No, unfortunately the decals are bad. It is an M40 shell, and DD SS M40's are very rare and valuable, but this is not one of them. Jim G.
...are you sure the decals are bad ?[/QUOTE]
Absolutely. The runic shield is the well known "round bottom" fake, and just look at the location of the disk on the Party shield - it is too close to the top edge of the shield. Look at the construction of the decals and compare them to the original examples displayed in some of the informational threads in this forum - not even close. The wear is contrived. Closer examination of the decals will show you significant graphic differences from original examples. For instance, the bottoms of the runes are above the "break", which is not seen on real ET style runic decals, after which this one is patterned. This one is a real shell with easily recognized FAKE decals. The "provenance" provided to you sounds like a pipe dream. If you want an original helmet you should avoid this one. Jim G.
PS: Here are helmets with REAL ET pattern runic and Party shields. The first 2 pictures show the factory applied runic shield on an M40 double runic ET. The next 2 show the factory applied runic shield on an M42 single decal CKL. The last 4 shots are of an ET M35 dd SS with the factory applied decals. Compare the graphics and the construction characteristics and draw your own conclusions.
Last edited by dasbootu96; 11-03-2015 at 05:32 PM. Reason: correction in the title
If you intend to invest in SS helmets you might find that buying Kelly Hicks book "SS STEEL" will be an invaluable asset, you will find all the variations on SS decals in there, along with the types of helmets that had the different makers of decals applied
here is a decal i ve seen on this website:http://www.snyderstreasures.com/eBay...0/DSCN0391.JPG
for me to be honest the differences are not easy to see..
thank you for all your help
fabrice
Hi Fabrice, Jim has nailed it, the helmet originally posted has fake decals I'm afraid. Compare the "breaks" on the runic shields on the examples Jim has shown, and then look at your posted helmet. ET breaks are soft, where as yours are sharp. There are so many things wrong about the decals on your posted helmet but you will find out all you need by checking over some of the threads here and buying Kelly's book as Dave suggests! ( oh, and ignore the story!) Happy hunting. Leon.
Charlie Snyder's site is rife with fakes. Charlie was very active in the hobby and sponsored many militaria shows over the years, but in the later years he was less careful about his offerings to put it mildly. I wouldn't rely on helmets on that site as examples of real ones. You need to buy a good reference book, and go to shows to handle real pieces. With some study time under your belt you will be able to pick out the cruder fakes in no time. Charlie Snyder recently passed away by the way. Jim G.
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