Any help from the wise ones

[Uhlan]

Welcome to the forum, I would be leery about any Auction House that wouldn't know what type of Helmet that was. Any Pickelhaulben collector would be drooling over it and maybe members here keep very close track of just about every single Auction Hoses realized prices.

I would recommend maybe finding a better Auction House to help you get top prices or you can list your helmets here and save yourself the commission fees which can be very high.

Members here are honest and would be willing to help and not take advantage.

Thank you very much for the advice! How do I sell on here? I’m open to offers. Is there a particular page you sell on the forum?

 

[Uhlan]

Welcome to the forum and thank you for posting photos of this rare MS general’s helmet. I agree that our forum would be a good place to sell this piece if that is what you intend to. We have never had an issue with sales here.
From looking at your shot of the liner it seems that the interior is black in colour and not the usual brown of leather. This may indicate that the shell is made of Vulcan fibre an early form of plastic. This would explain the excellent condition of the helmet as this man made material is not susceptible to dry/humid extremes.

Thank you very much for the help! I wouldn’t like to even put an input in here as I would be unsure about materials etc. All I know is I’m they were original and well cared for. If you could point me in the direction of a page for selling? Or anyone interested in buying? I genuinely would rather it went to someone who would treasure it.

 

[CLOVIS 57]

Hello,
Beautiful and extremely rare Mecklenburg general's helmet. Difficult to appreciate on photo. The tip is indeed a General's tip (they are special). The plate seems to me authentic, without concern.
On the other hand :
---The landkokarde is a Landkokarde for senior NCO called Portepee.(simple striated crown). It has a large 19mm central hole and is for an M91 side-post helmet.
---The rosette on this side is for a Troop Eigentum, it is not worked like the one on the other side.
This means that this helmet has been ‘manipulated’.
In terms of valuation, as this is an extremely rare helmet, and Mecklenburg is highly valued, I would say between €10 and €15,000 and it is aimed at ‘silver enthusiasts’.
However, if I were to buy it, on a personal basis, I would ask to have access to the back of the central coat of arms, to make sure that it was not a reproduction. The enamelled plates of Bavarian generals, for example, can only be identified (authentic or reproduction) by having access to the reverse. Don't forget that there are still a number of sites offering very fine reproductions, which can only be identified by having them in hand (except for an informed public). In your case, to make a fake officer's helmet, all you need to do is get your hands on a Mecklenburg Dragon officer's helmet, and add the enamelled badge to make a general's helmet.

Spikehelmets - Bavaria

spikehelmets.pl

 

[b.loree]

Ulan, go to the forum main page and scroll down to where you will see pickelhaube parts and helmets for sale. I also see that the Mecklenburg kokarde is an NCO type as Clovis mentioned. I would also recommend that you take off the helmet plate and post a series of photos showing the front of the helmet without this and the back of the plate itself. Not surprisingly, no collector is going to spend this kind of money without these additions.

 

[Uhlan]

Ulan, go to the forum main page and scroll down to where you will see pickelhaube parts and helmets for sale. I also see that the Mecklenburg kokarde is an NCO type as Clovis mentioned. I would also recommend that you take off the helmet plate and post a series of photos showing the front of the helmet without this and the back of the plate itself. Not surprisingly, no collector is going to spend this kind of money without these additions.

Can I kindly ask how to remove the plate? I’m afraid to do anything in case I was to damage it. As I said, I’m not a collector or anything so I have no idea in a sense how to handle these things. Apologies for my ignorance in this sense, any guidance would be helpful.

 

[Uhlan]

Hello,
Beautiful and extremely rare Mecklenburg general's helmet. Difficult to appreciate on photo. The tip is indeed a General's tip (they are special). The plate seems to me authentic, without concern.
On the other hand :
---The landkokarde is a Landkokarde for senior NCO called Portepee.(simple striated crown). It has a large 19mm central hole and is for an M91 side-post helmet.
---The rosette on this side is for a Troop Eigentum, it is not worked like the one on the other side.
This means that this helmet has been ‘manipulated’.
In terms of valuation, as this is an extremely rare helmet, and Mecklenburg is highly valued, I would say between €10 and €15,000 and it is aimed at ‘silver enthusiasts’.
However, if I were to buy it, on a personal basis, I would ask to have access to the back of the central coat of arms, to make sure that it was not a reproduction. The enamelled plates of Bavarian generals, for example, can only be identified (authentic or reproduction) by having access to the reverse. Don't forget that there are still a number of sites offering very fine reproductions, which can only be identified by having them in hand (except for an informed public). In your case, to make a fake officer's helmet, all you need to do is get your hands on a Mecklenburg Dragon officer's helmet, and add the enamelled badge to make a general's helmet.

Spikehelmets - Bavaria

spikehelmets.pl

Hello,

I appreciate your help in this matter, but I’m unsure as to what parts you mean due to my lack of knowledge. My uncle had it in his possession for over 40 years I believe, according to my aunt. I am unsure how to remove central coat of arms to take photos, and I am worried I would cause damage but I would be happy to remove and take photos for any potential buyers with the right guidance.

 

[randy trawnik]

if you will look carefully at the German Generals book and the Laine book, Mecklenburg Schwerin General officers were silver trimmed and not gold.

 

[CLOVIS 57]

Si vous regardez attentivement le livre des généraux allemands et le livre de Laine, les officiers généraux du Mecklembourg-Schwerin étaient garnis d'argent et non
That's right!!!
but we often have what we call in France ‘a reversed colour’, in this case silvered nickel silver, for ‘A la suite’, or Flugel-Adjudent etc...
d'or.

 

[CLOVIS 57]

Can I kindly ask how to remove the plate? I’m afraid to do anything in case I was to damage it.

Yes, I understand.
You'd need a photo of the inside of the helmet, on the front reverse, where the 2 plate attachments are.
2 possibilities:
---The plate is screwed on using 2 nuts. Just unscrew with a pair of flat-nose pliers.
---The plate is fixed by a pair of double folding lugs (wartime model), in which case you must not touch them.

 

[JohnS3rd]

Uhlan Welcome to the forum and good luck whatever you decide to do with your pickelhaube. Wonderful and informative thread. Thanks for all who provided information.
Best regards
John

 

[CLOVIS 57]

Hello,
After study and research, it turns out that this helmet is a DR17 (Mecklenburg Dragon) officer's helmet from which the front ‘sun’ has been removed and replaced by a Mecklenburg General's sun. As previously stated, the fittings should be silver nickel silver.
For this reason, it is essential to check the authenticity of the enamelled centre with the motto. . The last known helmet of this type was in the Lainé collection in France. In any case, it won't be worth the same as a real Mecklenburg General's helmet.

 

[Uhlan]

Hello,
After study and research, it turns out that this helmet is a DR17 (Mecklenburg Dragon) officer's helmet from which the front ‘sun’ has been removed and replaced by a Mecklenburg General's sun. As previously stated, the fittings should be silver nickel silver.
For this reason, it is essential to check the authenticity of the enamelled centre with the motto. . The last known helmet of this type was in the Lainé collection in France. In any case, it won't be worth the same as a real Mecklenburg General's helmet.

Thanks. I’ve sent this away for inspection so I don’t need anymore advice re removing parts as I’ve found an expert to examine it currently. I’ve also asked them to examine a few other items after being approached privately on here. Thanks for all the help, but due to my lack of knowledge I would rather someone experienced handle it with anything like that as I don’t know what I’m doing.

Thanks again!

 

[CLOVIS 57]

At your service.

 

[Spiker]

Any help from the wise ones…. ; That can't be me.

 

[Sandmann]

From those who have looked at it, yes. All intact and good condition. It’s been well looked after in a collection and been in a cabinet for many years practically undisturbed. I was very interested with the info Michiel provided about the state. When I asked auctioneer experts they couldn’t definitively tell me so I’m pleased with that information.

I would advise against experts who could not assign the helmet

 

[Sandmann]

---The landkokarde is a Landkokarde for senior NCO called Portepee.(simple striated crown). It has a large 19mm central hole and is for an M91 side-post helmet.
---The rosette on this side is for a Troop Eigentum, it is not worked like the one on the other side.
This means that this helmet has been ‘manipulated’.

Thierry, I think the rosettes are both ok. If you look very closely, you can see the engraved wreath, which is beautifully preserved on the side with the Imperial cockade, also on the rosette of the Mecklenburg cockade.