Very Rare Pre-War Panzer "Beret" Helmet

Description

9/18/25- For sale is a very rare, complete two part panzer "beret" helmet. The famous panzer "beret" is actually a two-part set. The first part is a hardened leather helmet to protect crewmembers' heads from bumping around inside a moving tank, and the second part is the soft cloth cover that gives the distinctive beret shape. This headgear set was only issued between October 30, 1935 when the Nazi eagle emblem was added to the front of the cover to January 15, 1941, when the beret style hat was replaced by a new helmet design. As a cloth and leather product only issued for a few years over 80 years ago, this is a very rare piece to find with both the helmet and the cover! These are the headgear that German panzer troops wore as they invaded Poland and raced through France in 1940, making the panzer "beret" a very collectible piece of WW2 history.

The outer cover is made of soft black felt. There is a short tassel at the crown. There is an embroidered red/white/black cockade in an oak leaf wreath at the front, underneath an embroidered Nazi eagle with swastika. The top cover has no notable wear or damage. The inner helmet is made from hardened leather with an outer covering of the same black felt. There are six ventilation holes around the edges of the inner helmet. The inner liner is leather, with a black headband and lining. The maker's label on the crown of the liner says "Robert Lubstein ges. gesch EREL SonderKlasse Berlin No 55", which is a period-correct manufacturer in the headwear business known for high-quality products. The interior liner leather is slightly worn and appropriately aged. The piece as a whole is in excellent condition.