Bidspirit auction | A RENAISSANCE STEEL BREAST PLATE

A RENAISSANCE STEEL BREAST PLATE WITH A BULLET HOLE, GERMANY, 16TH C. - A steel breastplate from Renaissance-era Germany, then the Holy Roman Empire, with a clear indication of its use in battle due to the bullet hole found at the bottom left of the breastplate. Considering the thickness of the steel, it must have been a particularly powerful shot, possibly from a wall gun. The relative crudeness of construction and only partial coverage afforded by this piece give reason to believe that this belonged to a lower-ranking soldier, though one with at least the funds available to buy basic metal armor, probably a middle-class burgher or person of similar social rank. The piece bears 5 holes, which would have been used to affix the plate to one's chest, one of the holes being at the point at which the bullet penetrated the armor. Germany, 16th century. Please make all inquiries before bidding. All lots are sold ”as-is”, refer to our T&C. Helios Auctions offers in-house shipping. In case we can not accommodate a shipping request, a list of additional shippers will be provided. Dimensions: L: 12 1/2 in., (31.8 cm.) Condition: Good. Steel is still solid. Some light oxidation across the surface. The bottom right corner is chipped. One large hole to the bottom left caused by a bullet.