December 21, 20214 yr #1 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?
December 21, 20214 yr #2 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.
December 22, 20214 yr Author #4 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.
December 22, 20214 yr #5 SARGE Great looking Pickelhaube My first Iron cross and Imperial German Service medal for combatant veteran
December 23, 20214 yr #6 Didnt find a whole lot for WWI German items but this belt was one of my favorites. -Ryan
December 23, 20214 yr #7 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.
December 23, 20214 yr Author #8 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.
December 23, 20214 yr #10 Dipped my toe back into imperial…so picked up this medal bar and items related to IR 120.
December 24, 20214 yr #13 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.
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