The custodian helmet is the modern name applied to the helmet worn by male police officers in England and Wales (and formerly in Scotland) and certain other places around the world. It is synonymous with the "bobby on the beat" image. Claimed by some sources to have been based on the spiked pickelhaube worn by the Prussian Army, it was first adopted by the London Metropolitan Police in 1863 to replace the "stovepipe" top hat worn since 1829. 

There are two styles today: comb-style top and rosetop. Helmets closely following the British model were widely worn by the police forces of Canada, Australia and New Zealand from the late nineteenth century on.

Bermuda is one of the other current forces using this style police helmet and that is what is up for bid in our live auction.