Collecting British Police Helmets

Police helmets made from cork, felt and the modern ABS plastic versions are well made and generally can be found in good condition. The exception is any which may have been stored in garden sheds or damp attics, which can result in a rather sorry looking example (see photo below). The foam headband used on the early ABS plastic versions rarely survives intact. Damp conditions quickly make the foam crumble away. If you acquire such a helmet with the foam in poor condition, I would be inclined to brush away the remaining foam leaving just the nylon backing material. Helmets which reach a very poor condition can be beyond any form of restoration and are best left as found.

I would not recommend trying to ‘repair’ or ‘restore’ a helmet unless you know what you're doing. Avon & Somerset helmets from the 1980's used plastic helmet plates which were prone to breaking or having pieces snap off. I believe it's better to retain such helmets in their ‘original’ condition if possible.

Finding helmets in good ‘original’ condition can prove challenging. Police forces are very strict on disposal and this means any identifying badges or labels are removed by the Police force prior to being declared surplus. Avon & Somerset Constabulary have had one of the strictest policies on disposal, along with the London Metropolitan Police. However, just a few years ago any London Met or Avon & Somerset Police helmets listed on eBay which resembled their current issue version, were being removed. It seems they are no longer so strict, perhaps because of the time and resource needed to check and follow-up on listings.

As a collector it's tempting to collect the many subtly different variations. This may be fine if you have the budget and more importantly, the space to display or store them. For example the earliest cork Avon & Somerset cork helmets from the 1970's used both plastic and leather sweatbands even though they were externally identical. My personal collection has a selection of most, but not all the helmet variations used by Avon & Somerset Constabulary. 

 
Helmets originally came fitted with leather chin straps. By the 1980's it was no longer a requirement to wear a chin strap and these were no longer fitted to helmets in some Police forces. The City of Bath Police were one of the first to abandon the use of chin straps on duty. The London Metropolitan Police no longer have the traditional type of chin strap fitted to their rose top helmets. Avon & Somerset have continued with the tradition of having leather chin straps fitted even though they are not used. In practice, these are folded back on the outside of the helmet. Some officers have been known to cut them out completely since they offer no practical use.

It’s worth noting that the Custodian helmet was not issued to Special Constables with Avon & Somerset Constabulary until 1991. Traditionally the Special Constabulary only ever used the standard issue peaked cap. The Police Federation had always resisted the idea of issuing Special Constables with helmets. They didn't believe they should be mistaken for regular officers. However, times have changed and there is now little or no distinction between the Special Constabulary and regular officers. Avon & Somerset Police no longer issues badges which read ‘Special Constabulary’. These cloth badges were replaced with a small chrome metal "SC" and crown until they were also withdrawn.  

Fortunately, Avon & Somerset Constabulary have not changed to the sub-standard helmets issued to some of their counterparts in Northern England. Lets hope they don't follow in the steps of Thames Valley and West Yorkshire who decided to stop issuing helmets altogether. These helmets may not be practical in modern policing but they remain the definitive symbol of a British Police constable. I think a majority of the public would rather see a policeman in a Custodian helmet than a baseball cap. This is one of the things which makes British police officers unique and instantly recognisable.

Unloved - an Avon & Somerset helmet which was stored in the wrong place

Police helmet buying guide

Much of what I say here also applies to other Police memorabilia. The online auction site eBay has become one of the best places to buy a Police helmet. Prior to the internet, it was a case of hunting around antique fairs/shops, jumble sales, car boot sales, auctions or scanning the small ads. Of course with an auction site like eBay, prices can sometimes be pushed very high when a few collectors compete. If buying online, it's important to see at least one photograph from inside the helmet to determine approximate age and overall condition. Buying on eBay is generally low risk if you take sensible precautions like checking the sellers history. I've often seen very poor quality photographs which makes me suspicious. It's a good way to hide things. I find it hard to believe someone can be so incompetent at taking photographs in this day and age. Poor communication from a seller can also be a warning sign. I once purchased a London Metropolitan Police helmet which never arrived. I had asked questions about the helmet before bidding and had very short unhelpful replies - I should have walked away at that stage. The seller was also newly registered with little feedback. Fortunately for me, this was covered by eBay's payment protection and I received a refund - a lesson learnt.

There's also the frustration arising when an item has just slipped out from your grasp. The last few minutes or seconds are when the bidding really ramps up. If money's no object for you then just put a ridiculous amount so you can sit back and wait for the win confirmation. However, most of us have a limited budget and aim to get something at what we consider a 'good price'. I've certainly missed out on some very desirable items in the past (e.g. a scarce Port of Bristol cork helmet with star helmet plate). I've usually lost out from a higher bidder, but occasionally I've decided to wait until the closing minutes only to get distracted and forget to bid! It's always a bit tense because you can never be sure you will win. In the most extreme case I saw competition from two bidders on eBay push the price of a desirable Police helmet to around £1,000. These were two bidders with an almost unlimited budget but eventually one of the bidders will draw a line. It's worth bearing in mind that even museums may bid for certain items and their budget is likely to be much higher than most private individuals.

Be wary of descriptions on eBay which can be vague, misleading or suggestive. A example could be a description which reads ".....helmet, fitted with a Warwickshire Police badge". This means it may not be an original Warwickshire Police helmet but simply has the badge. It's also common to see suggestive descriptions like "Victorian?????" If you're not familiar with the item, it could lead you to believe it is - the power of suggestion is strong! The words "rare" and "very rare" are often used even if that's not the case. Don't be tempted to bid too much for common items as invariably they will appear again, eventually. From time to time something a bit rarer appears on eBay and attracts lots of interest and bids. I've seen such items reach prices which I wouldn't be prepared to bid myself. High prices don't go unnoticed so you can sit back and wait for others to follow. It's often the case that other people see something go for a high price and then decide to sell theirs and cash in. This can lead to a 'mini-flood' of new listings on eBay which usually leads to a drop in values.

I would be cautious about buying from dealers. Some dealers have no regard for what they're selling and will charge you a premium. That might sound harsh, but it's based on my experience. As in any business, dealers have overheads to cover and are trying to make a profit. However, if you're not someone who uses eBay, then I can recommend the UK based dealer Cultman Collectables. They sell a variety of Police memorabilia and offer a good service with reasonable prices. Their website provides excellent photographs so you can see exactly what you're getting. They also trade on eBay.


The best way to ensure the true origin of a helmet would be if you were lucky enough to acquire it directly from the original owner. Fortunately for collectors, some ex Police officers managed to retain their helmet when they resigned or retired and these eventually come onto the market. Buying from the owner provides the collector with an excellent opportunity to ask the seller more information such as when it was issued.

If you're serious about collecting Police insignia, then I would recommend joining the Police Insignia Collectors Association (PICA) of Great Britain. PICA holds ‘swap’ meetings throughout the year. Although it's primarily concerned with the collecting of Police badges, it's also a good source for other police memorabilia including helmets. Swap events are a good place to buy a variety of memorabilia and meet other collectors. Please bear in mind that membership is restricted to serving law enforcement officers or those who can obtain a reference from a serving law enforcement officer, either in the UK or abroad.

A collector strives to find a helmet in original ‘untouched’ or 'mint' condition e.g. correct helmet plate, liner including chin strap (if applicable). An example of a mint/un-issued helmet is rare and highly sought after among collectors. These are likely to fetch a premium, anything from £50 to several hundred.

Be wary of helmets that may have been ‘tampered’ with over the years. For example some dealers may add an incorrect helmet plate if the original one was missing. A sign of this could be damage to the cork or foam ‘insert’ where the original helmet plate was removed and attempts made to attach a replacement. Too many holes in different places beneath the helmet plate could indicate badges may have been changed post-service. It's also common to see on eBay what is clearly a modern issue helmet liner fitted with an old helmet plate. Check the examples in this blog and it soon becomes apparent what the liners should look like for what period.

Unfortunately there are dealers and even collectors prepared to remove rare helmet plates and badges from original headgear. This is a shame since collecting is also a way of preserving our Policing heritage. Removing a badge leaves the helmet or cap anonymous and of little value. With rare items of headgear it could make them effectively ‘extinct’.

Don’t be too quick to dismiss a helmet which doesn't tick all the boxes. For example, in the early 1980's some Avon & Somerset Police officers were known to replace their plastic helmet plate with the older metal version with three lug fixings. This would involve making three new additional holes by drill or just punched through using a screwdriver. Some of the first plastic shell helmets used by the Port of Bristol Police still used their metal lug helmet plates attached in this way. It can be difficult to determine if something is 100% original, unless you acquired it directly from the original owner or other reliable source. Also, some helmet plates were crudely attached when first issued and not always perfectly straight. This may give the impression it has been added later. Avon & Somerset Constabulary Police helmets do not appear on eBay very often. Those which do are not always genuine.

The photographs in my other sections can be used for reference when evaluating Avon & Somerset Constabulary helmets. Whilst these helmets have used the black version of metal band around the outside, since around 2015 they have adopted the chrome band on all new helmets now issued.

Values
As is often the case with collectibles, helmet values vary widely, depending on age, rarity and condition. It would be fair to say that a standard cork or modern helmet could be between £35-£45. Modern helmets without badges usually sell for less. At the other end of the scale, certain helmets can sell for almost £1,000.

UK buying from the USA (pre-Brexit)
Occasionally, some extremely good examples of older cork helmets appear on eBay USA. Bear in mind that any purchase over about $40 is subject to import taxes to the UK and can prove expensive. However, eBay's Global Shipping Programme now makes this process much simpler for the buyer. Under this scheme, the seller is instructed to post the item to a local courier who then arranges for overseas delivery. The import tax is estimated in advance (based on the value) and included in the final invoice. So there's no import duty to pay when it arrives. Be aware that for larger items coming from the USA, the postage, packing and import duty could almost double the final purchase price. However, this could still be worthwhile for the right helmet in the right condition. I've used eBay's Global Shipping Programme myself without any problems.