GERMAN WWI PRUSSIAN RESERVE MEDICAL OFFICERS PICKELHAUBE

A most magnificent condition all-leather pickelhaube for a Prussian medical officer, identified. The gilt is mint bright, the reserve officers' cross to the front gilded plate in silver colour. Standard flat chin scales with all gilt remaining. Officers wear national and State cockades. The front and back peaks are slightly distorted from lying in a heated part of a house. Stitching for the peaks is strong and securely attached to the main body. To the interior, the mid tan leather sweatband with upper scalloped edge shows very little sign of wear with its silk inner lining. Attached to the interior skull, the maker’s mark ‘W.S.H.Marke with a German coloured flag and the size ‘58½’, the name of ‘Rohde’ hanwas d applied with pencil to the light tan finish of the skull. The helmet is situated in a box designed for a top hat, but the pickelhaube fits perfectly when inverted into the aperture for the top hat. A label attached to the upper inner lid of the box reads ‘Dr.Med. Carl Rohde’ with his address and with the same ‘Dr.Rohde’ hand applied to the exterior of the box in two places, both on the side and on the lid. The box is complete with a Cassel Railway Station label. The leather closing tab to close the lid of the box is unfortunately broken. The finish of the skull has turned to a matte finish, which is consistent with helmets that have been left in storage for many years with internal boxes. The spike is probably the tallest spike we have ever encountered on any Prussian helmet.

Ref; 85710