Original Item: Only One Available. This is an outstanding Imperial German Kingdom of Württemberg officer’s Pickelhaube with a scarce Depaheg Patent vulcan fibre shell, complete Württemberg officer fittings, and an unusually personal group of folded 1913-1914 newspaper strips found inside the helmet as additional padding. Several of the newspaper pieces originate from Stuttgart, the capital of Württemberg, while another appears to be part of a handwritten letter. Together they provide a fascinating contemporary detail and potentially even a route toward identifying the original officer if enough of the handwriting or printed material can eventually be deciphered.

Unlike the standard black lacquered leather Pickelhaube, this privately purchased officer helmet has a shell manufactured from vulcan fibre, an early hardened cellulose-based material. The leather sweatband is blind embossed with the manufacturer's distinctive logo and:

DEPAHEG PATENT

Depaheg Patent is specifically associated with vulcan fibre Pickelhauben, and surviving officer and enlisted examples bearing this marking are well documented. These fibre shells are encountered considerably less frequently than conventional leather helmets and can be vulnerable to cracking or breakage from impact, making the excellent preservation of this example especially noteworthy.

The Pickelhaube of commissioned officers holding a rank from Lieutenant to Colonel are all identical in features, but not quality. The quality of helmets within these ranks depended entirely on how much the individual wished to spend. A lowly Lieutenant's helmet may be of much higher quality than one worn by a Colonel. As expected, officer helmets were of a much higher quality than the issued version and utilized the "squared finger" liners until 1880, when the internal leather sweatband and silk skull-cap came into use.

Regardless of the unit, officer Pickelhaube share common features such as: the undersides of visors are lined, Officer Kokarden are carried, and the "egg & dart" Perlring was matched with star-pattern spike base brads, and chinscales were worn. The officer's Pickelhaube was basically unchanged from 1871 to 1899 when it had a more domed shape, and from 1899 to the end it had more of a skull shape. Otherwise, with the exception of the addition of the Reich's Kokarde in 1897, the officer's Haube was mostly the same from 1871 to 1918. As with most pickelhauben, they are made from boiled leather, which is then lacquered black.

This example is embossed on the sweatband with a logo and DEPAHEG PATENT. This was a maker of pickelhaubes who exclusively made them in Vulcan Fibre, an early form of plastic. This is one of the most difficult “Ersatz” materials to find, as the shells were often easily broken as a result of trauma. This example appears to correctly have leather front and rear visors but a Vulcan Fibre body. The body is in outstanding condition, one of the nicest we have ever handled, but it appears to have been applied with an oil, making it quite shiny.

The overall condition of this officer's pickelhaube is excellent. All of the helmet's furniture is highly-detailed gilt aluminum bronze alloy, and the gilding is partially retained on some of the fittings. The front wappen features the Coat of Arms of Württemberg, with a shield in the center showing three antlers that represent Württemberg on the left side, and the three lions of medieval Swabia on the right side. There is a wreath surrounding it made of Laurels on the right and Oak Leaves on the left. The Crowned Lion of Swabia supports the shield to the left, and the Stag of Württemberg supports it on the right. On a banner at the bottom is the motto of the kingdom: FURCHTLOS UND TREW ("Fearless and loyal"). The wappen is held in place by the standard fold tabs.

The chin scales are in very good condition, solid and functional with nearly full leather behind them and large split pin attachment present. The male end of the leather strap appears gone, but the pin attachment still works well.

It is complete with the German National Colors (Red White and Black) Kokarden (cockades) around the right chin strap lug and a Württemberg (Red and Black) kokarden present on the left. 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. Both cockades are the correct officer variations.

The interior shows very light service wear, with a monogram letter H attached to the silk skull cap. There doesn’t look to have been any other letters. The silk skull cap is still well-attached to the leather sweatband, with the silk drawstring intact as well. The interior crown behind the skullcap shows the thin vulcan fiber construction, with no markings we can see. The top half of the spike still unscrews for attachment of a parade plume.

This is an especially compelling Württemberg officer’s Pickelhaube because its interest extends well beyond the helmet itself. The scarce Depaheg Patent vulcan fibre construction, excellent shell condition, complete Württemberg officer insignia, surviving silk and leather liner, single H monogram, and remarkable cache of 1913-1914 newspaper and correspondence fragments create an unusually personal artifact from the closing years of Imperial Germany. The later oil treatment to the exterior and incomplete chinscale strap are important condition considerations, but they do little to diminish the helmet’s overall presentation. It would make a superb centerpiece in a collection devoted to the Kingdom of Württemberg, Imperial German officer headgear, or Ersatz Pickelhauben.