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Cowan's
Corner
Spiked Helmets for Fashion, Not Function
By Wes Cowan and Joe Moran
The early Imperial German Empire took much pride in fashionable uniforms and
headgear for their military, often choosing ornamental gear over more practical
pieces. Brass helmets with colorful plumes, exotic bearskin and other exotic
furs were made to create a sense of wealth and power. Grenadiers, or "grenade
men," wore high peaked hats to create a false sense of height and strike fear in
the hearts of their opponents.
One of the more iconic pieces of German
headgear is the "Pickelhaube." A loose translation from German is "pointed cap"
or "hood." The helmet featured a spike at the top that was merely decorative and
never intended for stabbing. Most spiked helmets had a black leather base, but
there are a few with a metal base. The mounted cavalry, or cuirassiers,
typically wore the metal-based helmets.
The exact story of how this helmet
came to be is unknown, but the most widely accepted version begins with a visit
by King Friedrich Wilhelm IV (1840-1858) of Prussia to Russian Czar Nicholas I
(1825-1855) in 1842. King Friedrich took notice of a helmet prototype with a
spike on top sitting on Czar Nicholas's desk. He modified what he saw and
created one for his military. King Friedrich was able to rapidly produce his
spiked helmet before the Russians introduced their version two years later.
For the next 70 years, the spiked helmet became part of the standard dress
for most German soldiers. During military parades, officers often had elaborate
helmets and substituted their spikes for horsehair plumes. A collector should
keep in mind that these older, more detailed helmets are more desirable. This is
due in part to their often "one of a kind" nature and also due to the fact that
they were more expensive to produce.
The German military has always been
known for its thriftiness, and this rang true with the spiked helmets that were
produced later. The manufacturers replaced the brass chin scales with leather
straps, and the brass fittings on the helmets became white metal. The original
helmets were 38mm in height, and each successive generation of spiked helmets
became smaller in scale.
Polished metal spiked helmets command the most
money. It is very important to make sure that the helmet has not been
reassembled with spare parts, which was a very common practice. This will
drastically reduce the value. As fakes and forgeries are becoming more prevalent
in the market for militaria, the number of extremely well done fake spiked
helmets is ever increasing. Collectors can avoid getting a fake by doing
research and purchasing from a reputable dealer or auction house.
The demise
of the Pickelhaube came about during World War I with new developments in
artillery. The spiked helmets could not withstand the penetrating power of
modern bullets. The German military began using the conventional steel helmets
with camouflage as the only decoration. Functional need outweighed the desire
for a fashionable military.
 About the author: Wes Cowan is founder and owner of Cowan's Auctions, Inc. in Cincinnati, Ohio. An
internationally recognized expert in historic Americana, Wes stars in the PBS television
series History Detectives and is a featured appraiser on Antiques Roadshow. He can be
reached via email at info@cowans.com. Article research by Joe Moran.
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1842 Officer's helmet for the Garde Zu Fuss Fusilier Battalion in original
hatbox,
est. $5,000-$7,000.
Prussian Model 1860 helmet with Colberg 1807 Bandeau, estimated at
$1,500-$2,500.
Bavarian Field Artillery Officer's helmet, est. $700-$900.
Prussian Model 1842 Reserve Infantry Officer's spiked helmet, estimated at
$3,000-$5,000. |
