Imperial Garde A Cheval Helmet

[Hal]

Guys, took a few pics of this helmet at a local auction house last week. Thought you'd like to have a look. Hal

[BobS]

A very nice helmet, but not Chevalier Guards or Horse Guards. It's an infantry helmet, marked to the 4th Grenadier Regiment, circa the reign of Nicholas I or early Alexander II, I believe.
The two senior Guard cavalry regiments wore all metal helmets, surmounted with the Guard Star in front, and the double-headed eagle on the crown.

BobS

[mconrad]

Man, it really lost the brass shade it should have as a grenadier regiment. I would have said it's silver.

[mconrad]

V19BGREN for the regulations. The number four was assigned to the Kiev Grenadiers, but don't call them the "4th Grenadiers". Under Nicholas I the infantry and grenadiers had numbers on their buttons and headdress plates, but NOT in their official titles. The examples of helmets I've seen have the number and the shield of dissimilar metals (i.e. yellow metal vs. white).

Here's the pic (left are enlisted ranks, on right is an officer

[mconrad]

V19BGREN for the regulations. The number four was assigned to the Kiev Grenadiers, but don't call them the "4th Grenadiers". Under Nicholas I the infantry and grenadiers had numbers on their buttons and headdress plates, but NOT in their official titles. The examples of helmets I've seen have the number and the shield of dissimilar metals (i.e. yellow metal vs. white).

Here's the pic (left are enlisted ranks, on right is an officer

"number and the shield " should be "number on the shield"

[McSeam]

V19BGREN for the regulations. The number four was assigned to the Kiev Grenadiers, but don't call them the "4th Grenadiers". Under Nicholas I the infantry and grenadiers had numbers on their buttons and headdress plates, but NOT in their official titles. The examples of helmets I've seen have the number and the shield of dissimilar metals (i.e. yellow metal vs. white).

Here's the pic (left are enlisted ranks, on right is an officer

Actually, both pictures are enlisted ranks. The left type of helmet was approved in 1844 and the right one in 1849

[mconrad]

Yes, all are enlisted ranks. Don't know why I said one was an officer.