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Antiques! => Antique Questions Forum => Topic started by: Kerri on July 18, 2013, 07:46:32 AM

Title: WW1 helmet
Post by: Kerri on July 18, 2013, 07:46:32 AM
I got this helmet at a garage sale. Seller said it is a WW1 German helmet, but I don't think that is correct as it has a U.S. shield with stars and stripes on it. It has a name etched on the inside and appears to have been spray painted. It is similar to old Army dress helmets but those don't seem to be made of metal from what I have seen. I will attach pics separately.
Title: Re: WW1 helmet
Post by: Kerri on July 18, 2013, 08:02:31 AM
I am having a hard time posting pics, sorry. Will keep trying...
Title: Re: WW1 helmet
Post by: Kerri on July 18, 2013, 08:03:33 AM
pic #2
Title: Re: WW1 helmet
Post by: Kerri on July 18, 2013, 08:04:37 AM
#3
Title: Re: WW1 helmet
Post by: Kerri on July 18, 2013, 08:05:35 AM
Final pics, #4 and #5. Sorry for all the posts, pics were pretty big.
Title: Re: WW1 helmet
Post by: Ipcress on July 18, 2013, 08:28:24 AM
Like you say, not a pickelhaube.

Looks a bit dodgy to me. Very poorly cast plate.
Title: Re: WW1 helmet
Post by: Rauville on July 18, 2013, 08:44:34 AM
Looks more like it was intended for a lodge / society costume.
Title: Re: WW1 helmet
Post by: Ipcress on July 18, 2013, 10:08:20 AM

Could be someone's attempt at a re-enactment helmet ?
Title: Re: WW1 helmet
Post by: Kerri on July 18, 2013, 11:11:31 AM
Sonofa...
Title: Re: WW1 helmet
Post by: bigwull on July 18, 2013, 01:25:09 PM
Sonofa...
...would that be......bun.... ;D ;D ;D
Title: Re: WW1 helmet
Post by: mart on July 18, 2013, 06:25:45 PM
Can you read what it says on the banner ??
Title: Re: WW1 helmet
Post by: Kerri on July 18, 2013, 07:55:47 PM
Looks like "E PLURIBUS UNUM", (out of many, one).
Title: Re: WW1 helmet
Post by: mart on July 18, 2013, 09:27:23 PM
Could be you have a stage prop from a local play ???
Title: Re: WW1 helmet
Post by: Kerri on July 18, 2013, 10:02:13 PM
Yeah I guess so. ... it's an old as hell prop though if that's what it is.   :)
Title: Re: WW1 helmet
Post by: fancypants on July 18, 2013, 10:42:50 PM
Here's one listed for $295 USD on collectorssource.co m , described as a U.S. infantry spiked helmet , Indian War era , Kerri -
Title: Re: WW1 helmet
Post by: Kerri on July 18, 2013, 11:04:53 PM
Wow, Indian War era. I've found more online with similar descriptions. Maybe it isn't a prop. The only thing making me feel like it truly isn't is the name etched inside and the numbers. Why would that be on a prop?

Of course you all know so much more than I do, so I value each of your opinions, and I thank you for taking the time to help me.... much appreciated!

Thanks a bunch, fancypants. Gave me another avenue to explore.  :)
Title: Re: WW1 helmet
Post by: fancypants on July 18, 2013, 11:10:59 PM
Yours rather seems to me to be a genuine article , although it prob has been a bit 'worked-over' by someone in the past ... what with the paint & all .... no too surprising , as these little guys were not designed to be placed on lace doilies .
Rumor has it that there is a 'location of manufacture' number i/s of items like yours !
Title: Re: WW1 helmet
Post by: Kerri on July 18, 2013, 11:30:55 PM
I agree about the worked over part!

So dumb question,  what would I do with the location of manufacture number? Would that just prove it is genuine or is there another benefit to having that?
Title: Re: WW1 helmet
Post by: Ipcress on July 18, 2013, 11:43:04 PM
Yours rather seems to me to be a genuine article , although it prob has been a bit 'worked-over' by someone in the past ... what with the paint & all .... no too surprising , as these little guys were not designed to be placed on lace doilies .
Rumor has it that there is a 'location of manufacture' number i/s of items like yours !

The 1881 pattern helmet looks different to that, very different internally.

There's no quality to this.
Title: Re: WW1 helmet
Post by: bigwull on July 19, 2013, 03:21:36 AM
Yours rather seems to me to be a genuine article , although it prob has been a bit 'worked-over' by someone in the past ... what with the paint & all .... no too surprising , as these little guys were not designed to be placed on lace doilies .
Rumor has it that there is a 'location of manufacture' number i/s of items like yours !

The 1881 pattern helmet looks different to that, very different internally.

There's no quality to this.
it may have been made at a time when..basic resourses were in short supply..like what happened in Germany...during WW11...at the start their helmets were well made, and had a rolled edge,...but by 1943..the helmets that were being made had no rolled edge, and the metal was thinner....and it even got to a point where an iron cooking pot could offer more protection than what was being made.....
Title: Re: WW1 helmet
Post by: cogar on July 19, 2013, 03:39:43 AM
Quote
.... described as a U.S. infantry spiked helmet , Indian War era


And which Indian War would that have been.
Title: Re: WW1 helmet
Post by: mart on July 19, 2013, 10:11:11 AM
Quote
.... described as a U.S. infantry spiked helmet , Indian War era


And which Indian War would that have been.

That's what I am wondering !!
Title: Re: WW1 helmet
Post by: mart on July 19, 2013, 10:23:48 AM
The ones used by the U.S. were not made of metal that I could find !! They were made from cloth, cork or leather since they were for summer and dress uniforms !!
Can you read the name inside ??
Title: Re: WW1 helmet
Post by: sapphire on July 19, 2013, 10:25:44 AM
Here's a link to one that shows various shots inside and out.  Cloth over cork.

http://www.collectorssource.com/usa-infantry-spiked-helmet.html
Title: Re: WW1 helmet
Post by: Kerri on July 19, 2013, 10:33:27 AM
JW Quitty? Hard to read.
Title: Re: WW1 helmet
Post by: mart on July 19, 2013, 12:07:47 PM
http://www.fold3.com/document/255458572/

Mmmm,,, worth more investigation !! Could be this is older than we think !!
Title: Re: WW1 helmet
Post by: Kerri on July 19, 2013, 12:26:18 PM
There is a JW Quitty listed on this page.... 1861-1865 Confederate Army casualties.

http://www.fold3.com/document/272227154/
Title: Re: WW1 helmet
Post by: Kerri on July 19, 2013, 12:28:32 PM
From what I've seen they sometimes skipped the "c" in last names starting with "Mc", so maybe it's J. M'Quitty. Signature in the helmet doesn't really look like that's what it is, but hell, it's hard to etch a name neatly inside a helmet.  :P
Title: Re: WW1 helmet
Post by: mart on July 19, 2013, 12:55:57 PM
True !!  Like I said,,its certainly worth more research !!   Need to see if any were made in metal !!
Title: Re: WW1 helmet
Post by: Ipcress on July 19, 2013, 01:24:53 PM
Have you seen how it's been made ? The soldering ?

If this is genuine i'll pack the game in.

Don't see Quitty as the surname either.

The longest possible shot is that this is a real helmet with more recent inner parts and has been sprayed by a child. Not going to be worth much even then.

Sorry - my opinion .
Title: Re: WW1 helmet
Post by: Kerri on July 19, 2013, 01:30:04 PM
That's great-- opinions are what I am here for. :)

I am fairly certain the name starts with a cursive Q.
Title: Re: WW1 helmet
Post by: Kerri on July 19, 2013, 01:32:26 PM
There are no inner parts, just the metal shell. I am guessing there was a liner at one time.
Title: Re: WW1 helmet
Post by: mart on July 19, 2013, 01:34:51 PM
May not be, Ipcress,, but doesn`t hurt to check,,,just in case !!  Would hate to toss it and find out later it was a good one !!
Title: Re: WW1 helmet
Post by: Ipcress on July 19, 2013, 03:19:02 PM
I know this is American and not British military but i'd be happy to class this as tat.

There are inner parts. They've been soldered together to form an inner and also hold the spike in place.
Title: Re: WW1 helmet
Post by: Kerri on July 19, 2013, 03:28:25 PM
Sorry,  didn't realize that's what you meant by inner parts.  You're right. l
Title: Re: WW1 helmet
Post by: Ipcress on July 19, 2013, 03:36:18 PM
There is a JW Quitty listed on this page.... 1861-1865 Confederate Army casualties.

http://www.fold3.com/document/272227154/

Another problem there is they didn't use these helmets back then.
Title: Re: WW1 helmet
Post by: bigwull on July 19, 2013, 03:56:24 PM
i,m thinking this might be a bitsa....
Title: Re: WW1 helmet
Post by: Kerri on July 19, 2013, 04:45:56 PM
Bitsa?
Title: Re: WW1 helmet
Post by: mart on July 19, 2013, 05:07:14 PM
He means a put-together helmet !! And he may be right !!  Did some looking around at a military forum and they said that the frontpiece on officers helmets were sometimes 3 or 4 pieces then less down to enlisted which are usually one piece stamped brass !! The spike is removable as is the front piece !! So it is possible that the insignia and spike were removed from the original and placed on this one !! As far as I have found they did not make metal helmets !!
Title: Re: WW1 helmet
Post by: Kerri on July 19, 2013, 05:59:16 PM
Would make sense.  Yeah I have found nothing on metal helmets either,  other than mini versions that they would hang on a bridge.
Title: Re: WW1 helmet
Post by: mart on July 19, 2013, 06:10:09 PM
Why don`t you try a forum on antique militaria and see if they know more !!  Like Ipcress said these were later than civil war but that person whose name is in it may have had children,,not unusual to have the same name !!  I would be more interested in the person inside !!
Title: Re: WW1 helmet
Post by: Kerri on July 19, 2013, 06:16:08 PM
I have hopped around s bit and have an email out to someone. .. been packing for a trip so once I get back I will dive in deeper.
Title: Re: WW1 helmet
Post by: fancypants on July 19, 2013, 07:06:12 PM
I'm still 100% undecided about this 'entire/complete' item (esp. since having had several 'hat sandwiches' in my lifetime) , including opinions from others more knowing than yours truly (on & off-line) for these types of items !
 :D
Title: Re: WW1 helmet
Post by: mart on July 19, 2013, 07:27:17 PM
Loved to watch Bob Ross !!   Did those hat sandwiches give you indigestion ??
Title: Re: WW1 helmet
Post by: fancypants on July 19, 2013, 07:34:48 PM
No , not a bit , mart .... everything came out fine !

I'll have to confess that I washed them down with some crow , though ...
Title: Re: WW1 helmet
Post by: mart on July 19, 2013, 07:58:52 PM
LOL !!  Just pick the feathers out of your teeth and move on !!~