Certifying Authenticity Of Diving Helmets
One of the most common questions we receive from first-time antique diving helmet buyers is how do I know the diving helmet I’m buying is authentic? That is a smart question all collectors should ask when making their first purchase.
It’s always a good idea to buy valuable antiques from a trusted and established dealer who will stand behind the items they sell. In many collecting fields items are being encapsulated into tamperproof cases and certified with a condition grade, like coins, sports cards, and comic books. In the collecting world of vintage diving helmets, enclosing the helmet in a case is not practical.
Starting in 2019 Nation’s Attic decided to start authenticating and certifying all the antique and vintage diving helmets they sell. This process involves three steps that will ensure current and future owners of the diving helmet that it is authentic.
After a helmet has been assessed by Nation’s Attic, it is photographed in high resolution. The two best representative photos of the diving helmet are chosen and placed on a certificate of authenticity or COA. The COA will also contain unique details about the diving helmet such as serial number, manufacturer, age, model, and any known history. The COA will lastly have a unique serial number included on it, making the document unique to that very helmet.
The COA’s serial number will match a number that is on a custom tamperproof holographic decal. These decals have Nation’s Attic logo, website address, and unique serial number on them. The holographic decal is placed on the inside of the diving helmet in an inconspicuous location. The decal can be removed, but removal will destroy it, making it impossible to replace or be placed on a different helmet.
The last step Nation’s Attic provides is a digital record of the certificate of authenticity for each and every diving helmet we sell. This allows us to reference any helmets we have issued a COA for and reprint them if necessary. The holographic decals can not be reproduced.
From 2019 to 2022 Nations Attic has authenticated over 200 vintage and antique diving helmets! It is our goal to ensure current, and future collectors of antique diving helmets have a trusted method and source to be confident they own a real piece of diving history.
For more information, please visit our website here or call Nation’s Attic at 316-371-1828 / email us at helmets@nationsattic.com