Posted 9 years ago
Chrisnp
(310 items)
This helmet plate (wappen) has become a bit of a mystery to me. It appears to be a private purchase version of the standard Prussian Line Eagle, but with the legs missing. This would not be correct for the dragoon helmet it came on, as the dragoons had a different eagle. For years I thought someone found an old wappen to replace a missing one, and maybe that wappen had a broken off leg and someone very neatly trimmed off both legs to make it look better and more symmetrical on the helmet.
Then, several years ago I saw a matching eagle without legs on eBay. Could it be that two different people just coincidentally took the time to carefully cut the legs off a line eagle? That seems like a stretch! The seller’s explanation was even more unbelievable. He said there was an anti-monarchist movement at the end of the war that was signified by removing the legs of the eagle, which normally held an orb and scepter. That does not meet “the smell test” with me. Why remove the legs and not the crown? Later I saw another posting of a legless eagle for sale, but this one may have been a re-sale of the earlier one. Still, it’s weird.
So, what do you guys think? The first two photos are the legless eagle in question. The back has loops which would have been secured through the helmet with leather wedges. In this case they were just bent back to hold the eagle in place. The second photo is a standard line eagle with screw posts.
I know of crowns being removed after 1918 but this is a new one to me.
I've wondered for ages what the "F R" stand for? Give it up!
Friedrich Rex
I would have made up an answer fur BB2, something like "France Reducers". Oh well, missed my chance.
Thanks for the love pw-collector, Caperkid, fortapache, and aghcollect.
Best not to comment since we probably have a lot of Frogs on CW. I'm trying to stay out of trouble & it's so out of character for me. LOL
I apologize to our French followers, but can't resist!!
I woke up at 3:Am last nite in a cold sweat, shaking & couldn't get back to sleep after a nightmare. It was horrible!! I dreamed that I was French! Sorry & apologize again! I couldn't resist it! Actually, my mother was Louisiana French.
In 35+ years of collecting Pickelhaubes, I've seen dozens of these eagles that were mutilated. Sometimes they have an orb broken off. Sometimes it is the scepter that is missing. Sometimes it is an entire leg with the scepter or the orb missing. I've seen them many times like this with both legs broken off.
All Officer eagle front plates were Private Purchase, as was the entire helmet. And they normally had screw post mounts on the backside, and not the wire loop mounts as is shown on your example that is damaged.
Thanks for the information ww1czechlegion! I like your name.
The loop back is odd. Were there ever any issue wappen with voided crown? Also this one has a gilt rather than brass finish.
Chris
Hi Chris,
Excellent question. Military issue Prussian eagle front plates were for enlisted men, and thus have non-voided crowns. The Private purchase Prussian eagle front plates could still have a non-voided crown for an enlisted man. If the enlisted soldier wanted to buy a higher quality eagle front plate for his helmet, he could do so at his own expense. The one-year-volunteers prior to WW1 often times would buy officer style and quality fittings for their helmets, and thus an eagle with a voided crown as was normally worn by an officer. These helmets were known as "eigentumz helm" (private purchase helmet, owned by the soldier). The Prussian front plate you have shown us with the wire loops may have had them replaced at one time, I can't quite tell from the photos.
Best Regards,
Alan