd press for a refund!

I think its likely a cobbled together piece. The plate has at one time been a standard Mexican plate that has had the wings cut and re-attached, possibly because it was already damaged, or perhaps to cover holes in the helmet body. Are there any period photos of the Mounted Escort helmet in wear?

Hi Peter- the helmet wasn't at the show, but obtained from a collector. Thanks for the comments; I really love these Mexican helmets!

I was very pleased to get this one, and will go into its significance and interesting construction in another thread, but for now, here is my new helmet of the mounted escort of President Porfirio Diaz of Mexico:

Thank you so much Amy!

If anyone can put me in touch with the seller I'd be mighty grateful!

Hi Amy- the Chilean officer's helmet on the top shelf!

Can anybody tell me whose display this is?

I'm blown away! What a superb artifact!

These helmets were worn over a long period of time (pre and post WWI), and can generally be dated simply by the age and wear they exhibit. Yours looks like a c. 1900 example.

I'm very suspicious of the originality of this helmet...

Very nice original helmet with a great patina!

I'll take it, please! E-mail me at [email protected] (my pickelhaubes.com outbox isn't working!)

In my opinion the rear spine is an original zinc wartime production that has lost its plating, and the body looks like its OK too- remember that not all officer's shells have a sewn seam! Many wartime officer's helmets also used M-91 posts with special chin scales. From the pics, I'd say that the bo...

I'm sure you could find an original correct plate either quickly by contacting the world's top dealers and collectors and being willing to pay through the nose, or some time over the next five years spending an hour or so a day scouring the internet. I recommend the latter!

Furthermore, this: "The talkum was used to keep the leather soft, I'm sure all makers do it." makes absolutely no sense! Who wants a helmet to be made of soft leather, and additionally, how is the "talc" supposed to penetrate the lacquer to the point of even affecting the leather? And does talc even...

I don't believe its a true mold, which you would think would spread to the visors, no? I think its related to the thickness of lacquer and the leather its on when exposed to certain conditions of temperature and humidity. Interestingly, if you expose helmets like those above to heat (as in a hair dr...

These helmets were shiny when new, but have developed this look not through wear (hence their minty condition) but through environmental conditions. If the mounts are removed, such as the spike base, you will see that the matte finish does not continue underneath. Furthermore, the matte rarely forms...

Very good article! Much appreciated...

I love it! I have a similar baseball cap...

I guess its one at a time...

Some more pics...

This is a scarce and lovely peaked cap as worn in warmer climes by officers of the Kaiserliches Marine. It is composed of a cream light weight wool twill, lined in a combination of silk and linen, and finished off with a matching calf-skin perforated sweatband. The lovely bullion/metal cap badge, le...

Thanks! I'm pretty sure that at least one of the recipients will have virtually no messages in their inbox, though...One of them is to you, so you should be able to test that theory...

Cheers,
Arran.

When I try to send a private message, it lingers in my outbox and will not go through- can an admin look into this for me?

Thanks,
Arran.

Wow, great stuff...the fact is, whether its Imperial German militaria, or Roman armour, there is still more to be unearthed than there is in collections or museums!

Thank you so much for the information! I've never seen a reservist's cross from the Hanseatic cities before...

I'd like to know more about this reservist's cross, which has a motto I've never seen before, mentioning neither Fuerst nor Koening. Can anyone tell me more?

I agree with your choice...

The form and detail look very nice and correct to me! Can we get a look at the underside of the base?

I have a couple of trashed felt shells- drop me a line at [email protected] and I'll send you some pics...

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