Bavarian Pickelhaube Wappen Desk Plaque “Ludwig III König von Bayern”

This is a period German desk or mantel presentation plaque built around an original Bavarian officer’s Pickelhaube wappen (helmet front plate) that has been permanently mounted to a shaped hardwood backboard and set into a stepped black-finished wooden base. The backboard is cut in a traditional scalloped shield profile with a lighter-toned perimeter molding, and it is fastened with evenly spaced domed tacks around the outer border, giving the piece a deliberate “honor board” look rather than a casual craft mount. Affixed to the center is the Bavarian officer’s helmet wappen in gilt-toned metal, showing the crowned Bavarian shield flanked by two crowned rampant lions with rich acanthus and foliate scrollwork. Across the lower banners is the Bavarian motto “In Treue fest,” rendered in blackened Gothic script, exactly as encountered on officer-grade Bavarian helmet plates and higher-quality state emblems of the late imperial period. The crown above the arms retains visible color detail in the field panels (a reddish tone present in the crown’s interior sections), a feature that often appears on better-grade pieces and reads strongly in-hand.

The plaque’s base is a substantial, stepped plinth finished in black with a long brass nameplate centered on the front. The nameplate is additionally adorned at both ends with two brass eight-point stars that deliberately echo the officer “stars” seen on Imperial German spiked helmets (the small officer fittings and star devices used as decorative hardware on officer accoutrements). That choice is not incidental: it visually ties the nameplate to the helmet plate above, turning the entire object into a coherent, helmet-derived presentation piece rather than a generic decorative shield. The nameplate inscription is faint from age and oxidation, but your identification is consistent with what can be discerned: “Ludwig III König von Bayern.” Overall size, using the tape shown in the photos, is approximately 12.5–13 inches wide at the base, and approximately 9.5–10 inches in height from the base to the crown peak. Depth is consistent with a freestanding desk plaque (several inches), and the stepped base gives it stable display presence for a shelf, cabinet, or desktop.

The critical element here is that this is not merely Bavarian-themed décor; it is a militaria object constructed from an actual Bavarian officer helmet wappen. The form and detailing align with the Bavarian officer Pickelhaube front plate pattern used in the Kingdom of Bavaria in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Bavaria’s heraldic language is immediately recognizable to collectors: the crowned state arms, the lion supporters, and the “In Treue fest” motto that served as a shorthand for Bavarian identity and loyalty to crown and state. On officer helmets, these plates were typically higher quality than enlisted examples, both in modeling and finish, and they were intended to read crisply even at a distance. Mounted in this format, the plate becomes a “trophy” object—something meant to be displayed long after uniform service or ceremonial use ended.

The Ludwig III identification on the nameplate places the plaque squarely within the final chapter of Bavarian monarchy. Ludwig III was the last reigning King of Bavaria, and his reign (1913–1918) overlapped with the decisive years of the First World War and the collapse of the German monarchies at the end of 1918. That period is exactly when presentation objects, honor boards, and desk pieces like this proliferated. They served several functions: retirement acknowledgments, association gifts, patriotic displays in offices and club rooms, commemoratives tied to service, and private tokens of loyalty during a time when Bavarian state identity remained strong even within the broader framework of the German Empire. Bavaria was not simply another province; it retained distinct state traditions, uniforms, orders, and a court culture that continued to emphasize “Bavarian-ness.” An officer’s helmet plate, removed and mounted, becomes a very literal embodiment of that tradition—an object that once sat on the front of an officer’s headgear and later was converted into a permanent display honoring the crown.

This type of conversion is historically plausible and widely encountered in serious Imperial German collections: helmet plates, cockades, spikes, and even complete helmets were sometimes repurposed into veterans’ display boards or commemorative desk items, especially after 1918 when wearing or storing full uniforms became less practical and the monarchy had fallen. For many former officers and state loyalists, these symbols were not discarded; they were curated. A desk plaque with Ludwig III’s name and a Bavarian officer wappen fits that post-war narrative exceptionally well. It is the kind of piece that could have sat in a study as a quiet statement of service, identity, and continuity with the old order—even after the political structure that produced it was gone.

Collector appeal is strong for several reasons that go beyond simple aesthetics. First, the centerpiece is an authentic helmet wappen with correct Bavarian iconography and the “In Treue fest” scroll, which is one of the most desirable state mottos in Imperial German collecting due to its immediate recognition and consistent association with premium Bavarian helmets and officer items. Second, the presentation format is unusually cohesive: the brass nameplate and the two brass stars deliberately mirror officer helmet hardware, creating a unified militaria composition rather than an unrelated plaque with a random emblem. Third, Ludwig III is a historically meaningful anchor. “Last king” material has built-in narrative value because it marks a definitive endpoint—the close of the Bavarian kingdom and the broader imperial monarchical era. Pieces that clearly reference Ludwig III often resonate with collectors building Bavaria-focused displays, “end of empire” groupings, or study collections tied to the Great War and its aftermath.

In terms of what this is in the market, it sits at the intersection of Bavarian helmet components and German veteran/presentation objects. Standalone Bavarian officer helmet wappen are collected heavily on their own, and well-modeled examples with pleasing finish routinely command a premium compared to flat, later decorative castings. A purpose-built display incorporating an authentic plate, a stable base, and a named dedication plate typically values above “loose parts,” because it presents as a finished period display object that can be placed directly into a collection without additional framing or mounting work. The nameplate further elevates it from “parts art” to an intentional commemorative piece, even if the engraving is now light. The two officer-style stars on the nameplate are a serious plus, because they add a distinctly militaria-specific detail that most generic plaques lack.

Condition is honest and consistent with age and display use. The wood shows expected scuffing and edge wear, with small nicks and finish rub along the perimeter molding and at the stepped base, most noticeable at corners and along the front lip. The rear of the backboard is plain wood with age toning and surface wear consistent with a freestanding object that has been handled and stored over decades. The wappen shows patina and handling wear, with brighter highlights on raised areas and darker toning in recesses that actually enhances the depth of the modeling; no obvious major breaks are visible in the lions, crown, or scrollwork in the provided views. The nameplate shows oxidation and surface dulling, and the inscription is faint but readable under favorable light; the two brass stars are present and intact, showing normal age wear. Overall, it remains a solid, display-ready piece with strong visual impact and the right combination of Bavarian state symbolism and officer-helmet construction.