The price includes a 4% credit card fee. If you pay by check, money order, or bank wire, the discounted price is $6,995 delivered within the contiguous United States.
A 123 year old serial number matching diving helmet that has never been modified is a rare treasure of diving history.
This is a beautiful A.J. Morse & Son diving helmet made circa 1900. When one thinks of an American antique diving helmet, this is the quintessential image that comes to mind. Configured as a 3 light 12 bolt model (3 windows and 12 bolts on the breastplate), this was favored among many divers in the 19th Century. In the 1904 A.J. Morse & Son catalog, this model is referred to as, The Most Popular Helmet In Use.
This helmet is a full serial number matching example. A.J. Morse would stamp their helmets with the serial number on both neck rings and all four brails. This helmet’s number is 1244, which allows us to place a manufacturer date of circa 1900. It’s amazing that all the major parts have remained together after all this time.
Unlike a majority of helmets made during the 19th Century, this one was not upgraded with communications at a later date. The diver that used this helmet relied on the original method of rope singles to convey messages!
The helmet is in overall wonderful condition. It does exhibit some working dents with a few being larger, all of which is to be expected from a 100+ helmet that was actually used. The helmets exhaust, air elbow, internal air vents, safety latch, window guards, glass, four brails, and twelve wing nuts are all intact. One of the wing nuts appears to be a replacement. All four brails retain the original Morse stampings. All the glass is caulked in with old red lead paste. Each piece of glass has one hole, which appears to have been purposely done to prevent the helmet from being easily used. An early unstamped non-return valve is present on the air fitting. There are no holes in the copper body. A consistent patina on the copper body with hints of the original tinning is present, giving this helmet is warm, clean appearance.
Discovering antique commercial diving helmets like this is very difficult. If you have always wanted a true piece of American diving history dating to the late 1800s / early 1900s, here is your chance!
All helmets sold by Nations Attic Inc. will have a certificate of authenticity (COA). This COA will have a serial # on it that will match the # on a tamperproof holographic decal placed on the inside of the helmet. This level of security and long-term assurance of the helmet’s authenticity is unmatched in the industry and very important to us.
The price includes a 4% credit card fee. If you pay by check, money order, or bank wire, the discounted price is $6,995 delivered within the contiguous United States.