Pickelhaube Offz. F?silier Regt. K?nigin Viktoria von Schweden, (pommersches) Nr. 34

[Claudio]

Dear forumites,

I would like to show you for your opinion or comments a Pickelhaube I just received from Kube.

Since it is always very difficult to judge from the catalogue's picture, it's quite risky to bid on such items if you're not present at the auction.

What bothers me more about this Pickelhaube is:

- The color of the eagle and also of the spike is not a nice gilted color, but a "matt gelb" kind of dull color. All my helmets that I have in my collection have either a very brilliant gilting or a striking good silvering.

- On the base of the spike appears to be 3 different stars (out of 4!)

- In the interior, the black base were the prongs are fixed appear to have been messed quite a bit, since the traces left.

- The round metal devices fixing the cocards seem to be newer or showing a more brillant color than the rest of the chinscale.

I would like to hear your most appreciated comments on this pickelhaube and ask you if you agree with my observations and if you have more to add to them.

Thanks in advance!!!

Let's the show begins with the pictures... (more than 1000 words worth!)

Ciao,

Claudio

[Claudio]

Front from the right:

[Claudio]

Front:

[Claudio]

Detail of the Eagle (Hoheitsabzeichen):

Edited June 10, 2006 by Claudio

[Claudio]

Inside:

[Claudio]

Detail inside:

[Claudio]

From the top:

[Claudio]

Detail head size on the back:

[Paul C]

I don't like the way the spike and eagle do not match the chinstrap. I opinion is when in doubt - don't. If you can return the item I would.

[Claudio]

Hi Paul,

I thought the same... I inspected also the Eagle... it seems there are no double holes or signs that the eagle has been exchange or improved, but on the other hand, it's impossible to tell the contrary!

I feel like this time I have been fooled badly!!!

That's no good feeling...

Here's a pic of the eagle's reverse; as you can see neither the front nor the reverse show the crisp details you would expect from such an Officer's eagle.

Any other comments also from other Pickelhaube specialists?

Ciao,

Claudio

[Daniel Murphy]

1 The spike and base should be fire gilded, they are not. 2. The stars have been played with. 3. My understanding is with most officer plates the bandeau was added separately, this one looks one piece. With such a complicated bandeau, the plates from this regt. may have been all one piece. 4. Officer plates are normally frosted with polished highlights, this does not look like pre war officer quality. It could be a wartime made helmet though with a lower quality plate I would say it is a original helmet with some modern made parts (spike, rosettes) added to "restore" it. It was a very nice high quality helmet when it was made.

Dan Murphy

Edited June 10, 2006 by Daniel Murphy

[Daniel Murphy]

There is one other possibility. That the parts are all original , but were removed and cleaned (except for the scales). An abrasive cleaner would have removed the frosting on the plate and the fire gilt on the other parts. Perhaps they did not know how to clean the scales without damaging the leather so they just did not polish the scales. Either way an unfortunate turn of events. An officers helmet parts should never be cleaned other than with a soft cloth.

Dan Murphy

[Claudio]

Thank you for your comments, Daniel.

Here I am posting some additional pics. I really think that the eagle was polished, because it seems to be an original from the back and also quite "worn", too, contrary to the "new" look shown on the obverse. Very likely all the fire gilting went lost while being polished.

[Claudio]

And here a picture of the leather helmet without "chicken"...

I would really appreciate more comments on these last two images. Thanks in advance!

Ciao,

Claudio

[Claudio]

Here another detail of the spike, notice the dull kind of yellow color in contrast with the bright and brillant fire gilting of the chinscale, and the different types of the stars used at the base of the spike.

Ciao,

Claudio

[Claudio]

Only the eagle...

[Daniel Murphy]

Claudio,

From you close ups, I can tell that the spike and base are original. The plate is also an original officers and has been on the helmet a very long time (judging by the where the plate has been in place on the helmet). So you have an all original helmet that someone (at some point) removed the parts and polished them with an abrasive cleaner. Perhaps several times over the years (the "ring" around the lower portion of the removable spike top is barely visible). From the look of the crown plate, the original stars were threaded with a nut (standard peacetime construction). The original stars were either damaged (bolts wrung off) or lost and these may be period (probably wartime replacements) replacements. The loss of original finish hurts the value of the helmet quite a bit. It is still a valuable and rare piece that would be worthy of restoration.

Dan Murphy

[mravery]

Hey Dan,

I'm going to have to disagree with you about the plate. There just not seem to be enough detail in the eagle and feathers to suit me as being an original. I have a very late wartime made helmet and you can still see every feather crisp on the plate (front and back). Also... on the reverse the silver solder should be more 'silver'. Usually on the helmet plates, the reverse is much cleaner and the finish is alsmost always 100% gilded as it was never cleaned or buffed. On this helmet, the reverse is 'aged' and corroded and you really cant see the solder that holds the posts on.

to me this looks like a newly made plate that someone has tried to 'age'. As far as the way it fits on the shell.. it's a standard prussian helmet with this new 'plate' added. The shell itself looks to have been 're-worked' as I'm not real crazy about the laquer finish either.

I also dont like the finish on the spike and base... the last time I saw one like this it was a zinc set that someone had 're-plated'. That gave it the weird fiish color.

As far as the stars..... obvioulsy they have been replaced since they dont match. I wuld not say that they are original to the helmet as the helmet is a very nice pre-war premium quality (as shown by the sweatband) and I don't think that the helmet maker would use mis-matched stars.

As far as split pronged.. this could be pre-war as I have seen officer's and even general's helmets with split prongs as they were lighter and fit closer to the shell to wear.

My 2 cents

Cheers

Mark

[Claudio]

Thank you all for your inputs. I will send the helmet as soon as possible back to the seller. You just confirmed what I thought. In the future I will never bid on such helmets, being just illustrated on a catalogue (very small pictures). You never stop learning. I guess I was too greedy (the temptation was too big) and tried my luck.

Ciao,

Claudio