Original Item. Only One Available. This is a very good original Imperial German WWI M1915 enlisted man’s or NCO’s Pickelhaube from the Grand Duchy of Hesse, unit marked to 5. Großherzoglich Hessisches Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 168. The helmet retains its gray oxidized steel M1915 fittings, removable spike, Hessian lion front plate, Hessian and Reich cockades, complete chinstrap, and original leather liner. Most importantly, the underside of the rear visor is clearly unit stamped:

J.R. 168

denoting issue to a member of Nr. 168 Infanterie Regiment (5. Grossherzog Hessisches). The regiment was raised in 1897 and formed part of the Hessian contingent of the Imperial German Army. Before WWI it served within the 49th Infantry Brigade of the Grand Ducal Hessian 25th Division. At mobilization in August 1914, Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 168 entered active wartime service and subsequently fought on both the Western and Eastern Fronts. Its wartime service included operations in Luxembourg and France, the Marne, Champagne, Flanders, Poland, the Carpathians, Galicia, Verdun, and the later defensive fighting of 1918.

The M1915 represented the final major wartime development of the traditional leather Pickelhaube before the widespread introduction of the steel Stahlhelm in 1916. Earlier issue helmets such as the M1895 normally incorporated bright brass, Tombak, or other polished metal fittings depending upon the regiment. Under the wartime M1915 regulations, these bright fittings were replaced by gray-finished steel components intended to reduce both cost and battlefield visibility.

This helmet features an oxide plated steel frontplate (wappen), and the crown of this leather helmet displays a vented enlisted removable spike mounted on a steel baseplate. There is also the small adjustable vent on the spine that supports the rear skirt, only seen on the enlisted helmets. It still moves back and forth without issue.

The front wappen features "Crowned Lion" of the Grand Duchy of Hesse, with two tails holding a Sword, with bands visible on the body. In color, the lion would be red and white, the Hessian state Colors. The Lion is standing on a platform, with a wreath surrounding it made of Laurels on the left and Oak Leaves on the right. It is held in place by the standard leather wedges on the inside of the shell, which are both in good shape though one is a bit wedged. The wappen has a lovely shadow of age behind it, showing that it has always been with this helmet.

It is complete with the Hessian (Red and Silver) and German National Colors (red white and black) Kokarden (cockades) around the chin strap lugs. In 1897 the new Reichs-Kokarde in Red-White-Black was introduced for all ranks to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the birth of Kaiser Wilhelm 1st. The Reichs-Kokarde was to be worn on the right side of the helmet, and the state Kokarde was moved to the left, as on this helmet. The Attached chin strap is complete, with good honest period wear, very rare to find complete on its original helmet.

The interior features a good original leather liner, which shows moderate period use. Some of the fingers are either gone or heavily worn down, and the tie string is long gone. The liner is now extremely weak and can come apart to the touch. This helmet certainly saw heavy period use. There are several stamped markings under the rear brim, including the JR 168 unit marking mentioned earlier. Next to this is 1915, over R.B.A. 18, denoting work being done at a Reserve-Bekleidungsamt (Reserve Clothing Office). To the right of this is another very faint depot stamp, which we could not make out.

The R.B.A. 18 marking can reasonably be identified as Reserve-Bekleidungs-Amt XVIII. References concerning Hessian equipment note that this wartime Reserve Clothing Office was established for the XVIII Army Corps.

The exterior of the helmet shell is really in great shape, with a nice shiny enamel finish, with only slight age deterioration. There are however some scratches, but the finish is very well-retained. The front and rear visors are still attached with intact stitching, another rarity. The fittings are mostly tight to the helmet, with a movable vent and correct removable top spike. This is one of the better examples that we have seen lately, and a rarity, as Hessian helmets do not show up often at all.

The combination of the clearly stamped J.R. 168 unit marking, 1915 date, R.B.A. 18 clothing-office stamp, Hessian lion wappen, correct state and Reich cockades, complete chinstrap, removable spike, movable rear vent, and surviving original liner makes this a particularly informative Hessian M1915 Pickelhaube. Its liner wear and scattered exterior scratches document genuine period use, while the strong lacquered shell, intact visor stitching, and extensive surviving fittings leave the helmet remarkably complete for an issued WWI example.