This is your classic mid-war M40 Luftwaffe helmet in a beautifully large sized 66 produced by the Emaillierwerke A.G.. factory in the city of Fulda (EF). The overall paint is in great condition and rates at very close to mint as does the LW decal which is unique to EF having thicker black internal lines and a honey yellow color. The yellow is most likely not due to the components of the decal itself but rather from the type of tropically based lacquer resin being used at the time by Emaillierwerke A.G. factory which oxidized a nice warm yellow after years of time. The rear lot number is in the low 5000's suggesting a production date of late 1940 to early 1941 and so this is really a very nice example of an early to mid war example. Most M40 LW helmets are Quist followed by ET, NS and then EF so EF is definitely the least common of all of the makers. It should also be noted from my own personal experience in handling thousands of original helmets that EF seems to have used the thinnest lacquer finish i.e. they were stingy with it. As a result their decals tend to have a lot more nicks and scraps than other makers and so finding a decal in this superb condition makes it all the more collectible. The inside liner is butter smooth and in almost un-issued mint condition with it's original drawstring still in tact. The chinstrap is made by Franz Brehme and dated 1941. A very nice example and difficult to upgrade!
$1100 SOLD Eric R.
