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LOT 1444
LOT 1445
Finely Decorated World War I U.S.
1917 Pattern Helmet
- NSN. Produced by an unknown maker, the U.S. 1917 directly follows
the British Mark I “Brodie” helmet,
Very Rare Waffen-SS Double Decal 1940
Pattern Stahlhelm - NSN. A refinement of
the WWI-era Stahlhelm, the 1940 pattern
replaced the grommeted vent holes with
direct stampings into the crown of the helmet.
The decoration of this helmet is in the “SS
double decal” pattern, with the black/white/
red national shield (eliminated in 1940) on the
left side and the black/silver SS runic shield
(eliminated in 1942) on the right. While on
paper troopers were expected to paint over
the decals to match the evolving regulations, a
blind eye was generally turned to “old fighters”
preserving indicators of their veteran status. The overall interior and exterior finish is green, with a rolled lower edge to the skirt, “8204” and “8E64” interior markings, and brown leather webbing.
CONDITION: Very good overall, showing about half of the original green finish, with significant wear on top of the crown and a brown patina on the exposed steel. A circular area of lacquer or varnish has been applied over and on the SS shield, with both decals showing mild scuffs. the chinstrap remains supple, and the webbing shows heavy staining, cracks and tears.
Estimate: 12,000 - 18,000
serving as America’s
primary helmet from World
War I until 1942, when the
two-piece M1 became the
standard. This example has
been elaborately painted,
with the front of the crown
featuring a well rendered image
of a screaming eagle carrying an
American flag in a shield. The flag
appears to be the 48-star pattern in
use from 1912-1959. The remainder of
the surface is covered in a wild pattern
of geometric shapes in a variety of greens,
blues, gold, orange and red, with thick black
border lines, which appears to draw inspiration from
patterns used on the early model German Stahlhelm of WWI
to break up the profile of the helmet, though taken to a more extreme/artistic degree. In one of the shapes is
the initials “AEF”, possibly standing for American Expeditionary Force. The interior shows a multi-piece liner and a faded maker’s label inside the crown.
CONDITION: The exterior is fine, with a few scuffs and scratches on the paint, a small number of touch ups on top of the crown, and mild wear overall. The interior is good, with cracking and tearing of the leather components. Estimate: 4,000 - 6,000
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