My first Austrian Lid!

**MD Helmets** · 03-13-2012, 10:08 PM

This is my first Austrian lid, picked up last week. Unfortunately, the interior has long since disappeared

BUT, it's still an Austrian shell, and my very first one, so I rather like it, with or without the interior. A BGB66 I believe

**oradour** · 03-13-2012, 11:33 PM

helmetone...a very nice Austro-Hungarian stahlhelm ! It does not matter if it is not complete, the leather liner pads were fragile and many helmets have lost them over time ! Yours is maker marked "BGB66" for "Brüder Gottlieb u. Brauchbar, Brunn" they made only size 66 M17 helmets.....the "39" which is stamped on the outside of the crown of the helmet (as opposed to inside on a German made helmet) is part of the heating lot code, which identifies the rolling mill from which the batch of steel was supplied from. Thanks for showing...I like the clay brown finish on these KuK helmets.
Prost ! Steve.

**MD Helmets** · 03-14-2012, 02:25 AM

Thank you very much for the info, Steve! I also love the color of these. This one is going right on the top shelf.....if I had a top shelf, as I have no shelves at the moment, LOL

**AMTG** · 03-14-2012, 02:46 AM

Very nice lid, apart from missing the liner it doesn't appear to have been mucked with at all.....congrats...

Don't touch it or clean it

**MD Helmets** · 03-14-2012, 02:58 AM

by AMTG

Very nice lid, apart from missing the liner it doesn't appear to have been mucked with at all.....congrats...

Don't touch it or clean it

No, this one does not appear to have been abused in any way or repainted some God awful color.

I would never dare clean it, but I might have to touch it when I want to marvel at it

**AMTG** · 03-14-2012, 03:01 AM

Marvel away....I love the patina on these lids......they grow old gracefully

**Eric Zentner** · 03-14-2012, 03:09 AM

It has very nice character to it, I agree with AMTG I like the patina.

Eric

**AMTG** · 03-14-2012, 03:10 AM

These helmets ooze a a kind of humbleness, they just sit there quietly and look great, no decals, no cam, just a helmet that you admire

**MD Helmets** · 03-14-2012, 03:24 AM

They speak volumes about the history they have witnessed, without saying a word. I love the connection these items have. It goes back to the argument about why we collect. We make a connection to the past through these items. Those that don't understand that reasoning and feeling of nostalgia will never comprehend why we collect. It's really quite simple, but so difficult to get people to see much less understand.