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SS Helmet Authentic?


dtl70

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Not my area of expertise so I figured I'd post photos here for some expert help. Is this an authentic SS helmet? If so, approximate value? Any help is greatly appreciated!

Derek

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This was posted on WW2 German helmets on FB,,, the concensus was that it is a Quist SS,helmet. Seeing it has a buyers price of $1600, which to me sounds cheap, and the fact that I rarely try to evaluate SS helmets because of all the pitfalls involved, I,m inclined to pass on further comments, apart from, looking at this lid close up there is a great deal of pitting in the surface but the colour remains constant, I would expect to see the effects of rust in the pitting but there does,nt appear to be any that I can see, perhaps Bil might like to comment further

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Does the pitting without rust in the pits lead you to believe it is repainted?

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Not 100% sure but it could have had a form of acid wash , could have been oxalic or even citric, but pitting is definately a sign of metal deterioration and it should show by rust in some form or other. Not too sure on the SS decal as these are hard to judge in just photos, for me anyway. But its  an M40 with a first pattern SS decal, i thought that most first patterns were on M35s, M40s were generally second patterns, thats how I,ve always understood it, but there could very well be M40s with the first pattern decals. its just that something is,nt gelling with me, I could be wrong, as I said SS helmets are not my preferred subject, and in light of all the controversy over SS helmets in recent months , I try to steer clear of them and rely on someone more used to dealing with them and who have far more knowledge of them than me. I would still like to see what Bil has to say on this helmet as I believe he has SS

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  • Major General

ok, my take on this is the first pic showing the decal looks good, however, the closeup shows some concerns.these are...

1...the damage to the bottom of the decal is conveniently sited as to obliterate the curves of the decal which would determine its authenticity.

2...the decal appears to sit over the pitting without having much discolouration to the remnants which Id expect to see having happened over decades.even the remainder of the decal looks too new.

3...the decal should be a second pattern.it wouldn't be impossible to have a first pattern, just highly unlikely IMHO.Im sure I said similar before...

lets face it, for the money, Id want a cast-iron guarantee on anything SS before Id shell out large amounts of cash, including 100% provenance.this helmet doesn't fall into that category.

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Thanks for the info. I agree SS items are a proverbial minefield. Good to know that we have collectors with knowledge and experience here to help others.

Regards,

Derek

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