BACKGROUND: Development of the pickelhaube may be traced back to the Prussian King Friedrich Wilhelm IV who initiated the original design and introduced it for wear by most of the Prussian line Infantry regiments on October 23RD 1842. The pickelhaube underwent numerous modifications starting in 1860 and continuing right up until 1915. Hesse-Darmstadt was one of the earliest non Prussian States to adopt the Pickelhaube, doing so in 1849.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Model 1867 Hessen Mannschaften (Other Ranks) Pickelhaube. This helmet was issued to at least three, or possibly four, different Hessen units in its lifetime; originally it was worn by Hessisches Garde Dragoner Regt in the Franco-Preußen war of 1870-71, then worn by the same regiment when they became Dragoner Regt Nr. 23, then issued to Infanterie-Leib Regt. Großherzogin (3. Großherzoglich Hessisches) Nr.117, and then possibly issued for a final time to a Hessen line Infantry regiment. Blackened lacquered leather construction pickelhaube with brass fittings. The pickelhaube features a rounded body and crown with stitched on, extended, rounded corner, front and rear visors. The pickelhaube has the Hessen pattern brass helmet plate (wappen). The helmet plate features Hesse, striped lion, holding a sword. The lion is surrounded with a wreath of laurel and oak leaves. Wappen is in excellent condition, with original attachment screws posts intact. The nuts that would have held the wappen on are now missing. Of course, only the one original set of holes are behind the wappen. The top crown of the pickelhaube has the distinctive Hessen clover-leaf spike bass and fluted spike, all in brass. All four of the original dome headed retaining screws are intact with their original early winged nuts. The reverse center of the pickelhaube has a vertical, red brass, reinforcement spine with double attachment studs. The forward leather visor has brass trim to the forward edge secured by two large dome headed rivets. The pickelhaube has early slotted screw, side posts positioned on either side of the body for securing the chinscales and the cockade. Hessen cockade is missing. The chin scales appear are convex brass construction and are joined at their center by a raised tab and a corresponding perforation, and have to their undersides a leather strap with a single-pronged, oval buckle to one end, and four buckling holes to the other. Interior of pickelhaube is in age darkened, natural leather with a blackened leather liner. Eight finger leather liner shows light chafe wear to edges but is fully intact with all fingers. Liner is in overall good condition and the leather is still fairly supple and also includes the original size adjustment string. Rear visor is very well marked "23 D.R.", "1895" and "117". A side view of the Model 1867 Hessen Pickelhaube which illustrates the exceptionally high profile of a Franco-Preußen war helmet. This example was originally issued during the Franco-Preußßen war of 1870-71 to Hessen Großßherzoglich Hessisches Garde Dragoner Regt who wore a Pickelhaube with gilt fittings. When this Regiment was incorporated in the German Empire order of battle in 1871 as Dragoner Regt Nr. 23 (DR23) the helmet fittings were to be changed to silver. This stamp indicates that the helmet was then stamped as being property of the newly-designated Dragoner Regt Nr. 23 until the old helmets with gilt fittings could be replaced by new helmets with silver fittings. Note also the stamp of 1885. The first two numbers 18 are a single stamp, the 8 and 5 are stamped on individually, (the 8 was stamped upside down!) This date is either a later date stamp when the helmet was re-issued to an infantry Regt and DR23 finally received silver fitted helmets, or an indicator that some Squadrons in DR23 were still wearing gilt fittings as late as 1885, a full 14 years after they were authorized to wear silver fittings. When DR23 finally received their helmets with silver fittings, this helmet was rolled over into the inventory of Infanterie-Leib Regt. Großherzogin (3. Großherzoglich Hessisches) Nr.117 (Mainz) XVIII Armee Korps as shown by the impressed "117 on the right rear visor. However, this was also only temporary, as in 1897 to commemorate the bicentennial of IR117, the Grand Duke of Hessen awarded the regiment the dates "1697" and "1897" to be worn on either side of the lion Wappen. The new Wappens presumably took some time to arrive, but when they did, this old vet from the Franco-Preußen war was either retired from service, or issued once again, to a Hessen line Infantry Regiment. Hand written to the inside of the shell is the original U.S. vets name and unit number who brought the helmet back at the end of the war. A very special thanks to my very good friend Tony Schurr (Kaisers Bunker) who graciously allowed me to use his research on this particular helmet as he has an almost identical example in his collection.

GRADE ****                             PRICE $3,570.00