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Identifying an original German
helmet is not as difficult as many people believe. Even quality
reproductions or high end fakes leave a "tell tale sign" of
having been altered, repainted, or forged. Often times the
determination as to whether or not a helmet is original or
"fake" comes down to the nature and quality of the decal (or
decals) on the helmet. However in recent years even this
focus has been complicated by the fact that many fake artists
have successfully remanufactured quality liners, chinstraps, and
even paint that could fool an unsuspecting buyer. These
materials enhanced through chemical aging effects can create the
illusion that a given helmet is in fact from the period.
The problem with identifying
reproduction helmets is that most beginning and intermediate
collectors have little experience in examining originals and
comparing them to common forgeries. In addition, so many
collectors have become wary of fakes that most will dismiss any
helmet they feel unworthy of being called an original.
That sometimes includes rare configurations or historically
correct field modified helmets that they simply have never seen
before or believe are too rare to exist. While there is no
substitute for direct experience in handling original helmets,
the following guidelines should provide even the novice
collector with a reasonable amount of information that can
assist with identifying original examples of wartime German
helmets.
Beginners often ask why there so
many fakes in the market place? The reason is really quite
simple. Because World War II collectables have increased in
value over the last 10 years, many people have resorted to
"faking" or creating "forgeries" that look similar to originals
for the simple sake of making profit by selling them.
Interest in World War II collectables, and in particular items
by Axis nations, has risen at a steady rate. Many people
interested in collecting original examples are now finding that
the majority of items currently offered for sale in the open
market are in fact newly made or very old reproductions. Some
are easy to spot while others are not. While this dynamic may be
initially discouraging to new collectors the advice in this
section should be of some help. |
