G004759 BAVARIAN POLICE PICKELHAUBE.

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 became a visual symbol of Prussia’s military might and underwent numerous modifications starting in 1860 and continuing right up until 1915. The demise of the pickelhaube began in the fields of WWI as a result of increased head wounds suffered by the German troops which were mainly caused by grenade and shell fragments. As a result of the increased head wounds and the development of the first "modern" steel helmets by the French army in early 1915 and by the British army later that year the German army began tests for their own steel helmet at the Kummersdorf Proving Grounds in November, and in the field in December 1915. An acceptable pattern was developed and approved and production of the new steel helmets began at the Eisen-und Hüttenwerke, AG Thale/Harz, in the spring of 1916. After the introduction of the M16 helmet the pickelhaube was relegated for wear only on ceremonial occasions. Bavarian King Ludwig II resisted adopting the pickelhaube, as he viewed it as a dominating Prussian influence and it wasn’t introduced for wear in the Bavarian Army until his death in 1886. Original the Bavarians adopted the large, 1871 pattern pickelhaube, but in 1896 they adopted the 1895 pattern pickelhaube resulting in the development of a smaller helmet plate to better fit the smaller new helmet. The Bavarian version of the pickelhaube had more anomalies then the pickelhaube’s of the other Germanic states and EM/NCO personnel wore the Officers style chinscales from 1886 and 1896. As with the military, the Bavarian Police adopted the pickelhaube for use as well with its own distinctive features.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Bavarian Police pickelhaube. Blackened lacquered leather construction pickelhaube with stamped, nickel silver and sheet metal and alloy fittings. The pickelhaube features a rounded body and crown with stitched on, extended, rounded corner, front and rear visors. The pickelhaube has the Bavarian, single piece, stamped, silver helmet plate. The helmet plate features a central vertical oval with the embossed coat-of-arms, flanked by crowned rampant lions. The top edge of the helmet plate has a large crown and the bottom edge has a unfurled banner with embossed Gothic script, "In Treue Fest" (In Loyalty Steadfast). The helmet plate is attached to the pickelhaube by two loops with their original leather wedges still present on the inside. The top crown of the pickelhaube has the typical Polizei, cruciform, stamped, silver spike base with three, dome headed, retaining rivets attached to the pickelhaube by loops with their original leather wedges still present on the inside. Non-detachable pattern, silver, spike with two, circular ventilation holes to the "neck" portion. The reverse center of the pickelhaube has a vertical, silver, reinforcement spine with-out the sliding ventilation shutter. The spine is secured to the pickelhaube by a crimped ended and a screw post with an internal retaining nut. The front leather visor has silver trim to the forward edge secured by two large dome headed rivets. The pickelhaube has a multi-piece, convexed, tapered, silver, lobster tail chinscales with a black leather back strap to the reverse which is secured in place by two rings which are attached to a silver lions head to each side of the helmet. The buckle the leather portion of the chinstrap is missing. Over top of the lion on the right side rests the Bavarian korkarden. Korkarden is loose, but is still included with the pickelhaube. Liner is missing from the helmet. The pickelhaube is in overall decent condition with light surface cracking to the black lacquered finish. Decent display example.

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