WWI Imperial German Bayern Bavarian Pickelhaube Helmet With Case One Year Volun
This was an estate sale find, straight out of the woodwork. One Year Volunteers headdresses are often one of military collectibles biggest values. One-Year-Volunteers came from financially stable, upper class families. These young men joined the service under a different program from the regular two-year-conscript who entered the army as an enlisted man. The One Year Volunteers enlistment was for one year and once they had completed their service, however, they often were promoted to officer status in the reserves.
Men who served as One Year Volunteers did so while paying all of their own expenses; this includes uniforms, equipment, and headdress. They typically wore items that were officers quality, especially when it came to pickelhauben, as shortly they would be promoted and require such dress. The differences were subtle, but with some minor exceptions qualified as officers level. It is common to see a One Year Volunteers pickelhaube cost hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars less than an officers helmet from the same regiment.
Today we are offering a very fine example of a Bavarian One-Year-Volunteers Infanterie Regiment Pickelhaube. Its leather body is in very fine condition. It is supple, clean, and quite appealing. There are a few places where the leather has worn or cracked slightly, but is still aesthetically pleasing. On the wears left rear lip the leather has started to roll in slightly but can be rolled out by the hand easily.
All of the helmets furniture is gilt of the highest quality. The chin scales are of the flat variety, which looks like a lobster tail scale. The leather strap behind the scales is completely intact with the both ends.
All of it is definitely officers quality. It features an officers style wappen with a voided crown.The crown above the lions head on the wearers right side is broken off; the break seems to be very clean, maybe the veteran who brought it back removed it for a belt souvenir??? The helmet does not display officers stars at the top. Instead it boasts an NCO/enlisted mans lugs. The spike is detachable with a spare spike included, but is taller such as an officers. The rear and side gilt spines are also officers style.
Inside the helmet, it is pure officers style, with a leather sweatband and a silk liner. Under the liner is 100% original hardware. The case, known as a koffer, is solid in construction with a completely detachable top that has two leather loops on the bottom of the case which the top piece would loop through.The carrying strap on the top has broken over the last 100 years and the closure strap that runs below the case to secure it together has broken just shy of closure length. In the inside of the bottom is the manufactures stamp; it shows it was manufactured in Munich, Germany. It is lined with a padded white cotton material. On the back of the upper portions lip, approximately two and one half inches long, the leather case is damaged; slightly bent inward. The case still closes as it should despite the slight damage which can be seen in the photographs.
This is a delightful spiked helmet that would make a worthy addition to any collection. Please ask any questions and request more pictures if needed, I will be happy to provide them as long as you tell me specifically what you need to see. The item "WWI Imperial German Bayern Bavarian Pickelhaube Helmet With Case One Year Volun" is in sale since Tuesday, May 24, 2016. This item is in the category "Collectibles\Militaria\WW I (1914-18)\Original Period Items\Germany\Hats & Helmets". The seller is "spandlem" and is located in Lee's Summit, Missouri.
This item can be shipped to United States, to Canada, to United Kingdom, DK, RO, SK, BG, CZ, FI, HU, LV, LT, MT, EE, to Australia, GR, PT, CY, SI, to Japan, to China, SE, KR, ID, to Taiwan, TH, to Belgium, to France, to Hong Kong, to Ireland, to Netherlands, PL, to Spain, to Italy, to Germany, to Austria, RU, IL, to Mexico, to New Zealand, to Switzerland, NO, SA, UA, AE, QA, KW, BH, HR, CO.