This M40 Heer steel helmet, manufactured by Sächsische Emaillier und Stanzwerke (SE), shell size 64, lot number 8204, is a classic example of a true battlefield veteran. With multiple layers of wartime paint and even a soldier’s name inscribed inside the skirt, it tells a vivid story of frontline service.
Key Features
Maker: SE (Sächsische Emaillier und Stanzwerke)
Shell size: 64
Lot number: 8204
Original factory paint visible beneath successive field-applied layers
Brushed-on green repaint, later covered with a brick red camouflage coat
Traces of a black overpaint, possibly applied late in the war
Complete with soldier’s name inscribed in the rear skirt – a rare personal touch
Liner condition: [Add details if intact, fragile, or missing]
Chinstrap: [Add if present or absent]
Collector’s Analysis
The multiple paint layers reflect a helmet that saw repeated frontline service, adapting to different environments and needs.
The red-brown camo layer is particularly desirable, as such repaints were often applied for fighting in urban or rural environments.
The inscription adds a direct human connection to the soldier who wore it, making this an exceptional collectible.
This “salty” helmet has clear character and authenticity — a piece that has truly “been there, done that.”
Historical Context
The M40 helmet was standard issue to Wehrmacht forces from 1940 onwards, produced in large numbers but today valued for its individual variations. This example, with its layered repaints, is representative of helmets adapted across multiple campaigns — from the Eastern Front to the later battles of 1944–45. Named helmets are especially valued by collectors, as they provide opportunities for further research and potential identification of the original soldier.
