Spring Military Aviation and Militaria Auction
Lot 247:
Description
A fine and completely original German World War I M16 combat helmet with period-applied camouflage finish, displaying a beautiful and untouched example of the distinctive hand-painted multicolor pattern introduced by official order in 1918. The exterior shows the classic German geometric ?tortoiseshell? camouflage scheme consisting of ochre, green, and brick-red segments divided by black separation lines, designed to disrupt visibility and reduce glare under field conditions. The paint exhibits excellent age patina with honest wear to the raised edges, revealing the underlying factory finish in places, consistent with genuine wartime use.The interior retains its original three-pad leather liner system, showing natural age and field wear but remaining intact and supple. The original leather chinstrap, mounted on the M16-style split rivets, is also present and complete?a rare feature seldom encountered in helmets of this age. The interior skirt bears clear factory stamping, with both size and batch numbers visible, confirming production by one of the main wartime German steel helmet contractors.This helmet exemplifies the regulation-style hand-painted camouflage finishes applied at unit level in the closing months of the war, making each surviving example unique in tone and brushwork. It remains one of the most iconic and artistically distinctive field-worn combat helmets of the First World War, representing the final evolution of German frontline headgear before the Armistice.A striking, all-original M16 German camouflage helmet with excellent color balance and full originality throughout, appealing to both advanced militaria collectors and students of early camouflage development.
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