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Medic helmet help


Usmc2004
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Hello, I was looking for any advise on this possible medic helmet. It looks a little suspect to me based off other similar examples I have seen, the panel looks a little large where it goes down into the brim and the paint looks like it may have been done well after it had been rusting for quite some time. It kinda looks like Korean War era but being only one painted panel makes me think it was done well after someone found it buried somewhere.  I have not seen this in person yet and was just looking to see what anyone else can see from the photos. 
 

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Does the person have any information on where they got it? The fact that it is a "battle-damaged" medic helmet makes it very likely to be fake, not even based on the actual opinions on the paint. I would like to, if possible, hear information on how the seller was able to acquire it. 

 

Hunt

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It was a buy it now eBay purchase.  The gentleman said it was found in a purchased storage unit and did not have any other information about where it came from. 

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Its a cool helmet and the Cross doesnt look new or faked to me, but....

Helmets like these.... you will never know. Unless it came from the vet or the vets family, its all just a guess and a puzzle.

I have a bullet drilled helmet with a last name in it. But I cant pin it down to anyone person.

Its unfortunately anyones guess and will remain that way unfortunately.

Still a cool helmet.

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I do like the bullet damage and the back skirt damage, the scratching on the inside bothers me, and the several layers of paint is also a bit as usually by Korea the cross size got smaller.

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Looks legit at first glance, but further testing would be recommended.

 

On a side note, while it's true that the red crosses got smaller in size in post war years, you will occasionally see WW2 medic helmets with smaller panels and vice versa.

 

Here's a picture of a 7th army medic taken during the liberation of Dachau in April 1945. 

 

 

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Thank you all for the feedback on this helmet.  I’m relatively new to helmet collecting and haven’t got into any painted ones yet, what are some ways I can make sure this is the real deal other than looking at the paint with a magnifier?

 

Thanks! 

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There is no other way unless buying it from a vet or their family and even that has been found sketchy at times. Many of us here will overtly claim to be experts with comments of approval or disapproval("looks good" or "I like this paint", etc.) but it's a faith thing. Magnified paint is about the best thing going but rules out only the crudest knock offs. You have to be comfortable with what you buy as many believers are fine with it being your money. Resell and they are nowhere to be found. Unfortunately, we can't expect the next guy to share our faith. Just look at some of the for sale listings here.

Being new to helmet collecting beware as there are literally thousands of fakes - from admittedly painted for reenacting to fakes sold for thousands and later discovered as such. They will inevitably filter onto the market, maybe soon, and there is a lot of incentive for sellers to believe their helmet, purchased from a known faker, is one of the select real examples he happened to have and sell. Without solid provenance, which will up the selling price considerably, any painted helmet is only as good as you believe it is. It is a very expensive, risky, and devisive part of the hobby. Many of us chose to steer clear.

JMO,

Dave

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the helmet posted was bouncing around FB pages a few weeks ago.Most seem to dismiss it due to the over painted areas where paint was lost or damaged.

 

As for the markings getting smaller in Korea this helmet was from a vets estate with a second name on the sweat band. The helmet was worn/used in the 374 Medical USAF Korean war era 

 

image.png.3298f2d146bfb5704ee3004e68b24e5c.png

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  • 3 weeks later...

This is my two cents. no no no no NO!. Ask yourself about what you are looking at. A bullet hole means nothing for now.  Look at the helmet...look hard.  The only way you get that peeled off look is to have an explosion in the helmet...maybe a 1/4 stick...maybe a half stick. That would blow the paint right off that pot. So how is it the that circle cross their? Easy peezy it was painted on after it was blown up. It's FAKE!!!!

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Thanks to everyone who offered up their tip/opinions on this helmet.  After an in person inspection with a magnifier, both myself and the seller agreed that it was an almost relic condition helmet that was painted up to be a medic helmet.  The paint looked a little too fresh to be a Korean War vintage piece. The paint chips and the painted panel were just way to inconsistent. Being newer to helmet collecting I appreciate all the feedback the forum has offered. 
 

Thanks, John. 

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