SARGE Posted December 21, 2021 Share #1 Posted December 21, 2021 Gents, Let's start a thread on our best Imperial German Time Period Find of 2021. What was your "best find" of 2021? It does not have to be the most rare or most expensive item. However, it should be the one that you like the best. I will start this thread with a WWI period Austrian Police Officer's Pickelhaube. I saw a couple of these helmets in a flea market in Vienna, Austria some 25 years ago and wanted to buy one then. At the time I could not figure out how to get one home so I passed. It was one of those things that got away that foster regrets in us collectors. At any rate, I found this one in the US this year from a collector/dealer on these boards. We were able to arrive at a deal and another item is off my long term want list. The spike helmet has a black painted metal body with nickeled fittings throughout. The distinctive onion shaped spike can be twisted to open up little windows for air circulation and the Wappen on the front indicates the time period of the Emperor Franz Joseph. Enlisted versions of this helmet have a wide black chin strap with a buckle but this helmet is for Officers and has a fish scale metal chinstrap. Also, notice the finely cut out gilt Austro-Hungarian eagle on the swivel attachment of the chin strap to the helmet corpus. My favorite find of 2021... what is yours? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Custermen Posted December 21, 2021 Share #2 Posted December 21, 2021 Nice. For years, I wanted a Pickelhaulbe and finally got one. I sold it last year because I worried the leather would deteriorate and fall apart. Is this metal? Looks like the paint has chipped off and some metal is showing through. Still an excellent find. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RRA227 Posted December 21, 2021 Share #3 Posted December 21, 2021 Great piece. Rich A. in Pa. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SARGE Posted December 22, 2021 Author Share #4 Posted December 22, 2021 23 hours ago, Custermen said: Nice. For years, I wanted a Pickelhaulbe and finally got one. I sold it last year because I worried the leather would deteriorate and fall apart. Is this metal? Looks like the paint has chipped off and some metal is showing through. Still an excellent find. Yes, the body of this helmet is light metal instead of leather. Some Pickelhaube are made with metal bodies but most were leather. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony v Posted December 22, 2021 Share #5 Posted December 22, 2021 SARGE Great looking Pickelhaube My first Iron cross and Imperial German Service medal for combatant veteran Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RAB Posted December 23, 2021 Share #6 Posted December 23, 2021 Didnt find a whole lot for WWI German items but this belt was one of my favorites. -Ryan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Custermen Posted December 23, 2021 Share #7 Posted December 23, 2021 8 hours ago, RAB said: Didnt find a whole lot for WWI German items but this belt was one of my favorites. I like those "Kill Belts" ---is that what they were called?? I've never seen one with coins on it. It is usually buttons. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SARGE Posted December 23, 2021 Author Share #8 Posted December 23, 2021 I have heard them called "Hate Belts" over the years but they are really "Trench Art" made by soldiers. All collector terms mind you. It is interesting to see what the soldier put on the belt. No doubt everything was memorable to them but it is sometimes hard to decipher the meaning of the various items. I have only seen only a few made with coins as well. A nice set of untouched "parade mount" awards as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fortunes Of War Posted December 23, 2021 Share #9 Posted December 23, 2021 RAB- I love the "hate belt"! These are always so interesting and different. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dirk Posted December 23, 2021 Share #10 Posted December 23, 2021 Dipped my toe back into imperial…so picked up this medal bar and items related to IR 120. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fortunes Of War Posted December 23, 2021 Share #11 Posted December 23, 2021 Really nice Dirk! Thank you for posting...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RRA227 Posted December 23, 2021 Share #12 Posted December 23, 2021 Great stuff. Rich A. in Pa. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Custermen Posted December 24, 2021 Share #13 Posted December 24, 2021 9 hours ago, SARGE said: I have heard them called "Hate Belts" over the years but they are really "Trench Art" made by soldiers. Oh. Riiiight. I couldn't remember the right term---so I enclosed with quotes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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