baden pickelhaube help needed

[golf19gt]

hi i bought this helmet from the usa it was on ebay but did,nt sell item no 221109981420 the seller conacted me and we came to a price i got it today but it cost me another £119.00 in import duty, when i looked at the helmet ive noticed a long staplke holding the bottom of the front badge, and also on the right wing the loop has come off and a bit of wire has been put through thr wing which has 2 small holes drilled in it i want to no if this has effected the value or is there anyone i can speak to on the forum i am in caerphilly s. wales before i contact the seller i would like some advice dave

[bigmacglenn]

Can you please post some photos...We might be able to tell if the repairs were done in the field or postwar...

[golf19gt]

hi i dont no how to do it if you type that no into ebay it will come up thanks dave

[asterperious]

It looks to like the posts on the helmet plate broke off or were taken off as they didn't line up on the helmet holesand the staples were used to retain it, probably not the original plate. this looks like old messing with, not uncommon as for decades these were everywhere and not much considerred more than curious or toys. the cockade on the right side looks more like another states officers one, it is not the correct prussian one. Not a terible helmet though, it has nice shape and is a nice display piece. It depends on what you paid. But also it is not the sellers problem if you don't do your homework before buying and negotiate with knowlege. Many sellers are pickers and general antiques delers moving things along. A good collector builds knowledge (and $$$) before spending. It may mean waiting to purchase but you'll be happier in the long run.

[golf19gt]

hi aradour had a look for me and said it was ok but when it arrived i noticed the staples spoke to aradour but he was leaving for his hols so a bit stuck i need to contact the seller just wanted some info

[Jerry B]

A shame you could not see the faults with it before you purchased it. Can you refund it, though I assume that is not economical as it came from the US?

The import duties on items from the US is a killer, especially if you did not realise before you bought it, as I have been caught out this way previously and I almost never buy from the US because of it.

It is hard to tell how old the repairs are from the pics posted, but they may well have been done a long time back..

Always remember, knowledge is power and if you don't have the knowledge and you are buying online, post pics for opinions before you buy is always best.

A good source of militaira that is local to you is Sean Lacey at Jacobs antiques market in Cardiff, though you might already know of him.

[oradour]

Dave....do not panic, it is a nice M1895 Pickelhaube, however the Baden plate, which is an original, has been affixed by the use of "staples" this looks to be an old repair, but not period, as a repair station would of attached a new badge or at the very least re soldered the loops on the rear.....I have seen such a repair (staples) on a few helms, it usually means some one has been playing around with it and the loop/loops have simply broke off ! to check if it is original to the helmet, remove and you should be able to see where the loops were soldered, measure the distance between and check the distance between the holes in the helmet shell, if they match, then I will bet the plate is original to the helmet...notice if there is a ghosting i.e. the outline of the badge on the helmet surface, usually a good indicator that the wappen has been on some time...If it was mine I would simply remove the staples and resolder a pair of loops onto the rear.
As for the Baden wappen...it is indeed an Officers version (but other ranks have been observed wearing them) a post 1915 "ribbon or waffle" design cockade, two colour (red, gold edged), prior to 1915 there would of been three colours (gold/red/gold/), but in 1915 it was reduced for economic reasons. The import duty seems excessive ! the item should be zero rated as a leather/metal helmet of historical importance and no duty should be payable, Customs know that, but they hope you do not ! Write to the U.K. Revenue & Customs at the Coventry hub and complain, they will send a claims form, you must have all the paperwork including the red customs label which was affixed to the box in which the helmet was shipped...you will be refunded.
Prost ! Steve.