Original German WWII Civic Beaded M40 Steel Helmet – Q66 Original Items

Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very nice and somewhat rare genuine steel construction M40 “Beaded” Third Reich helmet. These helmets were essentially like the Military issue, however the steel was not as high quality. They were given a “bead” around the edge, to avoid mixing them up with the military version.

The exterior of this German helmet retains almost all of the dark blue gray paint, with some small chips and scratches. There are some areas of wear, as well as some light oxidation, but overall the paint is retained at least 90%. It looks to have been refinished after weld repair was made to the front visor, after which it was going to be reissued, but looks to not have had any decals attached.

On the under side of the rear skirt, the shell has a stamped manufacturer’s code and size Q66 over heat lot T4483, indicating it was manufactured by Quist in Esslingen, Germany. Later in the war, all markings were moved to the rear of the shell, shortly before the change to 3 letter codes. Size 66 is a nice large size that can accommodate liners from 58cm to 59cm or US 7 1/4 to 7 3/8. Size 66 shells are much harder to find and are therefore more valuable to a collector. 

It comes with a rough fabric liner, held in place by the correct three split pins and square cork washers. The liner band is fiber, with the usual gray felt padding, though the top tie is missing.

Overall a great opportunity to get a very good example of a German WWII Civic issue M40 helmet. This would be perfect for installing some new decals! Ready to display!

History of the German Red Cross (DRK)

The DRK, “Deutsches Rotes Kreuz” (German Red Cross), a voluntary civil assistance organization originally instituted in 1864, was officially acknowledged by the Geneva Convention in 1929. In December 1937 it gained status as a legally recognized organization by the NSDAP. As with other essential services in Third Reich Germany, it came under control of the NSDAP in late 1938 under the auspices of the Ministry of the Interior’s Social Welfare Organization.