The German steel helmet has come a long way since its genesis in 1915 with the Army Group Gaede. While Third Reich helmets are heavily reproduced and are sometimes rather convincing, SS helmets have argua
bly become the biggest minefield for collectors.
Few helmets were truly identical in the first place. Add to that the extreme demands of wartime and the intervening years, most helmets we see today have changed - sometimes subtly, sometimes obviously.
Manion’s International Auction House has recently been entrusted with a large collection of over 50 German steel helmets ranging from early M-16 to the varieties u
sed during the Third Reich by the Heer, SS, Luftwaffe, KM, etc. – even post-war East German varieties. There will be little question of the authenticity of the helmets in this collection, making it a sterling opportunity for Manion’s customers to see and study dozens of variations in a relatively short period of time.
We plan on profiling a representative cross section of five to ten helmets from this collection per auction, beginning with auction 283. Check back here to see details on each!
bly become the biggest minefield for collectors.Few helmets were truly identical in the first place. Add to that the extreme demands of wartime and the intervening years, most helmets we see today have changed - sometimes subtly, sometimes obviously.
Manion’s International Auction House has recently been entrusted with a large collection of over 50 German steel helmets ranging from early M-16 to the varieties u
sed during the Third Reich by the Heer, SS, Luftwaffe, KM, etc. – even post-war East German varieties. There will be little question of the authenticity of the helmets in this collection, making it a sterling opportunity for Manion’s customers to see and study dozens of variations in a relatively short period of time.We plan on profiling a representative cross section of five to ten helmets from this collection per auction, beginning with auction 283. Check back here to see details on each!
