Make us a reasonable offer and we just might take it - July 14th to July 16th only! 
 
The price includes credit card fee. If you pay by check, money order, or bank wire, the discounted price is $19,500 delivered within the contiguous United States.
 
Presented is an exceptionally rare OCEAN SYSTEMS INC. Helium Recirculator, dating to the early 1960s. With its imposing silhouette, intricate maze of brass valves and fittings, and beautifully aged bronze and copper surfaces, this is one of the most visually captivating commercial diving helmets ever produced. Few helmets command attention quite like an early helium recirculator, and even fewer survive in such complete, original condition.
 
This remarkable example is complete and retains a rich, untouched patina that highlights decades of professional use while preserving its unmistakable industrial character. Originally stored in the workshop of legendary helmet builder Bob Ratcliffe, the breastplate retains both its OCEAN SYSTEMS INC. OPERATIONS identification plaque and the original oblong company asset tag bearing inventory number M-6865-431, providing an outstanding level of historical provenance.
 
This helmet represents an important transitional period in commercial diving history. It was almost certainly part of Dan Wilson's General Offshore Divers inventory before the company became OCEAN SYSTEMS in 1964. During this pioneering era, Bob Ratcliffe worked alongside Wilson and other innovators to develop the company's early helium demand helmets while also converting standard Yokohama air helmets into Bob Kirby's revolutionary helium recirculator design.
 
Collectors will appreciate the distinctive features unique to these early Ratcliffe conversions. The helmet incorporates a U.S. Navy Mark V transceiver housing adapted for the communications speaker, along with the uncommon brass mounting bar on the upper left side of the bonnet for attaching a diving light. The original Victor welding torch valves, ingeniously adapted to regulate breathing gas flow, remain in place, showcasing the practical engineering solutions that defined the earliest days of mixed-gas commercial diving.
 
The helmet is in outstanding original condition. The bonnet still displays subtle planishing marks from its manufacture, a detail rarely preserved on examples of this age. The threaded screw-in ports exhibit only light handling marks and engage smoothly. The spring-loaded locking pin, Victor gas control valves, and exhaust valve all operate properly, further reflecting the exceptional state of preservation.
 
The historical importance of this helmet extends well beyond its rarity. Around 1965, Ratcliffe and several colleagues departed OCEAN SYSTEMS to establish Cal Dive, where the experience gained designing and building these pioneering helium recirculators and demand helmets directly influenced the creation of the legendary Rat Hat helmets. Cal Dive would later evolve into Oceaneering International, one of the most influential commercial diving companies in the world, with Ratcliffe remaining an integral part of its success for many years.
 
Combining extraordinary visual appeal, documented commercial diving provenance, remarkable originality, and direct ties to several of the most influential figures and companies in the history of mixed-gas diving, this early OCEAN SYSTEMS helium recirculator stands among the most desirable and historically significant commercial diving helmets available to today's advanced collector. Opportunities to acquire an example of this caliber are exceedingly rare.
 
All helmets sold by Nation’s Attic Inc. will come with 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 helmets authenticity is un-matched in the industry and very important to us.
 
The display stand shown in the photographs is not included but may be purchased separately at a discounted price. The helmet will be professionally packed in a specially prepared shipping container and shipped via FedEx. Worldwide shipping is available; contact us for a shipping quote outside the US.
 
The price includes credit card fee. If you pay by check, money order, or bank wire, the discounted price is $19,500 delivered within the contiguous United States.