Foreign Service pattern pith helmet

[Jerry B]

I was recently gifted this by a member on another forum, thanks very much to him.

It appears to be a nearly mint British Foreign Service helmet and the materials used are as far as I can tell are all correct, the cloth used etc. It has a narrower pugaree band than I would expect, being more typical for 1920's or 1930's pith helmets and the liner is also not what I would expect, in particular it is attached in a manor typical of pith helmets dating from after the mid 1920's.

It is maker marked to Moss Bros. who have been making headgear and other clothing items since the mid 19th century and became military outfitters in the early 20th century and their history notes that they supplied items that were surplus from the Boer war.

It appears to be genuine in many ways but has features that would post date its normal period of manufacture, so perhaps specially made for some other purpose (Colonial Police force?) or for those who wanted the old time look by Moss Bros or even perhaps a movie prop, though of course it could be a fake that has been pimped with a makers label to give it some spurious legitimacy. I have looked at other fakes and it does not resemble any I have seen, so if it is fake it is a very well made example in much better quality than those on the market place in recent years.

If anyone has any opinions or information they can add it would be greatly appreciated.

[harryamb2]

looks like a replica to me Jerry.

[Jerry B]

looks like a replica to me Jerry.

Thanks Harry for the usual succinct and concise answer.

I had already assumed it was a replica, it is what sort of replica I am after, as it is obviously not a period piece and probably dates to somewhere between circa 1950-1970. Why and for what purpose it was made is still the question, as the quality and method of manufacture of the main body is superb and as I mentioned in the first post not at all like any replicas that are for sale.

Oh well, I will probably never get an answer to the questions I am seeking and it will just make a nice display piece or be useful for fancy dress as it is the correct size to fit me, being a 7&1/2 and marked as such in pencil inside the dome.

[Jerry B]

A few pics taken by me as those I posted previously were those taken by the person who gave it to me. Note the tarnish on the liner mounting pin showing -probably- that it has some age. Hopefully these also show the quality of the manufacture possibly not visible in the previous pics, not that it matters, merely an academic exercise on my part. I know it is a replica/copy but it is still somewhat of an enigma to me and I hate to not be able to get an answer to a riddle from the past, maybe it is the archaeologist in me and I hate to only be able to offer theories but not then be able to get a definitive answer, though of course as an archaeologist that is often the position I am left in, lots of theories and maybes but often a certain answer is not forthcoming.

[Wagriff]

An older movie prop missing it's vent cover dome?

[Jerry B]

An older movie prop missing it's vent cover dome?

Certainly one of the possible explanations that had occurred to me and it came from a flea market in California, so probably as close to a real answer as it might be possible to get. I think for the Indiana Jones movies (archaeology again) that he has a Herbert Johnson Fedora made for the films, well I know it was a Herbert Johnson, just not 100% if it was made for the films or they bought one?

And of course missing the top cover for the dome vent.

Thanks for chiming in on this William.