Imperial German WWI Armor Breastplate

Imperial German WWI Armor Breastplate

First pattern armor has dark oxidized patina and a light pitted texture, likely an old battlefield recovery piece.  Maker marks are no longer visible.  Breastplate only - lacks the three descending size sporran armor segment plates, but these breastplates are always impressive, even when displayed on their own.  The armor sets were primarily issued to soldiers with static duties, such as machine gun teams and sentries, who faced concentrated enemy fire while stationary or defending advanced posts, but it saw limited experimental use by assault troops as well, on the theory that it would be useful when crossing no-man's-land, and then could quickly be discarded for ease of mobility when the rough work in the enemy's trenches was at hand.  One of the more notable period photos of German armor shows it in great heaps, collected by French troops after one such fight.  $200 - $300