Original Items: One-of-a-kind. This is an excellent condition all original example of a German Army M42 single decal helmet. This stamped sheet steel construction helmet retains 99% of its original paint. The left side of the helmet features a very crisp Heer eagle decal. The decal is retained 85% with a few scratches.
All three liner retaining pins are intact. The interior of the helmet still has the original M31 leather liner with all eight of its fingers, a few fingers show damage. The liner is in good condition with signs of age and splitting. The outside of the liner is marked 64 n.A. 57 over the left ear, indicating it is a 57 size liner intended to fit a size 64 helmet. The chin strap is complete.
The reverse, interior, neck guard apron has a stamped manufacturer’s code and size NS64, above batch number. NS is the maker code for the Vereinigte Deutsche Nikelwerke factory in the Germany city of Schwerte.
Size 64 is a nice large size that can accommodate liners from 56cm to 58cm or US 7 to 7 1/4. Size 64 shells are harder to find and are therefore more valuable to a collector.
Overall a very nice 100% genuine M42 Named Single Decal Heer Army helmet! M42 helmets of this quality are always the hardest to find on the market. This is an item that will only continue to appreciate in value over time.
But the very best part is the box, in fact this is history in a box! A true USGI bring back helmet still in the original shipping box used in 1945. The box still retains the original painted shipping label. Sergeant Lester R Springer ASN 35814014 sent this helmet packed with a pair of his U.S. Army issue pants in this wood box to:
His return address is: