STRIKING FEDERAL PERIOD US MILITIA DRAGOON HELMET WITH “LIBERTY” FRONT PLATE.

inv# 02-14893

This rare 1795-1815 leather dragoon helmet measures approx. 10 1/4″ high & 11 1/2″ in width. The body, front plate & visor of the helmet are leather w/ a 3 1/2″ painted tin comb attached to the top. The front plate has a left facing American eagle surmounted by the word “LIBERTY” arched over his head. The eagle is done in white, gold & red paint & the word “LIBERTY” is also in white. The edges of the front plate are trimmed in red & there are strands of laurel leaves down both sides under the word “LIBERTY”. There is another word painted in white script letters under the eagle that appears to begin w/ “B”, but remains indecipherable. The leather visor is also trimmed in leather & shows a Moroccan leather inside liner. The skull of the helmet has a red painted 2″ cross hatched border around the base. There is a cord on the right & left sides just above the border for attachment of a cockade & plume. The tin comb is painted red w/ 6 black painted circles descending in size from 1 1/2″ to 3/8″. There are 15 holes at the edge of the comb originally used to attach a bear skin crest. The interior of the helmet shows only remnants of a sweatband extending from the visor liner.