M42 Heer Helmet Single Decal – EF64

Product Description:  An authentic and visually compelling M42 Heer Single Decal Helmet – EF64, retaining its original wartime finish and strong combat-used character throughout. The exterior shell preserves approximately 20% of the original Heer eagle decal, accompanied by original field-grey paint exhibiting honest age wear, scratches, transfer marks, and surface abrasions consistent with period service and handling.

A subtle area of light denting is present to the front right portion of the shell, detectable by touch though not immediately apparent upon visual inspection, contributing to the helmet’s untouched battlefield character. The interior skirt is clearly stamped “EF64,” identifying production by Emaillierwerke A.G. located in Fulda, Germanye, with rear lot number “0488” remaining visible.

The helmet retains its original liner system, though six of the leather fingers have torn over time and remain secured by a shoestring threaded through the liner. The remaining leather displays expected cracking, finish loss, and wear, while the interior dome exhibits areas of corrosion and age-related oxidation. A partial original chinstrap remains attached, retaining the buckle side intact, while the longer adjustment strap has torn away leaving only the final four adjustment holes.

Despite these signs of wartime use and age, the helmet remains highly displayable and visually impressive, with excellent overall presence and originality. A desirable untouched combat relic, this M42 Heer Single Decal Helmet – EF64 offers considerable appeal to advanced collectors seeking authentic German wartime helmets with honest service character and strong historical atmosphere.

Historical Description: When the German Army first marched into war in 1914, it went to the front lines wearing the traditional “Picklehaube” helmets. The war soon developed to necessitate the need for an improved headgear to protect the wearer. The German Army developed the M16 helmet in 1915 and began issuing it in mass quantity to its fighting troops in 1916. The M16 underwent changes to bring about the next model, the M18. Both the M16 and M18 saw use by the German Army during WW1, as well as the interwar years by the Reichswehr and Freikorps. In 1931, a new liner system was developed. The M16 and M18 helmets were in mass supply right up to the time the Nazi Party took control of the German government. During Adolf Hitler’s rearming of the German military in the early 1930’s, the M16 and M18 helmets saw extensive refitting with the newer liner system, fresh paint, and the addition of a centralized decal system for the newly formed Wehrmacht’s respective branches. Decals were generally placed on each side of the helmet, one side being the branch and the other the national colors shield or party shield. In 1935, the M35 helmet was introduced. This new design was lighter and more streamlined than the older style helmets and is what the world now recognizes as the iconic helmet of the German Military. M35 helmets can most easily be identified from the separate rivet ventholes and rolled edges. With the outbreak of war, some changes were made to bring in a new model, the M40. The changes made to this new model was the use of a more matte field grey finish and the vent holes were now integral to the helmets shell. In 1940, the national colors decals and party shields were ordered to be removed. It should be noted that many M35 helmets were brought up to date by repainting them with the matte field grey finish and/or other modifications if necessary. These refitted helmets are what collectors now term “reissue helmets”. The next model helmet to evolve was the M42. The model M42 has the same features of the M40 with the exception of the edges of the helmet not being rolled and remain flared. This was to speed up production and lower cost as the war dragged on and the German economy began changing to a total war economy. In 1943 all decals were ordered to be removed from combat helmets.

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