What is a coal helmet?

A coal helmet is a specific style of open bucket. The shape features a high back and an angled, scooped front. This design makes it easier to tip fuel into a narrow grate. They often sit on a pedestal base.

I have a wooden box that holds fuel but it has a slanted door on the front, is this still considered a bucket?

Dealers call that form a purdonium. It does the same job but hides the dirty fuel inside a wooden carcase. Most have a removable metal liner. You lift the liner out by its own handles to refill it in the cellar.

How should I clean the brass?

Regular dusting keeps most hearth metal in good order. If the brass has dulled, a mild liquid polish will lift the tarnish. Buff it away with a soft cloth to restore the shine.

My bucket has a thick black coating inside that feels quite rough to the touch, should I try to scrape this out?

Leave the internal surface alone. That dark layer is a mixture of old coal dust, soot and moisture that has hardened over decades of use. Stripping it out exposes the bare metal underneath to damp air. This often accelerates rust in iron vessels.

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Antique Coal Buckets from the 19th Century

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Designed to carry fuel from the cellar to the hearth, antique coal buckets are typically robust metal or wooden vessels equipped with a sturdy handle and an angled lip for tipping.