Pickelhaube ID

Karl S.

Karl S.

New member
Hi,
This has been offered to me, it looks Prussian to me but I've haven't seen any with the "W" on the wappen plate. And what would the approx. value be?...thanks

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Sorry to chime in on this so late but my mailbox was filled with a bunch of questions on these kinds of helmets. I do not think they are customs police at all. I don't claim to be an expert here but I thought I would stir the pot a bit. This is what I think --did I go wrong somewhere?

Private purchased Wachtmeister Pickelhaube for Kommunalpolizei Preussen 1898-1918

I have had more than my fair share of questions about this specific helmet. it is a police helmet -- not a customs officer. Johansson in his book on page 24 erroneously describes this Wappen as a Prussian land customs officer. This is not correct. It is properly discussed on pages 31 and 32 of the police helmet book by Eric Radecke. There were changes to the Wappen colors based on who was the reigning emperor. They were properly called the executive police. These guys apparently served the cities where there were no Royal Police.
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// There were changes to the Wappen colors based on who was the reigning emperor. They were properly called the executive police. //
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Joe, sorry to quote your quote, but are you sure the quote text matches your photo? The Wappen in your quote, sounds to me like the one that has the large eagle Wappen, but with the enameled shield on the chest, not the metal 'W' cypher.
 
Always good to quote a quote! I don't have a deep reference for these but I am indeed talking about the W.'s -- their form changed and I believe the color also as a monarch changed. Perhaps I'm reading too much into the color change white metal and whatnot. I know the enamel Wappen you are talking about -- I believe those are city or province specific. Either way I am out of my league but I do not believe these have anything to do with customs. Maybe that is statement enough?!?!
 
I am now in a quandry gentlemen as I always thought that this particular helme and wappen belonged to customs officials. I sold one of these exact same wappen a while back as customs. I have seen 2 or 3 of these helmets in my collector travels. Confused???? Brian
 
I am confused also however a long time ago Mike Dwyer made this claim and I dug a little on the side. This is the old thread:

http://pickelhaubes.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2751&highlight=customs

There are certain things I think I know but I am far from an authority. First of all the tulip shaped spike with the ball on the top is called a Beamtenspitze. My understanding is that the customs guys were indeed Beamte. what I do not have is certain knowledge through a picture of what a customs officer actually wore in Prussia. ( funny trivia is that I do in Hamburg). I believe currently that the difference is not the Wappen but rather the Spike base.

Radecke on page 19 shows this helmet in two different configurations. A small cruciform base is communal police. A round base is for civil Beamte. I believe that the customs guys fit into the civil Beamte category. I am not 100% certain and I would like to see someone show me another reference. However, I am certainly convinced that the guy in the picture has nothing to do with customs.
 
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