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Paratrooper helmet 551th


wer27
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I want this one to be legit however, we have arrived at the place where fakes are so good, that a handful of down sized pictures on the internet does not give anyone a clear answer and has neutered any chance of anyone of us stating categorically that it's good or it's bad. An in hand inspection by an experienced collector(s) is really the only route with these. 

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mccauslandpara1944

Man this is a real brain teaser!  I really like what I see on this one.  judging from the pictures, the patina looks good and it doesn't have the immediate "aging" look like so many repo helmets that get put outside for a few months.  I think this one has a real shot.  If you have the option to see it in hand, definitely get a hold of it. 

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Didn’t IMA sell some of these helmets maybe ten to fifteen years ago? Could be one of those that has naturally aged some more.

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I’m not sure crazing can be faked. One of the signs of an authentic painted helmet. Another user showed this on amazon on sale now. Came in a day but haven’t had time to mess with it. His pics looked good though but can’t find the thread right now. Maybe worth a shot if you don’t have powerful enough magnification yet and can get it in hand. Good luck.

https://www.amazon.com/Microscope-Magnification-Inspection-Compatible-Smartphone/dp/B07PVMRZQH

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From what I was told, well, my father was told by an ex-FBI guy, is that agents are trained to identify counterfeit money not by looking at all the ways bills are faked or by studying fakes but rather by studying only the authentic. Enough of that and a fake becomes obvious as such just based on experience. From what I have observed, there just aren't many demonstrably authentic examples of such helmets nor those with that much experience in only vet-gifted or proven helmets. Additionally, originals varied greatly whereas things like authentic 100 dollar bills do not. What we as collectors get to study are examples that other "expert" collectors say they have held "in-hand" and testify that to them it is real. We also get to study more fakes than not. That's about as good as it gets without provenance. We've seen where that can lead us.

To me, comments like "Looks good", and "I like it" are not very meaningful in a world were such helmets, if known to be authentic, would command very high prices. Plunking down even 1/4 of such prices would be risky to me for something that will only collect more "I like its" over time and never grow provenance. I don't know of an objective "expert" who, in a hushed room of awaiting hopefuls, would squint at a helmet through a microscope and then look up and declare, "Its good!" to a now rumbling room of gasping bidders all now yelling and climbing towards the stage with wads of cash in hand.

A little dramatic scene, I know. But really where is the objective truth in all this? What if we're wrong? Insistence and arrogance is all that stands as proof over time. What if we're are right? Still will never know and relies on the same hunches. Heck, "Came from my personal collection" or "from the collection of..." is where many well-known fakes have been found. Best evidence to me would be that it was found as-is in the bottom of a crate of $5 shells in an old surplus store in the 80s.

I do know this - I could be one heck of a helmet counterfeiter but I couldn't cringe long enough to perform such a sadistic experiment on others. I couldn't sleep either.

It's a neat looking helmet is about all I would ever say and then could imagine if it was real. To me the strength of the bond to those collectors I can embrace that agree with me can't translate into a lust to own it for more than any other M-1(within reason of course).

What about the powdery rust lower on the base color and also under the chipped green camo? Is that old rust that was waiting to pop through both factory paint and the field applied camo paint? Did chips occur in the camo over the years that then rusted with the same appearance of the diffuse rust on the factory paint layer?

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ArchangelDM

 

1 hour ago, Okie96 said:

I’m not sure crazing can be faked. One of the signs of an authentic painted helmet. Another user showed this on amazon on sale now. Came in a day but haven’t had time to mess with it. His pics looked good though but can’t find the thread right now. Maybe worth a shot if you don’t have powerful enough magnification yet and can get it in hand. Good luck.

https://www.amazon.com/Microscope-Magnification-Inspection-Compatible-Smartphone/dp/B07PVMRZQH


I bought one of these and here is my camo helmet under the wifi scope ! 
 

This is  what I would base any painted helmet on, mine is heavily field used and you can literally see the paint layers, and the rust that’s bled through as the 80 plus years have aged it away.  
 

I would love to see those white palms under the scope 


like others have expressed a in hand inspection Is always necessary with any painted helmet, but Also with the power of these scopes it’s very easy to see real from fake. 
 

 

 

FF4BC924-44B4-4DAF-94AD-7166244A1BD2.jpeg

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ArchangelDM
Just now, ArchangelDM said:

 


I bought one of these and here is my camo helmet under the wifi scope ! 
 

This is  what I would base any painted helmet on, mine is heavily field used and you can literally see the paint layers, and the rust that’s bled through as the 80 plus years have aged it away.  
 

I would love to see those white palms under the scope 


like others have expressed a in hand inspection Is always necessary with any painted helmet, but Also with the power of these scopes it’s very easy to see real from fake. 
 

 

 

FF4BC924-44B4-4DAF-94AD-7166244A1BD2.jpeg

 

2E87B98E-3DB1-4DCE-8AD4-9165293B854D.jpeg

99CE1C7D-137C-46F1-A8BA-0148F7CAF053.jpeg

2E4E84FB-944D-4B9D-8F0D-78C206A173F9.jpeg

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Nice. Paint from your helmet you say? Had you cleaned it? Sure is bright camo considering the first pic. I suppose the micro can have that effect.

Dave

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What about these two:

 

https://www.lux-military-antiques.com/en/p/usm1-helmet-101st-ab-327th-glider-infantry-regiment-.htm

 


https://www.lux-military-antiques.com/en/p/usm1-helmet-101st-ab-327th-glider-infantry-regiment-1st-bn-1.htm

 

Popped up today on their website.

 

One goes for 9850€ and the other for 13500€.

 

Legit?

 

Could only upload one picture as I’m currently on work... image.png.c38e3fb5e015ae145128348f81e400f7.png

 

 

 


 

 

 

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ArchangelDM
15 minutes ago, dmar836 said:

Nice. Paint from your helmet you say? Had you cleaned it? Sure is bright camo considering the first pic. I suppose the micro can have that effect.

Dave



thankyou 

 

microscope is fitted with white LEDs for light 

hence the brightness 

 

And also no you never clean a helmet - never 

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4 hours ago, ArchangelDM said:

 

2E87B98E-3DB1-4DCE-8AD4-9165293B854D.jpeg

99CE1C7D-137C-46F1-A8BA-0148F7CAF053.jpeg

2E4E84FB-944D-4B9D-8F0D-78C206A173F9.jpeg

Great closeups! I’ve found that if you adjust how bright you have the LEDs you can usually find a level that shows the true color pretty well.

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ArchangelDM
4 hours ago, B24AT6 said:

Great closeups! I’ve found that if you adjust how bright you have the LEDs you can usually find a level that shows the true color pretty well.


still working out the kinks 

 

great little tool in the fight against fakes 

 

 

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Hi, I think it is the right place to ask for an opinion on this helmet with mimicry and insignia of the 551th, the wear is very real and true, but I know that there are many repro of this kind of helmet
 
 
DSC00699.JPG.afa6ecf2c59cd49d97258aee0dfc03a2.JPG

I am leaning on this helmet being real now.

Good luck with it and keep your source very close so it’s not poached from under you

Owen


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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