Imperial Prussian Garde Pickelhaube Wappen Mit Gott Fur Koenig Vaterland

Original Imperial German helmet front plate (Wappen) of the Prussian Guard pattern (Garde-Wappen), intended for fitment to the front of a Guard Pickelhaube (spiked helmet). The design follows the regulation form used by Prussian Garde formations from the mid-nineteenth century through the end of the Imperial period in 1918, identified by the radiant Garde star (Garde-Stern), the spread-winged crowned eagle with sword and scepter, and the regulation motto banner running across both wings.

The plate is constructed of pressed and stamped sheet metal, likely silver-plated tombak (a copper-zinc alloy) or German silver over a base alloy, formed in a single piece with deep relief and pierced openwork through the wings, sunburst rays, and the body of the eagle. The crowned Prussian eagle (Königlich Preußischer Adler) faces forward with wings outspread, clutching a sceptre in one talon and a sword in the other. Across the breadth of the wings sweeps a banner bearing the inscription MIT GOTT FÜR KOENIG UND VATERLAND ("With God for King and Fatherland"), the official motto of the Prussian Army and the Guard Corps. Behind the eagle radiates a large pointed sunburst — the Garde-Stern — of finely modelled silver rays, at the center of which is fitted a circular gilt boss bordered by a beaded rim and displaying a stylized rosette device. A Prussian royal crown (Königskrone) surmounts the eagle's head. The reverse retains the original brass attachment prongs (Splinte), bent inward consistent with removal from a parent helmet body, with the prong reinforcement plates intact. Approximate measurements are not provided in the photographs; the wappen is presented in scale appropriate to a full-size enlisted or non-commissioned officer's Pickelhaube.

The Prussian Guard (Garde-Korps) was the elite household formation of the Prussian Crown, garrisoned principally at Potsdam and Berlin, and constituted of regiments tracing direct lineage to the household troops of Frederick the Great and earlier Hohenzollern princes. By the late nineteenth century the Guard Corps comprised infantry, cavalry, artillery, engineers, and supporting arms numbering tens of thousands of men, all wearing distinctive insignia that set them apart from line formations. The Garde wappen, with its radiant sunburst surrounding the eagle, is the single most recognizable Prussian Guard identifier and was worn by enlisted and officers alike, with rank differences expressed in the quality of metalwork, the depth of gilding, and the elaboration of the center medallion. Line infantry wappen carried no sunburst; only Guard formations were authorized the Garde-Stern device, and this restriction was strictly enforced throughout the Imperial period.

The motto MIT GOTT FÜR KOENIG UND VATERLAND (in proper orthography Mit Gott für König und Vaterland) translates as "With God for King and Fatherland." This formulation was adopted under Friedrich Wilhelm III of Prussia in 1813 during the Befreiungskriege (the campaigns of liberation against Napoleon) and remained the official motto of the Prussian Army and the Guard Corps through the abdication of Wilhelm II in November 1918. The royal crown is the Prussian Königskrone. The eagle's regalia of sword and scepter symbolize military and royal authority respectively. The gilt center boss carries a rosette device with a small geometric or floral central element; as noted above, this does not correspond to the enameled Order of the Black Eagle medallion (Schwarzer Adler-Orden) typically affixed at the center of Garde officer wappen, and its identification remains open to further research.

Condition is consistent with an original Imperial-era piece that has been removed from its parent helmet and stored separately. The silver finish shows even age and light overall toning, with minor wear at the high points of the eagle's breast, wing tips, and crown consistent with parade and field service. There are no breaks, splits, or material losses to the body of the plate. The motto banner is fully legible on both wings, with all letters cleanly struck. The sunburst rays are crisp, fully formed, and undamaged across the full circumference. The eagle's relief detail in the feathering, talons, and crown remains sharp. The brass attachment prongs on the reverse are present and intact, bent inward as is standard for any wappen separated from its helmet. The gilt center boss retains the majority of its original gilding with light wear at the high points. The piece is structurally sound, displays well, and presents a strong silhouette suitable for either fitment to a Pickelhaube restoration project or stand-alone display.

Prussian Garde wappen are among the most actively collected of all Imperial German helmet fittings, both for their distinctive sunburst silhouette and for their direct association with the elite household formations of the Hohenzollern monarchy. Wappen are routinely sought by collectors building or completing Pickelhaube projects requiring a correct front plate, by display collectors with a wall-mounted preference, and by museums and serious researchers of the Imperial German Army. As a category Garde wappen trade at a meaningful premium over equivalent line infantry plates. The unusual center medallion on this example may invite further research on the part of the buyer; for collectors who enjoy attribution work, the possibility that this represents an under-documented regimental variant is part of the appeal, and the asking price reflects the uncertainty while remaining accessible for the broader Garde wappen market.