I purchased this recently from an old collection. The previous owner purchased it sometime in the 1960s.
It a Model 1915 ersatz enlisted man’s Prussian pickelhaube. An unusual aspect of this helmet is that the spike and front plate were painted brass color. This was done a long time ago and by appearances it is a period modification. The helmet has been discussed on pickelhaubes.com. There are two theories that seem reasonable to me. One is that this was something done to enhance the helmet for the post-armistice souvenir trade that flourished after the end of the First World War. The other theory is that this was done at the unit level to make all the helmets within the unit uniform in appearance. There are other examples of pickelhaubes with brass painted hardware, so this was a thing.
The chinstrap hardware is original and the chinstrap itself is a reproduction fashioned from vintage leather. The Prussian kokarde is original and the national colors kokarde is a reproduction. The helmet has a unit stamp on the rear visor, which is an unusual feature for ersatz pickelhaubes. The liner is loose, but still attached.
$795 $695 + postage and processing fees
Steel Helmets of the World Wars 