A Fabulous, Circa 1804, Peninsular War & Waterloo British Light Dragoon Pistol From the Tower of London. GR Crown Tower Stamped Ordnance Issue, Superb Walnut Stock. Just Arrived Today & An Incredibly Inexpensive Light Dragoon Service Pistol

Traditional New Land pattern service issue brass mounts, trigger guard, side plate and skull crusher butt cap. Stunning piece with superb steel and amazing patination to the finest walnut stock. Converted and adapted in the 1830’s to the all new and improved percussion action system. A New Land pattern flintlock that was adapted and upgraded, for decades of future service, after around 20 years of prior service in the British Army front rank cavalry during the Napoleonic Wars, with a replacement self contained ram rod, and the new waterproof percussion action conversion.

There is an incredible saving of around £1000 to be made on this wonderful piece of original Tower of London issue British dragoon history.
This pistol was manufactured at the Tower armoury circa 1804, and its lock was inspected and stamped by Richard Duce, who was the official lock inspector from 1797 to 1818. His official ordnance stamp was the Crown over a broad arrow, alongside the regulation Crown GR mark and Tower. There are further ordnance stamps, such as a regulation GR stamped upon the finest walnut stock and its barrel tang. The barrel also has regulation proof stamps.

Introduced in the 1796 and in production by 1802, the New Land Cavalry Pistol provided one model of pistol for all of Britain's light cavalry and horse artillery.

The service of British Cavalry regiments, particularly the Light Dragoons, proved essential in the mastery of the Indian Subcontinent. The Duke of Wellington, then Arthur Wellesley, was primarily recognized for his military genius by his battles in India.

This fine pistol would have seen service in such as the 10th Light Dragoons aka 10th Hussars.
In 1806, the regiment was again re-designated, this time becoming a hussar regiment as the 10th (Prince of Wales's Own) Regiment of (Light) Dragoons (Hussars), and sailed for Corunna in Spain in November 1808. The regiment saw action at the Battle of Sahagún in December 1808 and the Battle of Benavente later in December 1808 during the Peninsular War. At Benavente the regiment captured General Charles Lefebvre-Desnouettes, the French cavalry commander.The regiment then took part in the Battle of Corunna in January 1809 before returning to England.

In 1813, having landed once more in Spain, the regiment fought at the Battle of Morales in June 1813.15 During the battle the regiment destroyed the 16th French Dragoons between Toro and Zamora, taking around 260 prisoners. The regiment also fought at the Battle of Vitoria later in the month while still in Spain and then, having advanced into France, fought at the Battle of Orthez in February 1814 and the Battle of Toulouse in April 1814. As part of the 6th Cavalry Brigade, the regiment charged the French cavalry and infantry at the Battle of Waterloo in June 1815

Cavalry was the 'shock' arm, with lances, pistols and sabres the principal hand weapons. The division between 'heavy' and light was very marked during Wellington's time: 'heavy' cavalry were huge men on big horses, 'light' cavalry were more agile troopers on smaller mounts who could harass as well as shock.
During the Napoleonic Wars, French cavalry was unexcelled. Later as casualties and the passage of years took their toll, Napoleon found it difficult to maintain the same high standards of cavalry performance. At the same time, the British and their allies steadily improved on their cavalry, mainly by devoting more attention to its organization and training as well as by copying many of the French tactics, organisation and methods. During the Peninsular War, Wellington paid little heed to the employment of cavalry in operations, using it mainly for covering retreats and chasing routed French forces. But by the time of Waterloo it was the English cavalry that smashed the final attack of Napoleon's Old Guard.
Small field service repair on the forward underside of the stock by the ramrod channel, with late replacement non swivel rammer, a nice strong main spring, and the action holds on one cocking action, likely due to slight age wear on the sear..

See picture 10 in the gallery; Another Reason To Visit Brighton-by-the-Sea This Summer. To Visit the Magnificent Pavilion Palace & View ‘The Encampment At Brighton’, a painting of British Light Dragoons on the hills at Brighton, by Francis Wheatley, RA, 1747-1801. Which We Were Most Proud To Assist & Enable Our Donation of the Painting to Brighton Museum 50 Years Ago

Every single item from The Lanes Armoury is accompanied by our unique Certificate of Authenticity. Part of our continued dedication to maintain the standards forged by us over the past 100 years of our family’s trading, as Britain’s oldest established, and favourite, armoury and gallery  read more

Code: 25428

A Fabulous Solid Silver Mounted 'Naval' Captain or Admirals Sword, Near Matching Admiral Don Francisco Xavier Winthuysen's Sword, That Was Surrendered to Commodore Nelson at the Battle of Cape St Vincent in 1797

Superb French hunting hanger with carved hilt with fancy solid silver crossguard and mounts bearing French hallmark with pair of carved grip plates held with fancy flower head silver rivets and engraved silver rim edging. With superbly engraved blade bearing stunning mystical talismanic and cabbalistic engravings including the portrait bust of an Ottoman Grand Sultan. It was written centuries past that a fine blade might be engraved with; "a talisman to make one beloved, to defeat the ill wishes of all enemies". They could be a number or combination with a cabbalistic meaning known only to the owner and the magician who sold him the spell. The number might be, for example, 1441, thought to be a combination of the number 7, a specifically lucky number,

From a collection of very fine surrendered swords from senior officer's of French and Spanish warships that fought against Nelson's fleets.


An incredibly similar sword surrendered to Commodore Nelson at the battle of St Vincent 1797 that of Rear-Admiral Don Francisco Xavier Winthuysen the Spanish admiral who died aboard the San José that sword is now in Norfolk museum collection. See photo 9 in the gallery that shows the extremely similar French silver hilt mount close-up of the Spanish Admiral’s sword in the Norfolk Museum unpolished that shows it may have been made by the same French maker.
We also show the sword surrendered to Nelson at the battle of St Vincent, and standing next to Nelson painted by Sir William Beechy
Sir William Beechey (1753 - 1839)
Location:Norwich Castle.

The Battle of Cape St. Vincent (14 February 1797) was one of the opening battles of the Anglo-Spanish War (1796–1808), as part of the French Revolutionary Wars, where a British fleet under Admiral Sir John Jervis defeated a greatly superior Spanish fleet under Admiral Don José de Córdoba y Ramos near Cape St. Vincent, Portugal.

After a rendezvous with Jervis in the Atlantic off Cape St. Vincent on the previous day, Nelson on February 14, 1797, found himself sailing in mist through a Spanish fleet of 27 ships. The Spaniards were sailing in two divisions and Jervis planned to cut between the two and destroy one before the other could come to its assistance. But he had miscalculated, and it became clear that the British ships would not be able to turn quickly enough to get into action before the Spanish squadrons closed up. Without orders from Jervis, Nelson hauled out of line and attacked the head of the second Spanish division. While the rest of Jervis’ fleet slowly turned and came up in support, Nelson held the two Spanish squadrons apart, at one time fighting seven enemy ships. The efficiency of British gunnery was decisive, and he not only boarded and captured one enemy man-of-war but, from her deck, boarded and took a second.

The Battle of Cape St. Vincent won for Jervis the earldom of St. Vincent and for Nelson a knighthood, which coincided with his promotion by seniority to rear admiral. His first action in command of a major independent force, however, was disastrous. In the course of an assault on Tenerife, a grapeshot shattered his right elbow, and back in his flagship the arm was amputated.

Overall nice condition with some age pitting to blade.
Every single item from The Lanes Armoury is accompanied by our unique Certificate of Authenticity. Part of our continued dedication to maintain the standards forged by us over the past 100 years of our family’s trading, as Britain’s oldest established, and favourite, armoury and gallery  read more

Code: 24593

A Very Fine Pair of Absolutely Beautiful French, Napoleonic 1st Empire Period, Circa 1804, Duelling Pistols, by Arlot of Paris, Near Identical To Napoleon's Pair of Duelling Pistols Taken at Waterloo

Made circa 1804 by master gunsmith and maker to the King of France, Jean Arlot of Paris. Jean Arlot was a very fine gunmaker, based in Paris [c.1780-1815] and was the Royal gunmaker to King Louis XVI, prior to the French Revolution. These wonderful pistols were made in the period when Napoleon declared himself Emperor of all France, known as the 1st French Empire Period. There is a most similar beautiful pair of French duellers in the Rijksmuseum in Holland [see them in our photo gallery for comparison] that belonged to Napoleon Bonaparte, those pistols came into the possession of Lieutenant Henry Sagermans of Brussels shortly after the Battle of Waterloo. Sagermans claimed the pistols were found in Napoleon's travel carriage which had been abandoned near the battlefield. This French Empire period pair of pistols were originally crafted in the late flintlock period and then expertly converted to percussion, including careful engraving the hammer in order to match the original lock’s engraving which are signed "ARLOT" at the centres. The swamped barrels have fine "micro-groove" style rifling, a dovetailed blade front sight, engraved Bachereau "A PARIS", a sighting groove that extends onto the breech plug, and a notch rear sight within the groove. They are also equipped with adjustable single set triggers, very finely engraved furniture, spurred trigger guards, and a chequered and carved half-stocks. Fine with 85% plus blue finish light case colours, crisp engraving, grey and brown patina on the balance, and general light age and storage related wear. Aside from a single hairline crack the stocks are superb, and they have crisp carving and micro chequering with light wear commensurate for age.

Napoleon gifted allies and personal friends with splendid weapons from the Versailles Arms Factory, very similar to this stunning pair. Such presents could be expensive even for luxury goods: King Charles IV of Spain, an ally of France and a dedicated huntsman, received a set of nine guns, also a pair of duelling pistols which cost 130,000 francs (which was the equivalent of 36,000 days of wages for a skilled tradesman in those days, thus approx 12 years pay).

Napoleon and the art of honouring loyalty and bravery

In France, it was customary for the King to award weapons of honour for exceptional service. Awarding royal military honours was stopped with the abolition of the monarchy in 1792, but reinstated a couple of years later by Napoleon, then Commander-in-chief.
Napoleon first awarded arms of honour for individual acts of bravery during the Italian campaign of 1796-1797, and he decided to increase doing so in an order from 28 August 1797. The distribution of weapons of honour was made official by the Consulate in an order from 25. December. Napoleon regulated which ranks received what kind of arms: officers received pistols, grenadiers and the line infantry received rifles or sabres, and the cavalry troops received rifles, too.

The gifts Napoleon made to military heroes and statesmen were also admired by the British. While usually not being present with them, they bought or took them from Napoleon’s fallen allies that were defeated in the war or went into exile. The 1st Marquess Wellesley, Brother to Arthur Wellesley, presented George, The Prince of Wales, in May 1810 with a pair of flintlock rifled pistols. Its barrel was inlaid with gold ornaments. It is part of the Royal Collection Trust

practices and rituals were codified in the Code Duello of 1777 which set forth rules describing all aspects of an "affair of honour," from the time of day during which challenges could be received to the number of shots or wounds required for satisfaction of honour. For gentlemen the law "offered no redress for insults" he might be subject to from rivals and enemies. Shooting a fellow officer in a duel "gave a sharp edge to one's reputation, earned congratulations in the regimental mess, and brought admiring glances from the ladies. Higher military authorities regarded duelling as a proof test of courage" Although theoretically banned by British Army regulations, refusing a challenge was likely to result in an officer having to leave his regiment, for the same rules that banned duelling forbade an officer from submitting to "opprobrious expressions" or "any conduct from another that should degrade him, or, in the smallest way impeach his courage." To decline a challenge was often equated to defeat by forfeiture, and was sometimes even regarded as dishonourable. Prominent and famous individuals ran an especial risk of being challenged for duels.
Among the most famous duels are the American Burr-Hamilton duel, in which notable Federalist Alexander Hamilton was fatally wounded, and the duel between Duke of Wellington and the 10th Earl of Winchilsea, wherein each participant intentionally missed the other. In New Orleans in 1817 wealthy Creole Bernard de Marigny challenged American blacksmith James Humble to a duel. Humble at nearly seven feet tall had the advantage of size but had never so much as handled a weapon before, and Marigny was only five-nine but a deadly fighter. But by tradition, Humble, as the challenged party, had choice of weapons and location. His choice: the duel would be fought with blacksmith hammers standing in six feet of water in Lake Pontchartrain. Marigny immediately declared that he could not possibly harm a man with such a sense of humour and invited Humble home for dinner. Some were fought over matters of great import, such as Whig leader George Tierney's challenge to William Pitt, after the prime minister accused him of a lack of patriotism; while at the other extreme, in 1721, two Irishmen fought over the correct spelling of a Greek word. Natchez, Mississippi: September 20, 1827: Formidable frontier knife fighter Jim Bowie was shot twice, stabbed "many" times, and had a sword impaled in his chest but still managed to stand, fight, and kill in a gentlemen's duel gone dreadfully wrong.

Since duelling is illegal in Mississippi, it all happened on a sandbar on the Louisiana side of the Mississippi River just west of here, yesterday. Samuel Wells of Natchez faced Louisiana doctor Thomas Maddox in a pistol duel. Each man had a large contingency of witnesses. Both men were allowed two shots at each other. Both missed. So, the actual duel ended with a laugh, with a handshake and with the opening of a bottle of wine, celebrating the duellers new found friendship.

Bowie was Wells second in the duel, and Judge R.A. Crane from Louisiana was Dr. Maddox's second.

As the wine flowed so, suddenly, did the anger, not between the duellists but between the two seconds, Jim Bowie and Judge Crane.

Crane pulled a pistol and fired twice. A bullet punctured Bowie's thigh. He went down. The second bullet hit Bowie's friend Dr. Samuel Cuney, who was there just to witness the duel. He slumped to his knees, then toppled face first to the sand? dead.

Brawling bloody bedlam began. Friends of each dueler became mortal enemies. Bullets whined through gun smoke, and knife blades slashed in the sun.

Major Norris Wright, a banker from Alexandria who hated Jim Bowie and had tried to kill him before, took the opportunity to unsheathe his cane sword and impale Bowie in the chest as Bowie lay wounded on the ground. With the sword still sticking in his chest, Bowie grabbed Wright's coattails and pulled Wright toward him on the ground, slashing Wright's mid-section back and forth with his big, curved knife, killing him instantly.

Witnesses say Bowie then stood up with the sword wobbling in his chest, a bullet in his thigh, and a knife wound gaping in his side, as attackers continued to stab him and shoot at him.

When the attacks stopped, either through fear or fatigue, two men lay dead; two more men tried to patch serious wounds; and the others wiped blood with torn shirts from their grazes and gashes.

As smoke cleared, the dead and wounded were taken by boat across the river to Natchez for civilised burial and modern medical treatment. Sometimes, however, duels were fought for political reasons. In 1798, the Prime Minister of England, William Pitt, accused George Tierney, an opposition politician, of desiring to obstruct the defence of England. Tierney demanded that Pitt withdraw the accusation; Pitt refused. Tierney challenged him to a duel, and the two met near London. The first set of shots went wild, and Pitt fired his second shot into the air, thereby vindicating honour. As with all our antique guns no license is required as they are all unrestricted antique collectables 1cm of one sideplate lacking to one reverse side of one pistol. Mechanically, both pistols are very fine indeed, of top quality craftsmanship, with fine crisp actions. 245mm barrels, overall 370mm long  read more

Code: 22574

A Rare and Original, American, Antique Civil War Remington Large Calibre Army Revolver, With an Original Wild West Rimfire Cartridge Conversion Upgrade. A Superb 5 Shot Revolver. One of The Most Interesting & Historical Guns of The Civil War & Frontier

In overall very nice condition indeed. The Remington Model 1858 was a cap & ball (also called "percussion") 44-calibre revolver, {upgraded to the larger .46-cal. rim fire in 1868} and used during the American Civil War from its close, then this rare pistol was converted to a larger cartridge, a seperate serial number added to the barrel underside, and re-finished addressed etc. and sold for use in the Wild West era onwards.
It was first used primarily as cap and ball by Union soldiers, and widely favoured over the standard issue Colt Army Model 1860 by those who could afford it, due primarily to its durability and ability to quickly reload. Of course if a gun such as this was captured in a Confederate victory it would be eagerly used by its new southern states owner as a highly prized trophy of war. It also saw considerable use in the American West, both in its original cap & ball configuration and as a metallic cartridge conversion.

At the end of our Civil War, the need to rearm with cartridge arms was an obvious imperative and signaled the end of the muzzleloading era worldwide. America was exhausted and money was tight in both the treasury and people’s pockets, yet the superiority of the copper-cased rimfire round to the paper cartridge couldn’t be ignored even though the obvious limitations of the rimfire system were soon evident. U.S. Civil War General Hiram Berdan’s bolt-action rifle, paper-patched bullet in a drawn brass case ignited by his Berdan primer electrified the world, but our Congress was in no mood to pay royalties on a new rifle and cartridge however superior—even to one of our war heroes—and our military became saddled with an inefficient inside-primed, copper-cased round developed at our arsenal for use in cartridge muskets initially converted from the vast stocks of muzzleloaders on hand.

Handguns were a different matter entirely. Smith & Wesson had locked up the bored-through cylinder patent necessary for the use of a cartridge, but only made .22s and .32s—hardly what a soldier or Indian fighter wanted to war with. The Army having to fight the war with a percussion handgun after seeing how well the Spencer and Henry cartridge rifles fared had no choice for a cartridge handgun with S&W working to renew the patent set to expire in 1869. The market was equally ready for a suitable belt-sized cartridge revolver, and the 1858 Remington was a nearly perfect platform.

While working on their own big bore, Smith & Wesson contracted with Remington to convert 4,575 1858 Army revolvers for a new .46 Short Rimfire cartridge. Of these, 4,141 were sold to wholesaler B. Kittredge & Co. in Cincinnati, Ohio for $3.36 each. That clearly puts these “modern” revolvers in the path of the folks heading West after the war. Due to the hand engraved cylinder patent date of 1855 we believe this is one of those very few intriguing revolvers. Matching six figure serial numbers on the barrel and grip frame, with matching cartridge conversion company serial numbers 2777 also on the barrel and grip frame. Several inspector's marks throughout.

There is a reason the .44 Henry wasn’t shoehorned into the first cartridge revolvers. The rimfire cartridge was nominally a .45. The “.44” in the percussion caliber is for the bore diameter, and the groove diameter was a .45. The conversion process was a lot cheaper without having to install a new barrel, and plenty of the old barrels and revolvers were on hand. Remington already chambered a .46 Long rimfire in Rolling Block carbines for use in the Civil War, and it easily transitioned into a rimfire handgun round with a shortened case and lighter heeled bullet. All these early cartridges, closely duplicated the ballistics of the combustible paper cartridges used in the percussion revolvers.

These first Remington Army conversions have been given the nickname “thin plate conversions” by collectors and were made in three versions. None had loading gates, and that likely made life interesting for those who held the revolver muzzle up while cocking! Perhaps the outside-lubricated bullets were sticky enough to keep the rounds from rocketing out. The original large rimfire was an easy transition to the 1858

A prized possession of the Remington Arms Company is a similar, original, New Model Army with ivory grips once carried by William F. "Buffalo Bill" Cody {see photo in our gallery}. The historic revolver is on display with Cody's simple handwritten note, "It never failed me". Cody carried the revolver in original percussion form well into the cartridge era, but didn't converted it to cartridge use. The Remington “Army” .44 percussion revolver was the primary competition to the Colt M1860 .44 percussion revolver during the American Civil War era. Although Sam Colt was the better salesman and marketer, Remington eventually beat Colt out of their military contracts by delivering a comparable (some felt superior) product for less money. In 1864, after the US government had finally beat Colt’s price down to $14.00 per revolver, they had been paying $20.00 or more per gun in the early days of the war, Remington agreed to furnish their “Army” revolver for only $12.00 per gun. That ended the reign of the Colt Army as the first choice for the Ordnance Department procurement officers.


In the field, even though the Colt revolver had the name and the mystique, many cavalry troopers preferred the much sturdier solid frame design of the Remington revolver. According to the research published in Remington Army & Navy Revolvers 1861-1868 by Donald L. Ware, Remington revolvers through serial 149,000 were accepted prior to the end of the Civil War. No license required to own or collect.

The New Model Army pattern
long 8 inch sighted octagonal barrel, stamped with the manufacturer's details and stamped with the serial no. 12XXXX to the underside, usual plain cylinder, usual plain frame, brass trigger guard, good two-piece varnished wooden grips.

Frank and Jesse James both owned and used Remington cartridge revolvers, at least two of which still exist: Frank’s No. 5116 and Jesse’s No. 559. An outlaw known as “Redtop” Callihan was wearing a large calibre cartridge Remington when he was gunned down in Bodie, Calif., in 1892 after allegedly killing six men with it. Businessman R.H. Bain went to Alaska with his Remington and reportedly shot two claim jumpers with it; its original belt, with holster, is stamped “KENNEDY HARDWARE, ANCHORAGE ALAS.”

This is an original antique, historical, collectable with no licence required to own or collect.

One photo in the gallery of Lee Van Cleef in ‘the Good the Bad and the Ugly’ with the Remington New Model Army.

Another photo of Clark Gable using his Remington New Model Army.

For ref;

The Cartridge Era Begins with the 1858 Remington Conversion.
Historical Arms, Old West  read more

Code: 25733

 read more

Code: 26168

A Group Of WW1 Medals for the Army Veterinary Corps. Of a WW1 Trio, Special Enlistment. & The King's Medal An LCC Medal 1914-15 for Attendance, Conduct and Industry As A London Schoolboy, Straight from School as a Special Enlistment To The Western Front

For Acting Staff Sergeant G.C.Hine AVC. Special Enlistment.

During WWI, Staff Sergeants in the Army Veterinary Corps (AVC) played a crucial role in treating and managing sick or wounded horses, mules, and pigeons, with British personnel numbers expanding from 934 to 41,755. They served on the Western Front, in the Middle East, and staffed Mobile Veterinary Sections.
Key Aspects of WWI Veterinary Staff Sergeants:
Roles & Duties: Staff Sergeants supervised the care of animals in veterinary hospitals and mobile sections. They were often stationed along lines of communication, treating wounded animals transferred from the front lines.
In British records, Staff Sergeants are listed with service numbers often prefixed by "SE" (Special Enlistment). Examples of individuals include Staff Sergt A W Baird SE/366 and Acting Serjeant Benjamin Aldred SE/18086.
In the U.S. Army, veterinary training for personnel was organized at camps like Fort Riley and Camp Lee.
The British Royal Army Veterinary Corps was vital, with many veterinarians serving as officers and managing vast numbers of animals.
While some served in veterinary hospitals, they were rarely part of the initial divisional mobile veterinary section establishment.
Many AVC personnel, including sergeants are documented in archival photos from the era.

In 1914, in Great Britain, the Army had a mere 25,000 horses at its disposal , but – thanks to a well-prepared Remount Service, the body responsible for buying and training horses – was able to identify and purchase (with varying degrees of agreement on the part of the owners) between 140,000 and 165,000 horses and mules in a matter of days after the declaration of war on Germany. This enabled Britain to enter the War with the necessary numbers of cavalry and traction animals, but was soon insufficient to maintain the supply. Enter the United States and Canada, but also Argentina. Thanks to extensive breeding of – in particular – mules, in states such as Missouri, Britain was able to import, acclimatise and then transfer to the Front some 429,000 horses and 275,000 mules. The Blue Cross estimates that, by 1917, there were 869,931 horses on active service.

While detailed information on the status of the British veterinary contingent is hard to come by, a small group of British benefactors, calling themselves ‘Our Dumb Friends’ League’ (‘dumb’ in the sense of ‘mute’), which had previously been active in the care and protection of working horses in London and other major British cities, entered the scene, establishing ten horse hospitals (and later three dog hospitals) in France.

At the height of the War, more than 80 volunteer veterinarians (and 150 assigned French soldiers) were working for the League under the banner of (the Society of) the ‘Blue Cross’, a term first coined in the Balkan War of 1912 to distinguish its stocks and facilities from those of the Red Cross.

When veterinarians are accompanying these campaigns, following a few kilometres behind the military columns, they have to deal with piercing wounds (from barbed wire, sabres, bayonets, bullets, shrapnel from exploded grenades or shells), lameness and pressure wounds from saddles and gear. The latter, especially in summertime, are often further compounded by respiratory distress due to the inhalation of dust and gunpowder, while winter brings colds due to inadequate shelter against the rain and cold weather. Much lameness is due to penetrating nails, which have come off the wooden wheels of wagons, carts and gun carriages. In addition, chronic malnutrition, lack of quality roughage, lack of water and insufficient rest are widely held responsible for intestinal tract disorders, such as colic

the number for Australia's home grown Walers sent to war was catastrophic for the breed, which is still in existence but with numbers in the hundreds...
Approximately 136,000 Australian horses, known as Walers, went to war, but only one horse, Sandy, returned to Australia.

The 1914-15 London County Council (LCC) "King's Medal" was a bronze award for exemplary school attendance, conduct, and industry. It typically features King George V on the obverse, a "1914-15" bar, and is named on the rim to the student, often coming with a ribbon on County Council (LCC), taking over from the School Board for London in 1904.
Recognising the most deserving schoolchildren for consistent attendance and good behavior.
Design Details: Bronze, 32mm diameter, featuring King George V (often with engraver "F. RANSOM") on the obverse and a, "awarded by the London County Council for attendance conduct and industry" inscription on the reverse.
These were part of a series running from the late 19th century until 1920, with 1919/20 being the final year.
These were prestigious home-front awards issued during the early years of World War I  read more

Code: 26167

A French Four Pounder Cannon Ball Fired at Waterloo Recovered at La Haye Sainte, the Battle of Waterloo. Approx 3 inches Diameter

The surface is very russetted by is nicely preserved overall, and it is a fabulous, historical, conversation piece.

Recovered alongside some relic items of combat, soldiers thimbles plus another cannon balls etc. discovered around La Haye Sainte (named either after Jesus Christ's crown of thorns or a bramble hedge round a field nearby).

It is a walled farmhouse compound at the foot of an escarpment on the Charleroi-Brussels road in Belgium. It has changed very little since it played a crucial part in the Battle of Waterloo on 18 June 1815.

La Haye Sainte was defended by about 400 King's German Legion troops during the Battle of Waterloo. They were hopelessly outnumbered by attacking French troops but held out until the late afternoon when they retired because their ammunition had run out. If Napoleon Bonaparte's army had captured La Haye Sainte earlier in the day, almost certainly he would have broken through the allied centre and defeated the Duke of Wellington's army.

The capture of La Haye Sainte in the early evening then gave the French the advantage of a defensible position from which to launch a potentially decisive attack on the Allied centre. However, Napoleon was too late—by this time, Blücher and the Prussian army had arrived on the battlefield and the outnumbered French army was defeated.

Strategic importance

A view of the battlefield from the Lion's mound. On the top right are the buildings of La Haye Sainte. This view looks east, with Allied forces behind the road to the left (north) and French forces out of shot to the right(south)
The road leads from La Belle Alliance, where Napoleon had his headquarters on the morning of the battle, through where the centre of the French front line was located, to a crossroads on the ridge which is at the top of the escarpment and then on to Brussels. The Duke of Wellington placed the majority of his forces on either side of the Brussels road behind the ridge on the Brussels side. This kept most of his forces out of sight of the French artillery.

During the night from the 17th to the 18th, the main door to the courtyard of the farm was used as firewood by the occupying troops. Therefore, when the King's German Legion (KGL) was stationed in the farm at the morning of the battle they had to hastily fortify La Haye Sainte.

The troops were the 2nd Light Battalion KGL commanded by Major Georg Baring, and part of the 1st Light Battalion KGL. During the battle, they were supported by the 1/2 Nassau Regiment and the light company of the 5th Line Battalion KGL. The majority of these troops were armed with the Baker rifle with grooved barrels, as opposed to the normal Brown Bess musket of the British Army. The French troops also used muskets which were quicker to load than the Baker rifle but the latter was more accurate and had about twice the range of a musket.

Both Napoleon and Wellington made crucial mistakes about La Haye Sainte as it was fought over and around during most of the day. Napoleon failed to allocate enough forces to take the farm earlier in the day while Wellington only realised the strategic value of the position when it was almost too late.

By 1812 the French had cannon operating on several organizational levels. Most infantry regiments had their own guns, each division would likely have a battery or two of artillery, and on top of that there would be several batteries in the reserve artillery of each Corps. It can get a bit confusing, so I decided to organize what I have and also plan ahead to make sure that I don't make too many mistakes when buying these impressive pieces.
Regimental Guns
Napoleon experimented with regimental guns already in 1809. To bolster both the impact and morale of his regiments he sprinkled out light cannon to give them some extra local firepower. This unfortunately had tactical disadvantages, since the guns could hinder the troops both when moving on the battlefield and during marches.

These were mostly smaller guns, by now completely outmatched in regular batteries. The regular infantry in 1812 were, according to research, largely equipped with 3-pounder cannon captured from Austria's impressive record of military misfortune. As far as I know these cannon came with or without a strange kind of fork-like attachment at the front.

The 9lb British “Blomfield” cannon used at the Battle of Waterloo. The heaviest type of artillery used by the British Army at Waterloo, {apart from the howitzers} it fired a solid cannonball weighing around nine pounds (about four kilos). Cannons were a vital part of warfare at the time of Waterloo, with the ability to rip through massed ranks of troops and inflict terrible casualties.

In 1780 Captain Thomas Blomfield RA was appointed Inspector of Artillery and Superintendent of the Royal Brass Foundry. Three years later he was given responsibility for re-organising the Ordnance Department. At the same time he was experimenting with new forms of ordnance. The resultant Blomfield guns had thicker breeches, thinner chases and a cascabel ring to control recoil, making them stronger without increasing their weight.

The Blomfield 9-pounder cannon, fired a round shot ball around 4 inches in diameter, was introduced to the Royal Artillery (RA) in 1805 as a response to the heavier French calibre guns. At Waterloo Wellington had 157 pieces but only 60 were 9-pdrs, in 12 batteries. The remaining 13 batteries had 6-pdrs and howitzers. Interestingly, the Dutch-Belgian and Brunswick Artillery, who fought alongside the British at Waterloo, used French cannons (known as An. XI Ordnance). Wellington employed his Royal Horse Artillery very effectively during the battle as a mobile reserve to plug holes in his line. For example, with Hougoumont under attack, Major Bull’s troop was brought forward in support from its original position towards the rear of the allied position.

The allied artillery faced 246 pieces in 34 French batteries. As was his usual tactic, Napoleon started the battle with a heavy artillery bombardment on the Allied line to soften up the enemy.

Cannons on both sides used round-shot of six nine or twelve pounds but the French also had four pounders, as is this ball. They were all lethal against columns of infantry, knocking down several men at once for as long as the ball continued to travel. Case shot or canister (tin coated iron cans) packed with smaller iron balls was devastating at close range. Only the British used spherical case (Shrapnel) where a shell was filled with small iron balls. A specially cut wooden fuse detonated a bursting charge.

Every single item from The Lanes Armoury is accompanied by our unique Certificate of Authenticity. Part of our continued dedication to maintain the standards forged by us over the past 100 years of our family’s trading  read more

Code: 26165

A Beautiful Ancient Samurai Long Sword, A Koto Period Katana Around 500 Years Old Sengoku Period With All Original Edo Period Mounts & Fittings

A most impressive and beautiful sword, a fine statement piece of any collection of oriental art. A sword mounted in wonderful original Edo period koshirae, all decorated on the theme of bamboo.
A superb pair of shakudo fuchigashira carved with bamboo leaves, shakudo is a billon of gold and copper (typically 4-10% gold, 96-90% copper) which can be treated to form an indigo/black patina resembling lacquer. Unpatinated shakudo Visually resembles bronze; the dark colour is induced by applying and heating rokusho, a special patination formula. Shakudo was historically used in Japan to construct or decorate katana fittings such as tsuba, menuki, and kozuka; as well as other small ornaments. When it was introduced to the West in the mid-19th century, it was thought to be previously unknown outside Asia, but recent studies have suggested close similarities to certain decorative alloys used in ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome.
Large iron plate tsuba with bamboo and birds, and bamboo form menuki under the green/blue silk wrap over giant rayskin. The original Edo saya is subtly decorated with incredible skill and detail with wonderful, dark, scrolling and crushed Abilene shell. Long powerful blade, with beautiful polish. The activity of the grain in the hada {blade mid section} is now visible since renovation, and it looks absolutely beautiful, especially bearing in mind it is around 500 years old.

For centuries, if not millennia, bamboo has permeated everyday Japanese life, figured in some of the country’s best-known literature and become a staple of its art, as both motif and material. Its propensity to bend yet endure makes it a cultural symbol. In both Japan and China, an ink painting of a tiger in a grove of bamboo signifies social harmony and, it would seem, political savvy, as this wily animal is among the few able to navigate the dense bamboo forest. Bamboo contains multitudes. Perhaps nowhere more than in Japan, home to over 600 species of this amazing plant, officially a subfamily of grasses but blessed with a woody stem and the ability to lift well above its weight. Japan’s ubiquitous bamboo is unsurprisingly storied. Woven artifacts evidence from the later Jomon Period (10,000-200 B.C.). The ancient nation- and culture-building texts, the “Kojiki” (Records of Ancient Matters) and “Nihon Shoki” (“The Chronicles of Japan”), record bamboo knives and combs with magical powers. The oldest surviving baskets are 8th-century offering trays kept in the Shosoin treasure house in Nara. Bamboo was obviously crucial to the 10th-century prose narrative “Taketori Monogatari” (“Tale of the Bamboo Cutter”). Tea masters of the 15th century revered seemingly artless utensils in their burgeoning spiritual practice. Emperors were gifted the choicest of bamboo wares. The Sengoku period Sengoku Jidai, "Warring States period") is a period in Japanese history of near-constant civil war, social upheaval, and intrigue from 1467 to 1615.

The Sengoku period was initiated by the Ōnin War in 1467 which collapsed the feudal system of Japan under the Ashikaga Shogunate. Various samurai warlords and clans fought for control over Japan in the power vacuum, while the Ikkō-ikki emerged to fight against samurai rule. The arrival of Europeans in 1543 introduced the arquebus into Japanese warfare, and Japan ended its status as a tributary state of China in 1549. Oda Nobunaga dissolved the Ashikaga Shogunate in 1573 and launched a war of political unification by force, including the Ishiyama Hongan-ji War, until his death in the Honnō-ji Incident in 1582. Nobunaga's successor Toyotomi Hideyoshi completed his campaign to unify Japan and consolidated his rule with numerous influential reforms. Hideyoshi launched the Japanese invasions of Korea in 1592, but their eventual failure damaged his prestige before his death in 1598. Tokugawa Ieyasu displaced Hideyoshi's young son and successor Toyotomi Hideyori at the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600 and re-established the feudal system under the Tokugawa Shogunate. The Sengoku period ended when Toyotomi loyalists were defeated at the siege of Osaka in 1615.

It has been over one thousand years ago that the art of making swords appeared in Japan. The swordsmiths of the time may not have known it but they were creating a legendary sword. The Samurai sword has seen combat in many battlefields. From the early days of the Samurai warrior to the fierce battles in the South Pacific during WWII.

From the earliest days hand-made traditional the Samurai sword was unique because it was forged using the finest skills known to man. A tremendous amount of work was dedicated to creating these pieces. They were an instrument of war as much as a beautiful artifact to adorn any decor.

As once told to us by an esteemed regular visitor to us here in our gallery, Victor Harris {the most eminent sword expert in Europe, and sword curator of the British Museum} and his same words that are repeated in his book, see below;

“In these textures lies an extraordinary and unique feature of the sword - the steel itself possesses an intrinsic beauty. The Japanese sword has been appreciated as an art object since its perfection some time during the tenth century AD. Fine swords have been more highly prized than lands or riches, those of superior quality being handed down from generation to generation. In fact, many well-documented swords, whose blades are signed by their makers, survive from nearly a thousand years ago. Recognizable features of the blades of hundreds of schools of sword-making have been punctiliously recorded, and the study of the sword is a guide to the flow of Japanese history.”
Victor Harris
Curator, Assistant Keeper and then Keeper (1998-2003) of the Department of Japanese Antiquities at the British Museum. He studied from 1968-71 under Sato Kenzan, Tokyo National Museum and Society for the Preservation of Japanese Swords
For those that have interest in original Japanese swords, this is a perfect way to have a superbly made original hand made sword that it mounted in original Japanese fittings of the early samurai form of katana.
** Authentic, currently, modern hand-made nihonto (Japanese sword blades) from licensed swordsmiths in Japan today, typically start around $10,000–$25,000 for a katana, with prices often exceeding $60,000 for renowned top-tier sword masters or customized commissions.
These blades, forged from tamahagane steel, require 12+ months to create due to strict legal limits on production, with some high-end, custom pieces from master smiths such as Yoshindo Yoshihara exceeding $10,000 for smaller tanto blades.
A brand new, katana blade from a reputable but lower ranked smith usually starts around $7,500–$10,000.

Every single item from The Lanes Armoury is accompanied by our unique Certificate of Authenticity. Part of our continued dedication to maintain the standards forged by us over the past 100 years of our family’s trading, as Britain’s oldest established, and favourite, armoury and gallery

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Overall in super condition, just tiny denting to the small kashira {as is often the case}, overall length in saya 37.5 inches long, when the sword is withdrawn from saya it is 35.25 inches long overall  read more

Code: 24723

A Very Fine Yasutsugu School Katana, circa 1675-1684 Likely the 4th Generation, Signed, with Aoi Mon, Namban Tetsu Oite Bushu Edo Echizen Yasutsugu

With a stunning bi coloured, black ribbed and cinnabar red lacquer saya, hand decorated with a wonderful light feathering and a scrolling silver saya jiri bottom mount. The mounts fuchi kashira and menuki are gold and shakudo decorated of the chrysanthemum. The story of the Yasutsugu lineage starts with the birth of the first generation, Ichizaemon, who is believed to have been born around the middle of the sixteenth century. His place of birth was in Shimosaka of Shiga-gun in the province of Omi. Omi is next to Mino and contains Lake Biwa. Yasutsugu was born into a sword making family headed by his father, Hironaga, reputed to be the last descendent of Yamato no Kuni Senjuin. Though his father was from Omi, he was trained in the Mino tradition. Around the 11th or 12th year of this same period of Keicho (1606-1607), Yasutsugu’s fame reached the point that he was called to Edo (Tokyo) to share his forging skills with Tokugawa Ieyasu. About this time Yasutsugu was given the privilege of using the character “Yasu” (康) from Tokugawa Ieyasu’s (徳川家康) name. Thus, from that point on, he changed his name to Yasutsugu. About the same time (some feel it was a few years later) he was given the additional privilege of carving the Hollyhock crest (Aoi mon) on his blades. These privileges were given in perpetuity to Yasutsugu and his descendants. Thus the Yasutsugu swordsmiths became the kaji of the Tokugawa Family.
Yasutsugu worked in Echizen and Edo as was the custom with the Tokugawa family in those days. It was much like the practice of Sankin Kodai (alternate year attendance) that was required of the Daimyo of the country. He died in seventh year of Genna (1621) probably in his 70’s.

Upon the death of the first generation Yasutsugu , the family mantle was taken up by his son, Ichinojô.
Nidai Yasutsugu made swords in the same style as the first generation. Some say that his ability was nearly the equal of his father’s. While all do not agree, there seems to be a consensus that he was without a doubt a close second
The two branches of the Yasutsugu school continued for many generations. The Edo school continued through eleven generations. It is generally agreed that the only two smiths of the last eight generations that were of note are the fourth our sword and the eleventh generations. The fourth generation had the advantage of being trained by the third generation, a quality smith. In addition, the fourth generation left several works in which he collaborated with the well-known smith, Izumi (no) Kami Kaneshige. The fourth generation’s working period was from 1675, the third year of Enpo to 1684, the first year of Teikyo era.
Interestingly, the steel used to produce this sword was in part sourced from Europe, likely from
Dutch traders. This steel was known as “Namban tetsu”, (lit. Southern Barbarian steel). It would
have been expensive and unique to produce swords with steel from faraway lands in the late
1600s. Thus the nakago (tang) is chiselled with the words Namban tetsu.

it is mounted with An Antique Edo Period Iron Large Tsuba Inlaid with Silver Aoi Leaves
The Tsuba can be solid, semi pierced of fully pierced, with an overall perforated design, but it always a central opening which narrows at its peak for the blade to fit within. It often can have openings for the kozuka and kogai to pass through, and these openings can also often be filled with metal to seal them closed. For the Samurai, it also functioned as an article of distinction, as his sole personal ornament. The tsukaito is beautifully traditionally rebound as is the black ribbing lacquer, on its original Edo lacquer saya.
As can be seen it is likely in its last original Edo polish in stunning condition which is beautiful, with just the tiniest natural aged surface mark. The kashira is carved buffalo horn with an applied gold lacquer partially complete aoi mon

Overall length in saya 38 3/4, blade tsuba to tip 27 3/4 inches long

It has been over one thousand years ago that the art of making swords appeared in Japan. The swordsmiths of the time may not have known it but they were creating a legendary sword. The Samurai sword has seen combat in many battlefields. From the early days of the Samurai warrior to the fierce battles in the South Pacific during WWII.

From the earliest days hand-made traditional the Samurai sword was unique because it was forged using the finest skills known to man. A tremendous amount of work was dedicated to creating these pieces. They were an instrument of war as much as a beautiful artifact to adorn any decor.

As once told to us by an esteemed regular visitor to us here in our gallery, Victor Harris {the most eminent sword expert in Europe, and sword curator of the British Museum} and his same words that are repeated in his book, see below;

“In these textures lies an extraordinary and unique feature of the sword - the steel itself possesses an intrinsic beauty. The Japanese sword has been appreciated as an art object since its perfection some time during the tenth century AD. Fine swords have been more highly prized than lands or riches, those of superior quality being handed down from generation to generation. In fact, many well-documented swords, whose blades are signed by their makers, survive from nearly a thousand years ago. Recognizable features of the blades of hundreds of schools of sword-making have been punctiliously recorded, and the study of the sword is a guide to the flow of Japanese history.”
Victor Harris
Curator, Assistant Keeper and then Keeper (1998-2003) of the Department of Japanese Antiquities at the British Museum. He studied from 1968-71 under Sato Kenzan, Tokyo National Museum and Society for the Preservation of Japanese Swords
For those that have interest in original Japanese swords, this is a perfect way to have a superbly made original hand made sword that it mounted in original Japanese fittings of the early samurai form of katana.
** Authentic, currently, modern hand-made nihonto (Japanese sword blades) from licensed swordsmiths in Japan today, typically start around $10,000–$25,000 for a katana, with prices often exceeding $60,000 for renowned top-tier sword masters or customized commissions.
These blades, forged from tamahagane steel, require 12+ months to create due to strict legal limits on production, with some high-end, custom pieces from master smiths such as Yoshindo Yoshihara exceeding $10,000 for smaller tanto blades.
A brand new, katana blade from a reputable but lower ranked smith usually starts around $7,500–$10,000.

Every single item from The Lanes Armoury is accompanied by our unique Certificate of Authenticity. Part of our continued dedication to maintain the standards forged by us over the past 100 years of our family’s trading, as Britain’s oldest established, and favourite, armoury and gallery  read more

Code: 24038

Just Arrived And You May Never See Another Like it! An Incredibly Rare And Immensely Desirable Original Collectors Item For Machine Gun Collectors. A 1938 Dated Mauser, WW2 German MG 34 Machine Gunners Tool Kit. Complete and Mint

Naturally, an unfamiliar reader may find it incredible that a tool kit could be so valuable, but this, is for very, very, dedicated collectors of rare German WW2 militaria, and it is a once in a lifetime opportunity in the UK. Fortunately there are still some German WW2 collectables that are are still readily affordable, but some pieces, of great rarity, are prized beyond pearls

A Near mint MG-34 machine gun armourer’s kit with can dated "1938" and in original camouflage paint. Kit includes handles, files, pliers, calipers, spanner for MG-34, and adjustable wrench as manufactured by Mauser, as well as punches, portable vice and broken shell extractor. Some of the original paper packaging remains. These kits occasionally surface but are seldom if ever found in as complete and near mint a condition as this fantastic specimen.

Exceptional conditional throughout with little or no apparent use. Metal tools retain a light coating of preservative oil with original paint flaking at some of the high points. Just about as nice as can be possibly found. This is an absolutely tremendous find for the German WWII machine gun enthusiast. This is a museum piece of a rarity that cannot be over stated

We have only ever seen one near like it, and that sold at Murphy’s Auction in the States for $7,800 last year, after an astonishing bidding war.

It also includes a rare debris protection cover, in rubber, to put over the end of the muzzle of the MG34, and, two pretty rare original SS issue Frostschutzsalbe tin (anti-frostbite ointment), finished in red with impressed white lettering. The lid reads: “Frostschutzsalbe / Wehrkreissanitätspark VII / München / SS-Packung”; translates as “Anti-frostbite ointment / Army District Medical Depot VII / Munich / SS-Package.”
The ointment was supplied to frontline SS and Wehrmacht troops operating in extreme winter conditions, particularly on the Eastern Front, where frostbite was a major cause of casualties. These tins were distributed as part of cold-weather kits and personal medical issue. however, they were also used as a lubricant for the gun in minus 30 degrees and below.
One tin is large the other small. They remain sealed and cannot be opened, so it is not possible to confirm whether any of the original salve remains inside.

Frostbite was a critical threat to German forces during the harsh winters of the Eastern Front campaign. The German medical service issued frostbite salves and protective creams in small tins such as this, designed to fit easily into pockets or pouches. The reference to Wehrkreissanitätspark VII (Munich) identifies the regional medical supply depot responsible for production and distribution.
SS-marked examples are notably scarcer than standard Wehrmacht issue, reflecting both their restricted distribution and the relatively low survival rate of consumable medical supplies after the war.


Tool kit case dimensions: 14 - 1/2" X 3 - 1/2" X 7"  read more

Code: 26164