Helmet history
The hobby of collecting Military Antiquities has exploded in recent years. Although interest in World War II and the American Civil War has always been strong, many collectors are now looking for collectibles from "The Great War" or World War I.

Relics from all countries involved in the conflict are now eagerly sought, but German helmets remain one of the most popular collectibles of the era. There were many German helmet types from that era. They include the shako, tschapka, busby, spiked helmet and "coal scuttle" steel helmet; but no piece of military headgear more exemplifies a nation or an age than the "Pickelhaube" or spiked helmet. The spiked helmet was the most popular war souvenir of the American doughboys. Thousands more were sent home by the U.S. government as premiums for purchasers of War Bonds.
Although the majority of helmets found today come from the 1900 to 1918 era, it is important for the collectors to understand the history and development of the “Pickelhaube”. The original helmet design adopted by the state of Prussia in 1842 eventually became the standard headgear for Imperial German Army from the mid 1800’s through the outbreak of World War I.