Original Item: Only One Available. This is a fair original Imperial German WWI Prussian M1915 enlisted infantry Pickelhaube, or spiked helmet, retaining its gray steel fittings, removable spike, Prussian and German national cockades, and original leather liner. The helmet is clearly dated 1915 inside the crown and represents the final wartime Pickelhaube pattern adopted before the widespread transition to steel helmets.

The M1915 simplified earlier Pickelhaube construction by replacing the bright brass, tombak, and silver-colored fittings seen on prewar models with gray oxidized steel hardware. The basic helmet body remained constructed from shaped black-lacquered leather, but the subdued fittings reflected wartime requirements and the need to reduce the visibility and cost of ornamental metalwork.

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, which is still able to be removed, though it requires force to remove it. There is also a small adjustable vent on the spine that supports the rear skirt, only seen on the enlisted helmets, which is able to be moved but only a small bit, due to oxidation. The front wappen features a crowned Prussian state eagle clutching a scepter and orb in its claws, over the King's motto, MIT GOTT FÜR KOENIG UND VATERLAND (With God for King and Country, i.e. Prussia). The wappen is attached at the original holes but only with one of the original leather wedges, the other side held by some wire.

It is complete with the Prussian (black and white) and German National Colors (red white and black) kokarden (cockades) around the chin strap lugs. Both are in great shape and are held in place by a reproduction chinstrap. All fittings appear tight to the body. 

The interior features a nice original leather liner with the original tie string still intact but broken with one piece now loose in the liner, with some moderate wear and crazing. The black leather shell shows normal age crazing but has held up very well overall. The lacquer finished leather is in very good condition having no serious issues minus crazing. There is moderate loss to the front and rear visor stitching, but they are still held in place by the fittings and spine. The interior rear visor is faintly stamped with a unit marking that is half-gone, the only bit still readable being BR.

The interior crown is stamped with 1915, the year of manufacture, and a circular maker’s stamp, too small to transcribe. There is no size stamp, but it is roughly 56.

The combination of the 1915 date, Prussian enlisted Wappen, removable M1915 spike, gray steel fittings, adjustable rear vent, both original-pattern cockades, surviving liner, and partial unit marking makes this a solid representative example of the final Imperial German leather spiked helmet pattern used during WWI. The reproduction chinstrap, wire-secured side of the Wappen, visor stitching loss, liner wear, oxidation, and incomplete unit stamp are the principal condition issues, while the helmet retains the major components that define an original Prussian M1915 enlisted Pickelhaube.