Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very good condition Imperial Prussian line Infantry enlisted man's Mannschaften (other ranks) pickelhaube (pointed hood). The M1895 was the final pre-1914 evolution in a long series of spiked helmets. It displays lovely condition brass Prussian spread eagle helmet plate and comes complete with  original leather liner. The spike on top denotes infantry issue and retains correct brass chinstrap lugs, cockades, and chin strap. Unlike most that we see, this example is not made with a boiled leather shell, but instead a steel one, so this could also be termed a metalhelm.

This helmet features a lovely gold-colored alloy frontplate (wappen) with the Prussian state eagle clutching a scepter and crown, over the King's motto, MIT GOTT FÜR KOENIG UND VATERLAND (With God for King and Country, i.e. Prussia). The Preußen issued Wappen in 1895 were intended to be made out of Tombak (an alloy made from a combination of copper and zinc) but it seems that the copper-color was unpopular and they were soon replaced with Aluminum bronze, which has a very bright brass appearance. The wappen is held in place by bent clips on the back.

The crown of this leather helmet displays a brass vented enlisted spike mount on an brass baseplate. The spike is in excellent condition, and as per the pattern, is fixed and does no rotate.  It is complete with the Prussian (black and white) 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.

The black enamel finish is still present in over much of the exterior, but the helmet definitely has seen use and wear. The enamel has chipped away and the steel has rusted in places, and there are some dents in the shell. The top spike fitting looks to have been dented in at some point, probably from being dropped. Please consult the pictures for the finer condition details.

The interior features a nice original leather liner, with the expected wear from age. The chin strap is intact, though it looks to be a replacement, possibly reproduction, but still expertly made. The helmet is overall solid, with no loose joints or other issues.