Buster Posted November 17, 2019 Share Posted November 17, 2019 I picked up this nice police helmet up yesterday, i know absolutely nothing on these, it's dated 1938 on he liner, would there be a date on the actual helmet ? Also I can see remnants of white paint just above the police stensiling, but to faint to make out. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fritz Posted November 17, 2019 Share Posted November 17, 2019 There were stacks of these in the mid 1960s on sale for 2 shillings a piece, almost mint. There may be stamps on the chinstrap bales, or inside the brim? 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buster Posted November 18, 2019 Author Share Posted November 18, 2019 16 hours ago, Fritz said: There were stacks of these in the mid 1960s on sale for 2 shillings a piece, almost mint. There may be stamps on the chinstrap bales, or inside the brim? If only things where priced so reasonable today , I suppose there wasn't the same collectors market as there is today, I remember picking up british death plaques for around a £1 in the late 70s & victory medals for 50p ., my first iron cross was £10 , it was my pride & joy, but £10 was a massive expense for a 12 year old back then . I used to spend every Saturday trailing round the Barras market to every militaria trader up there . 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fritz Posted November 18, 2019 Share Posted November 18, 2019 If things were so priced today, they wouldn't have any value! In the mid 60s I think Victory Medals were around 1 pound. For a 1916 German helmet in 1964 (in top condition minus chinstrap) the price was 45 shillings, I got it for 2 pounds, but it took me a long time to save for, luckily, the dealer kept it for a deposit of 10 shillings. Helmets in this condition are offered now for well over 900 Euros or pounds upwards. I still have that helmet in the same condition today. The helmet was 48 years old when I got it, it is now over 103 years old! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buster Posted November 18, 2019 Author Share Posted November 18, 2019 That's a lovely helmet , nice that you have held onto it all these years! Doesit still hsve the pads inside? 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fritz Posted November 18, 2019 Share Posted November 18, 2019 yes, all complete apart from the chinstrap. The condition has not changed since 1964, due to the delicate nature of this type of liner, I have always put a thick wad of newspaper inside, so that it does not sag downwards, because otherwise the leather breaks around the attachments and detaches over the years. I also store the helmet in a transparent polythene bag, which keeps it fresh and protects against dampness, rust, knocks and scratches. Apart from the liner, the original paintwork is always the most vulnerable part of an original helmet. Even better in a glass case. My father always liked this helmet, as he lived through the WW1 period, and was always inspired by the leaders, the soldiers and feats of the Kaiser's army, which held out for 4 years against a world of enemies and a disastrous and effective Allied sea blockade, and was "never defeated in the field..." and also all my friends at the time were all very impressed and awestuck by this historic piece. It is marked ET64 = Eisenhüttenwerk Thale/Harz, shell size 64, which is about 54/56 head size. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leon21 Posted November 20, 2019 Share Posted November 20, 2019 Hi Buster, not all shells were stamped I have one stamped BMB but it is very faint and hard to read, others I've seen just have a code stamp like G30 and date but no manufacturer stamp. Nice looking helmet in good condition. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2 Black Bands Posted January 30, 2020 Share Posted January 30, 2020 'not sure if your question re the possible marking above "POLICE" was addressed. It could be painted or might be the remnants of a water-slide-transfer....It might be "SC", usually a circular transfer...but sometimes hand-painted...it might be "WR" (again, usually a transfer)...but it might also be a rank marker (Pips [actually called Stars], stripes, a crown??? these were not always consistent across the forces). Have you worked it out yet? 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenny Andrew Posted January 30, 2020 Share Posted January 30, 2020 A close up picture might help 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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