Original Email Transcript
"Hi, So, I am a retired pharmacist. The guy who managed the store next to where I worked had has own part-time gun shop. Someome came into his store and wanted to see if he wanted to buy this helemnt. He told them he didn't buy military antiques, but the pharmacist who worked next to him (me) did and suggested he ask me. So one day a guy shows up at the store wanting to sell this helemt and a WWII german canteen. I told him I really didn't collected helmets, but I would give him $100 if he was interested and he took the offer. This would have been in the early 1990's. I sold the canteen at a gun show for a small amount of money and put the helmet on a shelf where it has sat for 30+ years.
At this point I am trying to dispose of some stuff to make things easier on my future heirs and didn't want this helmet being sold to an antique shop for $25.
I hope this is helpful. Please feel free to contact me if you need more information.
Gary"
DESCRIPTION
This helmet is the type that is rarely encountered as it was originally a private purchase helmet that was exclusively contracted to make helmets for Himmler's fledging Allgemeine-SS (General SS) before a Waffen-SS (Fighting SS) even existed. These helmets were made because the Wehrmacht still considered the SS to be more of a para military political force and not one meant for any front line combat. As a result helmets ordered by the SS believe it or not were basically ignored by German High Command and so Himmler had to use private donations to hire a non-standard helmet subcontactor to produce and deliver helmets specifically for him occurring sometime between 1932-1933.
The characteristics of this particular shell design and somewhat different than the other makers at the time in that the chinstrap rivet on the outside is higher up on it's horizontal axis and nearly inline with the forward outside liner rivet. The front brow of the helmet is also very pronounced as it juts out and protrudes forward creating what is often referred to as a "Duckbill" helmet. This exact helmet style is seen in many original photos being worn by Himmler himself in parades and ceremonies leading to it also being referred to as the "Himmler DuckBill" helmet.
Very few of these were ever made perhaps 3000 units or so and most of those have been melted down after the war especially by the Soviets because of their high nickel and aluminum content as they were made to be light weight and never meant for combat. I would guess based on how many helmets I see on a daily basis that not many of these are around today probably less than a few hundred still remaining. Rarer still is to find a Himmler Duckbill in a double decal polizei configuration.
Both of the polizei decals are 100% original in my opinion and are the textbook black shield borderless version coupled with a C.A. Pocher red party shield with lots of beautiful spider cracking in the finish and a faded appearance due to aging. The inside liner is your 3 padded transitional version with a carbide hook in a roller buckle design you mainly see with SS transitional helmets. Just as is the case with all private SS contracted helmets (with the exception of the RZM SS helmet which do have stampings but is an entirely different shape and design) this one is unmarked.
The outside paint matches the inside paint and is a smooth dark pea green enamel paint with lots of light wear throughout suggesting that the wearer was most likely stationed near a base or did mainly behind the lines types of "political enforcement" and light military duties.
One can imagine the savage horrors this helmet witnessed or even more likely participated in? It's rare, it's a remarkable find but still a bit creepy to look at. Call it a time capsule, call it a time machine grab but to have a helmet from pre-war Germany dating back in the early 1930's and completely untouched is really quite remarkable when you think about all that's happened in the world since 1932.
$2850
Please call, text or email me if interested.
Tel/Text: 1-438-502-5052
Email Us: helmetsofwar@gmail.com
HELMETS OF WAR INC.
PO Box 555
Champlain, NY 12919-0555
Shipping to Anywhere USA/Canada: $22 with full tracking numbers.
Shipping to Anywhere Europe/UK: $85 with full tracking numbers.
Shipping to Australia/New Zealand: $95 with full tracking numbers.
(Please contact us with any special shipping instructions as I am here to serve and facilitate the shipment.)
GERMAN HELMET FACTORY PRODUCTION CODES
(Every original German helmet produced from 1935 to 45 had two factory stampings punched into the side and rear or both in the rear. The alpha numeric number refers to the factory location and the inside metric circumference in centimeters. The rear lot number refers to the production run and was used as a quality control measure. The font styles used at each factory were slightly different but highly consistent throughout the war and so fakes or reproductions will either not have these numbers at all or they will use the wrong font style or letter spacing and so are easily identified as post war made.)
(FS or EF)-Emaillierwerke AG, Fulda, Germany
(ET or ckl)-Eisenhuttenwerke, Thale, Germany
(Q)-Quist, Esslingen, Germany
(NS)-Vereinigte Deutsche Nikelwerke, Schwerte, Germany
(SE or hkp)-Sachsische Emaillier u. Stanzwerke, Lauter, Germany
