Bavarian Feldgendarmerie Officers Pickelhaube

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M1896 - Bayerisches Pickelhaub der Feldgendarmerie für Offiziere (c.1914). Converted from an earlier Raupenhelm, with the addition of the spike and wappen. It is constructed out of a multi-piece blackened stiff leather base with brass fittings. To the front and center is a gilded brass Bavarian state coat of arms (wappen), which features a crowned centrally placed oval four sided shied, with a heart shield, flanked by two crowned rampant lions above a bannered: “In Treue Fest.”. The wappen does not have laurel leaves to the lion’s legs indicating it was manufactured post 1914. It is affixed with two loops that are attached to the interior with leather string pieces. The reverse shows a brass spine, with a male screw device visible to the interior, that is missing its female nut. The top brass based spike, with two vent holes and a plain neck ring, is mounted to a cruciform spike brass base. The cruciform base is secured with four round brass rivets and a screw device with round plate to the interior center. The interior of the rivets have loops that are secured with leather string pieces. The flat brass chinscale chinstrap has a leather underside and hook to the center. It is mounted to the side with brass rings that are within the lion’s jaws. Above the right lion is the a brass and blue (Bavarian) kokarden. The exterior shows stitching around the entire circumference which holds the separately stitched on neck guard and front visor (with brass trim secured by two rivets). The interior liner is missing. There are two tags. Minor oxidization. A nice-looking reserve pickelhaube.