Luftwaffe/Fallschirm-Pz.-Div. "H.G." Zimmerit Camouflage Steel Helmet M40

Luftwaffe (1st Parachute-Panzer Division "Hermann Göring") M40 steel helmet featuring rare, wartime-original Southern Front Zimmerit camouflage—circa 1943. The factory blue-gray paint and helmet decals are completely obscured by a camouflage finish consisting of a thin layer of Zimmerit; the exterior is partially oversprayed with yellowish camouflage paint, while the interior is finished in green-yellow spray paint. Inside, it features a darkened leather liner on a metal band, complete with the original drawstring and intact, undisturbed helmet rivets. The reverse side of the leather liner bears a Luftwaffe division/battery stamp: "I./Gen.Göring 1.Battr." The Zimmerit coating extends onto the inner sides of the helmet shell, rendering the manufacturer markings (estimated shell size 64–66) and serial number stamp illegible. The helmet shows only minor paint chipping on the exterior but is otherwise in remarkably good overall condition.

Worn; in untouched, "as-found" condition.

Steel helmets with original Zimmerit camouflage are extremely rare and hardly found on the collectors' market, as this protective paste was only used for about 1 year.