Does it look like an original untouched ground dug helmet to you? ImageHut Europe - Europe Image Hosting ImageHut Europe - Europe Image Hosting Any thoughts appreciated thanks
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Hard to tell, but see the image at http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj235/jeep111_2008/aaaaaaaaa001.jpg That is apparently a spanish helmet.
Does look to be an authentic German helmet thats been rotting in quite wet ground for some years. Takes a lot to get steel to start going like that on the edges. However, please be certain it was merely found after being discarded. please do not encourage nighthawks by buying from them when they are only interested in raiding battlefields/mass graves and making a profit from whatever they can steal
right kitty, he says he found it in the spreewald. Anyone have any information on battles that were there? I learned the hard way to buy the item and not the story so the help is greatly appreciated Thanks!!!
The Spreewald pocket was a major area of conflict at the end of the war. For description try to get hold of a copy of Slaughter at Halbe: The Destruction of Hitler's 9th Army, April 1945 by Tony Le Tissier Amazon.co.uk: Slaughter at Halbe: The Destruction of Hitler's 9th Army, April 1945: Tony Le Tissier: Books
As an avid German helmet collector I would advise you to pass on this helmet. First, it does not appear to be a period M40 German helmet. Second the wire is post war added and aged to look ground dug. Third, the helmet has also been post war repainted. If you want a true helmet collectors forum then I would recommend German Helmet Walhalla German Helmet Walhalla where the top helmet collectors gather daily. I hope you have not paid good money for this helmet yet. As for preservation, they need none. Store a helmet in a room with negative humidity and dryness. Set it on a shelf. Dust once in a while, thats it. If you have a rusted out helmet, not much you can do to stop nature other than watch your investment rot away with time (which is why relics are considered not very collectible). Also, many "diggers" will raise a helmets value by adding a fake SS decal on the side, bury it in vinegar and uric acid for a time, and sell you a rusty piece of garbage with an "authentic" SS decal on the side for several hundred dollars, which sadly a lot of collectors fall for as real SS helmets on nice shells go for several thousand dollars and up.
The rust could be treated with a rust converter but the whole point of that is to repaint which you won't want to do with an original helmet. Putting it in a mollasses-style bath with current will also sort things out but you won't have much helmet left as it'll attack/eat any corrosion. There's probably not much you can do without affecting the originality because you'll have to treat or remove the rust somehow. I'm talking from an old vehicle restoration point of view where the aim is to repair/replace for further, safe use.
