The “Imperial-Italic”, were in shape similar to the Imperial-Gallic but because of their simplicity of construction technique and lack of decoration, they have been placed as being made by Italian smiths and probably based on the Greco-Etruscan and Italian helmets of the Republican period. They were in use from the late 1st BC to early 3rd century AD. Several types used twist on crests that were held in a “T” shaped holder on the crown. The earliest known versions of these helmets have no archaeological provenance but are claimed to have been found in Herculanium, so may have been used by the Urban Cohorts or the Praetorians.

keywords: Roman helmet, brass, carbon steel, first century, imperial italic B, reenactment, second century