Unusual Helmet

**kmale** · 01-08-2012, 07:36 AM

Hi all, This is my first post here and I expect it wont be the last :-)
Anyhow I have a half hearted helmet collection and I plan to get a bit more serious with it. I thought that I would start by sharing a helmet that I picked up a few years ago.

It has ET66 stamped near the left bail and 509 stamped on the rear skirt. It is painted tan inside and out. I know that is is propably a post war refurbish and destined to don the heads of some tin pot dictators henchmen Anyhow I would love some opinions on this :-) I will post some pics real soon.

**Espenlaub Militaria** · 01-08-2012 07:36 AM

We also buy and trade your items and full collections!

**WOODSNAKE** · 01-08-2012, 07:48 AM

Welcome, i look forward to the pics

Regards Phill

**kmale** · 01-08-2012, 07:52 AM

pics attached. Fingers crossed

**WOODSNAKE** · 01-08-2012, 07:58 AM

I'd say it's a repro, the chin strap is definately not a ww2 combat strap but it looks Kool anyway

**VolksJager** · 01-08-2012, 08:35 AM

Welcome Kmale, your right its a post war refurb helmet. The shell is fine, a nice ET M40 as well as the liner and liner band. The chinstap is a postwar added one, probably Czech. Anyway the story behind these seems to be that they are Czech postwar refurbs bound for Egypt after a deal was done with the ruler of the time. He was overthrown before the deal took place and a deal was done with Russia instead. After the fall of communism they hit the marked for collectors in the 80's. There is a pretty big debate over what they were intended for though but I believe this to be the true story.

**kmale** · 01-08-2012, 08:40 AM

Yes the chin strap is not ww2 but it is old and reasonable quality. I had the liner out a few years back and it looked genuine ww2. Anyhow there is a story about a bunch of these being found in a warehouse in the 70's or 80's in some eastern block country. The story was they were remanufactured just after the war and were intended for egypt. Perhaps someone knows more about this?

**kmale** · 01-08-2012, 08:49 AM

Thanks Volksjager ...thats the story that i heard as well. So obviously not worth the same as a genuine ww2 stahhelm but still collectable anyhow.

Does anyone have any sales evidence on these? It would be interesting to seewhat its value is today :-)

by VolksJager

Welcome Kmale, your right its a post war refurb helmet. The shell is fine, a nice ET M40 as well as the liner and liner band. The chinstap is a postwar added one, probably Czech. Anyway the story behind these seems to be that they are Czech postwar refurbs bound for Egypt after a deal was done with the ruler of the time. He was overthrown before the deal took place and a deal was done with Russia instead. After the fall of communism they hit the marked for collectors in the 80's. There is a pretty big debate over what they were intended for though but I believe this to be the true story.

**VolksJager** · 01-08-2012, 08:56 AM

Value wise I would say its worth alittle more than the black Czech refurbs, due to the original hardware used. Its use is for refinishing so I would say $100 - $150 at a guestimate

**kmale** · 01-08-2012, 09:02 AM

To add some further conjecture ...one theory is that these were a new factory configuration and were enroute to southern russia when the tide of war changed. When i took the liner out the pins were stamped 1943 (from memory) so that supports that theory. However the chin strap supports the other theory. The colour is not quite the same a german desert colours either.

**VolksJager** · 01-08-2012, 09:14 AM

When the King of Egypt asked for the german helmets from the Czechs, he asked for them to be to an un issued standard, using as much un issued german hardware as possible, as it was cheap. You will find on most of the tan helmets the hardware to be all german and in good condition. As for the colour, tis the Egyptian tan colour chosen, which is just slightly different to german ordnance tan