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Exceptional vintage Notre Dame leather football helmet from a very large collection of historic Fighting Irish memorabilia.
This helmet shows extensive period use and wear consistent with actual football game use and is marked with several highly significant handwritten references:
“1924”
“ND NATIONAL CHAMP”
“FOUR HORSEMEN”
There is also an additional handwritten marking on the opposite side that appears to read “DON.”
The 1924 Notre Dame Fighting Irish, coached by Knute Rockne, finished 10-0 and won the National Championship. The legendary backfield known as the Four Horsemen consisted of Harry Stuhldreher, Don Miller, Jim Crowley and Elmer Layden.
Given the period construction, Notre Dame-style striping, extensive use, collection provenance, and the handwritten references to the 1924 National Championship and Four Horsemen, we believe this is very likely an authentic Notre Dame game-used helmet associated with that era.
The “DON” marking is especially interesting because Don Miller was one of the Four Horsemen. However, we have not had the helmet professionally authenticated and are not representing the specific Don Miller attribution as verified.
HELMET DETAILS:
• Vintage leather football helmet
• Notre Dame-style brown/gold leather shell
• Dark navy/black crossing leather straps
• Heavy stitched construction
• Numerous ventilation holes
• Early suspension-style interior
• Extensive game-use wear
• “1924” handwritten on exterior
• “ND NATIONAL CHAMP” handwritten on exterior
• “FOUR HORSEMEN” handwritten on exterior
• Additional marking appears to read “DON”
• From a very large collection of vintage Notre Dame memorabilia
CONDITION:
Heavy authentic vintage wear throughout, including leather cracking, scuffing, abrasions, discoloration, finish loss, edge deterioration, stitching wear and substantial interior wear.
The helmet presents exactly as a heavily used early football helmet and has not been restored by us.
IMPORTANT ATTRIBUTION NOTE:
This helmet has not been professionally authenticated as a 1924 Notre Dame game-worn helmet or as having been worn by Don Miller.
That said, based on the helmet’s period construction, Notre Dame-style appearance, substantial game-use wear, collection provenance, and the handwritten “1924 / ND National Champ / Four Horsemen” markings, we believe a genuine Notre Dame game-used connection is very likely.
Please examine all photographs carefully. They show the exact helmet being offered and are an important part of the description and attribution.
