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assuming it's authentic, and it sure appears to be so, this is hands down the rarest helmet i've seen hit the market since i've been collecting - a late 40s early 50s university of michigan riddell rt (riddell tenite) helmet. this thing is so rare that it makes the extremely rare "executioner" style leather football helmet appear commonplace. as a matter of fact, i would say that only a los angeles rams rt from the same era would be more rare. i mean these things just aren't around.
there is so much about this helmet that makes it very special, so much to like about it - the incredible rarity, the classic and unmistakable michigan "wing" design, the proud and tremendous history of michigan's football program and its place in college football history, the fact that it's a rare transparent shell painted from the inside as well as an example of one of the earliest football helmets to ever have sported a logo/design - it goes on and on.
i contacted the seller and warned him not to take any private "offers" - that they would certainly be less than what the lid could fetch if left to run its course. i also suggested that he seriously consider ending the auction early and consigning it to an auction house with a reputation for attracting serious sports memorabilia collectors. imo this lid could/should fetch thousands if positioned correctly given that it could very well be one of a very few left in existence. i didn't hear back from the guy but he did end his auction - hopefully he didn't get taken!
here are a few photos of the helmet - notice the cracks in the blue paint which have allowed yellow to come through. this is because the lid, originally transparent, was first masked on the inside to form the "wings" and then sprayed navy blue. the tape was then removed creating a navy blue helmet with a transparent wing design. the entire interior was then sprayed yellow, allowed to dry, and then sprayed a protective coat of gray resulting in the famous michigan design beneath the transparent shell. the identical process was used for the rams helmets during that era.
a few photos from the era showing michigan players sporting riddell rt helmets - also a photo of the rams' van brocklin sporting his rt.
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