Strange Colonial Helmet??

[Peter_Suciu]

I've had this helmet for about 20 years. I bought it at a flea market and the seller said it was part of an estate sale, which had a lot of German Imperial items. In all these years I have never been able to find the remotest clue as to what it is?

My theory is that it is some randomly assembled parts. The chin strap is obviously thrown on, the buckle is steel while the rest of the metal is brass. The spike isn't right to the helmet, doesn't fit on there correctly.

Any ideas? One helmet collector told me that it might have been some kind of early German colonial helmet from Africa but that is all he thought.

[Peter_Suciu]

Front View

Front view shows the spike isn't right to the helmet.

[Rick Research]

It's a theatrical piece. I've seen virtually identical (the insignia or lack threof being optional) pieces in 1920s Bannermann catalogs. Since he got a lot of stuff from defunct fraternal orgainzations as well as defunct foreign governments, it may have been something connected with "lodge" rituals of some now-obscure organization.

[Peter_Suciu]

That was quick

Thanks for the quick reply. A lodge hat of some sort had crossed my mind. I hung on to it for all these things and now it seems like the mystery is mostly solved. I'll probably put it back in the closet. I didn't expect it to be anything exciting.