Original Austro-Hungarian WWI M17 Steel Helmet B.G.B. 66 By Brüder Gottlieb u. Brauchbar
This is an original Austro-Hungarian Model 1917 (M17) steel helmet retaining an attractive untouched battlefield appearance.
The interior skirt is clearly stamped B.G.B. 66, indicating manufacture by Brüder Gottlieb u. Brauchbar of Brünn (modern-day Brno, Czech Republic). The helmet is a desirable size 66 shell.
The shell retains a good amount of its original factory light brown paint, now displaying an attractive aged patina with honest wear consistent with wartime service and over a century of age. The original steel liner band remains intact and still retains remnants of the original leather liner. All three original split pins remain present and undisturbed. The interior dome exhibits areas of surface rust from long-term storage, while the shell itself remains solid.
Both ventilation lugs have been plugged, a period field modification commonly believed to have been done to help reduce the possibility of poison gas entering the helmet through the ventilation openings during gas attacks. This modification is frequently encountered on original World War I combat helmets.
The helmet exhibits all the characteristics of a battlefield pickup and was almost certainly brought home to the United States as a wartime souvenir by an American serviceman after the war. The plugged ventilation lugs, untouched condition, and honest wear all contribute to its outstanding bring-back character.
Overall, this is a fine untouched example of an original Austro-Hungarian M17 helmet manufactured by Brüder Gottlieb u. Brauchbar, retaining a good amount of its original factory finish, original steel liner band with leather remnants, all three original split pins, and excellent battlefield character. An outstanding addition to any Imperial German or Austro-Hungarian World War I helmet collection.
