Posts: 1,470
Threads: 253
Joined: Sep 2007
Reputation:
3
I have seen several different versions of this helmet reconstructed in brass
offered by numerous vendors but photos of originals are scarce.
I found the black and white one below but no others. Some sources cite that several helmets were found in rivers. The photo looks like it may have the stud type chinstrap arrangement rather than rings.
John Kaler
MSG, USA
Retired
Posts: 4,887
Threads: 163
Joined: Aug 2002
Reputation:
0
Send me a PM John. :wink:
Posts: 208
Threads: 3
Joined: Jan 2008
Reputation:
0
Yeah, it´s a Coolus-C from Schaan in Lichtenstein, Switzerland. Probably from the early Empire. It exist another helmet from Oberaden, nearly exact the same, but from iron.
Marcus Iulius Chattus
_______________________
Marcus-Gerd Hock
Me that ave been what i´ve been-
Me that ave gone where i´ve gone-
Me that ave seen what i´ve seen-
...Me!
(Rudyard Kipling)
Posts: 4,887
Threads: 163
Joined: Aug 2002
Reputation:
0
There were two almost identical helmets probably from the same armourer found at Schaan.
Definately double tie-ring and stud fastening John. See the Deepeeka reconstruction It's very good.
Posts: 208
Threads: 3
Joined: Jan 2008
Reputation:
0
Oh, i don´t know that  hock:
I ever thought there are only this brass helmet and the iron one.
Marcus Iulius Chattus
_______________________
Marcus-Gerd Hock
Me that ave been what i´ve been-
Me that ave gone where i´ve gone-
Me that ave seen what i´ve seen-
...Me!
(Rudyard Kipling)
Posts: 1,470
Threads: 253
Joined: Sep 2007
Reputation:
3
Here is the thread about the Deepeeka model with photos.
http://www.romanarmy.com/rat/viewtopic.php?p=87480
Studs and double rings Hooray!
John Kaler
MSG, USA
Retired
Posts: 208
Threads: 3
Joined: Jan 2008
Reputation:
0
Nice reconstruction. It´s a very simple helmet, like most of this type. But, i think the bowl from the original looks a little bit small.
Marcus Iulius Chattus
_______________________
Marcus-Gerd Hock
Me that ave been what i´ve been-
Me that ave gone where i´ve gone-
Me that ave seen what i´ve seen-
...Me!
(Rudyard Kipling)
Posts: 2,253
Threads: 31
Joined: Jan 2001
Reputation:
0
The bowls of Coolus C and Coolus E are practically indistinguishable, except that Robinson decided that if it had a crest knob it was E and if it did not it was a C. Note that these two from Schaan and Oberaden are practically the only Coolus helmets found with their cheekpieces! Robinson associated the type E cheekpiece with the type E bowl, but that's just guesswork. Several type E bowls were found at Xanten, along with more Type C cheekpieces than type E.
SOOOooooooo--I consider them interchangeable! If you want one with a knob and type C cheekpieces, that's fine, or if you want no knob and type E cheekpieces, that's fine, too.
Dozens of Coolus helmets have been found, mostly type E. Far more common than any of the Imperial Gallic or Italic types.
Vale,
Matthew
Matthew Amt (Quintus)
Legio XX, USA
<a class="postlink" href="http://www.larp.com/legioxx/">http://www.larp.com/legioxx/
Posts: 342
Threads: 10
Joined: Jan 2006
Reputation:
5
Quote: Dozens of Coolus helmets have been found, mostly type E. Far more common than any of the Imperial Gallic or Italic types.
Dozens indeed! My own information runs to 60 or more of the things! (This includes the closely-related Coolus-Mannheim types). However, the largest group is the Montefortino - with around 150 known examples. By contrast, as you suggested, the Imperial Gallic types form a smaller group with fewer than 50 known. The cavalry 'sport' helmets are also well-represented; over 100 of these being listed now.
As to why this should be so .... well, I suspect it's something to do with the metal itself. Being made from bronze, the Montefortino and Coolus types would tend to survive better in the ground. Imperial Gallics and Italics, being made mainly from iron, would not tend to survive well, except under some very special circumstances of cold and anaerobic conditions. A lot of these helmets seem to have been votive offerings, tipped into water - iron would not be expected to last for 2,000 years thus!
One of these days we are going to have to look again at Robinson's system for typing these helmets. Some of the type characteristics are based on only single examples while others are beginning to look somewhat suspect. I personally have great difficulty in believing that some of the helmets that HRR classified as (late) Montefortino types are not actually Coolus - to me they look identical, or at best have only very minor differences!
Mike Thomas (Caratacus)
visne scire quod credam? credo orbes volantes exstare.
Posts: 1,470
Threads: 253
Joined: Sep 2007
Reputation:
3
I see there is some evidence that a few of the Coolus C/E helmets were
Bronze and some were tinned. Would a tinned Bronze or Iron version be well accepted on the reenactment field?
John Kaler
MSG, USA
Retired
Member Legio V (Tennessee)
Posts: 2,253
Threads: 31
Joined: Jan 2001
Reputation:
0
As far as I know, virtually all Coolus helmets were brass or bronze. I only remember one iron one that Robinson mentions, and it's such a blob of rust that it could be almost anything...
That said, the center helmet in this photo is a Coolus C that I made from a Civil Defense helmet many years ago. Still have it, though we have enough good spares now that it doesn't see much service.
http://www.larp.com/legioxx/JasnGreg.jpg
Hey, it's got a one-piece bowl! And it certainly wasn't a big investment.
Vale,
Matthew
Matthew Amt (Quintus)
Legio XX, USA
<a class="postlink" href="http://www.larp.com/legioxx/">http://www.larp.com/legioxx/
|
![[Image: smallparmarat.jpg]](http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b242/peronis/smallparmarat.jpg)
