Micheal, to improve the contrast of the wording perhaps you could try to rub charcoal dust over it before re-photographing. ( you could also use a dark coloured wax crayon ....but you would need to use mild heat (hair dryer) or, I think, acetone (nail varnish remover, wives and girlfriends are a great source of chemicals
) will remove the wax held in the grooves of the text afterwards) Or perhaps you could do the 'brass rubbing technique' .....thinner paper would give you more detail and ideally should be taped to the armour to stop it moving whilst 'rubbing the pencil lead over it. (a soft pencil 2B would be better than say an HB (average hardness) ...definately avoid a H rated lead....too hard )
A really nice object, by the way
Kind Regards David