Original Item: In an amazing victory for the collecting community IMA secured an exclusive deal to purchase a major cache of totally original German World War Two helmets that were used by the German Wehrmacht complete with wartime maker markings and shell size stampings.
Finland imported thousands of German WW2 helmets for the Winter War of 1939-40 and the Continuation War of 1941-44. Since IMA acquired the last of all the known helmet stocks from the Finnish government we received a vast amount of the German WW2 marked helmets. This deal is a treasure trove of WWII era combat helmet history!
The Finnish army used these helmets until the 1960s when they were taken out of service and put into military storage. Forty years later, in the early 2000s, all of these genuine German WW2 helmets were purchased by a Finnish dealer who, in 2014, sold them all exclusively to IMA. Therefore, the provenance of these amazing nearly 75 year-old helmets cannot be disputed.
Every German M40 helmet will be 100% original and will have the following notable features-
Maker’s code with size marking 66 stamped on the interior of the shell found over the wearer’s left ear. Maker’s codes vary (see chart below) all will be genuine WW2!
Batch code found in rear of skirt (over wear’s nape of neck).
Rolled rim edge.
Stamped ventilator holes.
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