Original German WWI Infantry M1915 Canteen Feldflasche With Corduroy Cover That Features Bavarian Pickelhaube Wappen Front Plate Original Items

Original Item: Only One Available. This is a lovely example of a WWI German, Bavarian infantry issued M1915 canteen with corduroy cover. The best feature of this canteen is the Bavarian Pickelhaube wappen front plate that appears to have been field applied to the cover. There is an imprint of the wappen outline on the cover meaning that this has been attached for quite some time and we believe to be original to it!

The M1915 Feldflasche is actually a variation of the M1893 Feldflasche, although due to the shortage of aluminum, the M1915 was first constructed of tinned steel, but the tin wore away quickly and rust in the water was a problem, so construction moved to enameled steel. The basic canteen shape remained the same as the M1893, but the cork design changed to stamped steel caps instead of the aluminum pull. These canteens would have covers made from Steingrau or Feldgrau wool, brown corduroy or even ersatz papercloth, with full or simplified leather harnesses.

The canteen is in wonderful condition but is missing components such as a complete harness and cork stopper/cap. This canteen features a lovely oxidized colored steel frontplate (wappen) with the Bavarian state plate featuring lions flanking the Bavarian coat of arms, with a scroll beneath which reads “In Treue Fest” (Steadfast In Loyalty). The Bavarian issued Wappen in 1895 were intended to be made out of Tombak (an alloy made from a combination of copper and zinc) but it seems that the copper-color was unpopular and they were soon replaced with Aluminiumbronze which has a very bright brass appearance, though this one is made of stamped steel.

A lovely example that comes more than ready for further research and display.