M40 German helmet, is it worth it?

**matthewsq** · 03-20-2012, 01:35 AM

Hi guys,

How does this helmet look to you? The paint looks pretty bad, and the decals, but i'm not very sure about any of it. Would it be worth the $165 US asking price? Maybe it could be stripped down to original paint? The seller says that
"The camo paint is most likely a post war repaint"
The seller also says the helmet is marked NS64, and has the numbers 2844. The liner is marked B&C Litzmannstadt 1943 on one side and 64 nA/ 58 on the other.
The liner is size 57.

Thanks for the help!
Quinn

**Espenlaub Militaria** · 03-20-2012 01:35 AM

We also buy and trade your items and full collections!

**KradSpam** · 03-20-2012, 01:42 AM

I'd save my money, the shell is the only good thing here. Paint, decals, chinstrap & liner are bogus.

**matthewsq** · 03-20-2012, 01:48 AM

Thank you very much for the quick reply. Just curious, how can you determine a fake liner?

Quinn

**MD Helmets** · 03-20-2012, 01:50 AM

I agree. I especially don't like the dome stamp. Keep saving for a more original example.

**DougB** · 03-20-2012, 03:08 AM

Terrible fake.

**Schwerpunkt** · 03-20-2012, 07:42 AM

by wushuangpu

How do you know this the fake?

Experience ;-)
It starts with a completely fake dome stamp on post war factory paint. So the whole thing top to bottom is fake.

**DougB** · 03-20-2012, 01:54 PM

The poster stated it was a postwar repaint for starters. Fake domestamp was already commented on.
Cheers
Doug

**KradSpam** · 03-22-2012, 12:21 AM

by matthewsq

Thank you very much for the quick reply. Just curious, how can you determine a fake liner?

Quinn

With this one the biggest red flag was the contrived 'ageing' around the edges in an usually uniform pattern. You couldn't get that kind of wear on it through normal use. The close up on the dome stamp shows the finger tips nice and close, they are cut quite roughly and the leather just doesn't look right. After looking at a few you just get a feeling.

**MD Helmets** · 03-22-2012, 12:44 AM

You can also notice the square cut on the end of the liner fingers, right before the finger makes its curve. That's a little detail, but a big give away, I think.

**kenbent** · 03-22-2012, 03:54 PM

by matthewsq

Thank you very much for the quick reply. Just curious, how can you determine a fake liner?

Quinn

The major factor is the quality of the leather. WWII liners were produced with very high quality sheep skin leather, sometimes pig skin or goat skin.

Real liners are marked in 2 or 3 different places on the metal ring, which is alloy with early liners and zinc coated steel with later liners.

Several manufacturers produced liners, you can find some good summaries online. Anyway, there should be some marks in the ring with the 'autograph' of the maker, often the place of production is printed as well. On the other side of the ring, the size should be printed. E.g. 62 nA 55, the nA stands for Neue art or New Model. It all depends on the type of liner.

IIRC, the makers stopped printing their names in the rings very late in the war, and replaced it with the Reichsbetriebsnummer. A quite intelligent move, to prevent the allies from knowing which city to bomb first.

The size of the liner is often printed in ink, with early models of liners it could be stamped.

Cheers