Antique Arms & Militaria

Victorian Silver Very Scarce Canadian Officer's Badge of the 38th Dunfferin Rifles

In superb crisp order. A mighty rare badge. Originated 28 September 1866 in Brantford, Ontario as the 38th "Brant Battalion of Infantry"
Redesignated 30 November 1866 as the 38th "Brant" Battalion of Infantry
Redesignated 24 March 1871 as the 38th "Brant" Battalion of Rifles
Redesignated 3 July 1874 as the 38th "Brant" Battalion or "Dufferin Rifles"
Redesignated 28 September 1883 as the 38th Battalion "Dufferin Rifles of Canada"
Redesignated 8 May 1900 as the 38th Regiment "Dufferin Rifles of Canada"
Redesignated 1 May 1920 as The Dufferin Rifles of Canada
Amalgamated 15 December 1936 with The Haldimand Rifles and C Company of the 3rd Machine Gun Battalion, CMGC
The 125th Battalion (1st Overseas Battalion of 38th Regiment Dufferin Rifles), CEF was a unit in the Canadian Expeditionary Force during the First World War. Based in Brantford, Ontario, the unit began recruiting in late 1915 throughout Brant County. 43mm x 70mm  read more

Code: 18826

We Just Signed Up To Instagram This Week. Another Way to Connect To our Webstore & Our Daily Updates

We signed up on Thursday to Instagram, thanks to the suggestions and guidance of our tech savvy Victoria, and our eldest granddaughter / great neice, Holly {who has her own 500k instagram followers}

copy and paste.
https://www.instagram.com/lanesarmoury

We only have a few pictures to view there at present, and it will take us a while to add our other 20k+ photographs, but we will get it done eventually.

If you use Instagram... why not 'follow' us and enjoy  read more

Code: 25130

The Lanes Armoury..Everything You Can Imagine, and a Lot, Lot More!

Original pieces from the great ancient civilisations, Ancient Egyptian, Greek, Scythian, Persian, Roman, Celtic, Anglo-Saxon, Viking, Norman, Japanese, Chinese, Indian, British, and beyond, in fact more antiquities, armoury antiques, militaria, that you can imagine, plus leaves from illuminated manuscripts, rare and historical books, incunabula and Ist editions

We may not quite have everything that everyone might be seeking, but you can trust that we have spent over 100 years trying, and every day we do our utmost to scour the collecting world to find yet more, unique ancient or antique pieces. We put in all the hard work, effort and expertise, so that you don't have to!, and remember, every purchase is accompanied with our Certificate of Authenticity, as our unique, lifetime guarantee, backed up by over 100 years of long established experience.

We are asked almost every day by many of our amazed and curious visitors about famous celebrities that have been customers past and present, so here goes, but just a snippet of a few mixed up names including those that Mark has personally assisted since 1970, and David since 1980, but of course there are many here below that our younger viewers will very likely have never even heard of!;

Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, actors
Charlton 'Chuck' Heston, actor
Edward G. Robinson, actor,
HRH Princess Margaret, late sister of Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth
'Fat Boy' Slim, aka Norman Cook, songwriter +
Ronald Reagan, Potus
John Osborne, author
Lord Olivier, a most well beloved Brighton resident, and actor director..
Barry Humphries, genius writer actor of limitless talent
Max Millar, comedian
Harold, Viscount Watkinson, Winston Churchill's Minister of Defence 1959/62
Garfield [Garry] Weston, proprietor of Fortnum and Mason, chairman Associated British Foods and of the Garfield Weston Foundation
John Montgomery, author
Johnny Rotten, singer and armed forces supporter
The Lord St John of Fawsley
The Tower Armouries, museum
The Higgins Museum, USA
Octav Botnar Chairman, &. Late Owner Nissan UK, formerly Datsun UK
The Metropolitan, New York
The Smithsonian, Washington D.C.
Lord Hailsham
Katy Melua, singer songwriter
Will Young, singer
Douglas Bader, RAF
Mark Williams, character actor par excellence
Sir Ralph Richardson, actor
Jim Davidson major armed services charities benefactor and comedian
Warner Bros. UK,
Sir Henry Cecil One of the world's greatest horse trainers
Macy’s, New York Department Store
St Albans Museum + Gallery, providing their new centrepiece exhibit for their new ‘War of the Roses’ Battle of St. Albans gallery.
Rebekkah Brooks & Ross Kemp in their past to-gether days, journalist and actor
The Horniman Museum, UK.
Major General Lord Fitzalen Howard Life Guards GCVO, CB, CBE, MC.
Howard Blackmore Deputy Master of The Tower of London Armouries, Founder and President The Arms and Armour Society
Steven Berkoff, actor, playwright, theatre director
Kaufhof GmbH German department store chain
Galeria D'Arte Adriana Papiri-Brignoni foremost gallery proprietor of Lugano Switzerland [with her husband Gigi] & Her friends, residents of Lugano;
Gina Lollobrigida, actress
Valentino, fashion designer
Eugene Faberge, in the 1950’s, the eldest son Carl Faberge of Moscow.
Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche (Jigme Namgyel), renown Buddhist and author.....
Plus, many thousands more...  read more

Code: 23976

A Rare Victorian 2nd Regiment NSW Volunteer Infantry Helmet Badge Circa

Circa 1878. Silvered brass hat badge with centrally mounted Maltese cross featuring a number '2' within a circle in the centre. The cross is surmounted by a large Kings Crown and surrounded by a wreath of waratahs with intertwined scrolls. The scroll on the left reads 'NUMERO SECUNDUS' and the right scroll reads 'NULLI SECUNDUS'. Beneath the cross on a central scroll is 'VIRTUTE' and 'SECOND REGT INFANTRY'. The back of the badge has three lugs for attaching it to the hat. They have a near identical example in the Australian War Memorial Collection that may be associated with the Ferguson family from Goulburn as it was found in the personal affects of 9146 Gunner Leopold Ferguson who was killed on 9 June 1917 while serving with the Australian Imperial Force.  read more

Code: 18628

21st Regiment Essex Fusiliers Large Service Helmet Flaming Grenade Badge. Circa.1887

Canadian Militia busby helmet badge. 21st Regiment Essex Fusiliers Fur Busby grenade. Circa.1887 Brass grenade with two lugs to the reverse in excellent condition.

A military presence in Windsor and Essex County dates back as far as 1701, when all men in the community were essentially militia members, armed to combat a perceived 'Indian threat'. When Irish-American Nationalists invaded Canada in 1866, even stronger forces were established locally. By 1885, local militias had amalgamated into the 21st Essex Battalion of Infantry.

By the advent of the First World War, the 21st Battalion (now known as the 21st Regiment Essex Fusiliers) was placed on active service. Initially, they contributed to Canada's 1st Battalion, upon its formation in 1914, then later the 18th Battalion (consisting largely of Essex Fusilier soldiers. The 18th Battalion served in France and Flanders from 1915 until the Armistice.

The regiment perpetuated the 18th (Western Ontario) Battalion, 99th (Essex) Battalion and 241st (Canadian Scottish Borderers) Battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Force and held its final Order of Precedence as 40. Battle honours for the regiment include: First World War: Ypres 1915 & 17, Festubert 1915, Mount Sorrel, Somme 1916 & 18, Flers-Courcelette, Thiepval, Ancre Heights, Arras 1917 & 18, Vimy 1917, Hill 70, Passchendaele, Amiens, Scarpe 1918, Hindenburg Line, Canal du Nord, Cambrai 1918, Pursuit to Mons, France & Flanders 1915-18 Second World War: Dieppe Raid (1942), Battle of Verrigres Ridge (1944), liberation of Dieppe (1944), Battle of the Scheldt (1944), The Rhine (1944-1945), Northwestern Europe

By 1926, an alliance was formed with the Essex Regiment of the British Army, and by 1927, the Essex Scottish had adopted the MacGregor tartan based on Scottish Highland tradition. That year an alliance was also established with the Queen’s Own Royal West Kent Regiment of the British Army.

The Regiment was the first unit of men in Western Ontario to be called up during World War II and one of the first Canadian units to see battle overseas. Their first fight was the tragic Dieppe raid on August 19th, 1942 where the Regiment was hit particularly hard during Operation Jubilee. When the smoke cleared, the Regiment had lost 121, and many of the survivors were either wounded or captured. With barely enough time to regroup, the regiment prepared itself for the invasion of France. On July 5th 1944, it participated in the bloody landing at Normandy, and then fought on through France, Holland and Germany until the war's end.

By then, the regiment had suffered 552 dead and had been inflicted with the highest number of casualties of any unit in the Canadian Army-a staggering 2,510.  read more

Code: 19898

Victorian Police 'Jack the Ripper' Era Type Handcuffs or 'Derby's' & Original Oval Flat Key

Good flattened head key type, with board of ordnance broad arrow stamp and serial number.

The type as was made and first used in the early Victorian era from the very beginnings of the British Police service, and on well into the next century. Excellent working order early flat key type. A good and fine condition pair of original 'Derby' cuffs used by the 'Bobbies' or 'Peelers', with the traditional rotating spiral key action.
They are also the very type that were used, and as can be seen, in all the old films of the Whitechapel Murders, and Sherlock Holmes' adventures in the gloomy London Fog.

Originally handcuffs were made of a large wooden toggle with a loop of cord, which was slipped over a prisoner’s wrists and twisted. Manufacturers Hiatt and Company, founded in Birmingham in 1780, developed a new patent for restraints, which became standard issue when the Metropolitan Police was created in 1829.

In 1818 Thomas Griffin Hiatt appears in the Wrightson Directory for the first time as a manufacturer of felon's irons and gate locks, located on Moor St. in Birmingham. Some time in the next few years Hiatt moved around the corner to 26 Masshouse Lane, where he is located in the next edition of the Wrightson's Birmingham directory as a manufacturer of felon's irons, gate lock, handcuffs, horse and dog collars. The Hiatt Company remained at the 26 Masshouse Lane address until the premises were destroyed by the World War II German bombing in 1941.

The Whitechapel murders were committed in or near the largely impoverished Whitechapel district in the East End of London between 3 April 1888 and 13 February 1891. At various points some or all of these eleven unsolved murders of women have been ascribed to the notorious unidentified serial killer known as Jack the Ripper.

The murderer or murderers were never identified and the cases remain unsolved. Sensational reportage and the mystery surrounding the identity of the killer or killers fed the development of the character "Jack the Ripper", who was blamed for all or most of the murders. Hundreds of books and articles discuss the Whitechapel murders, and they feature in novels, short stories, comic books, television shows, and films of multiple genres.

The poor of the East End had long been ignored by affluent society, but the nature of the Whitechapel murders and of the victims' impoverished lifestyles drew national attention to their living conditions. The murders galvanised public opinion against the overcrowded, unsanitary slums of the East End, and led to demands for reform. On 24 September 1888, George Bernard Shaw commented sarcastically on the media's sudden concern with social justice in a letter to The Star newspaper:  read more

Code: 25079

We Have New Fascinating Items Added To The Site Every Single Day.

Wonderful and intriguing pieces, such as a Renaissance period helmet and fusetto stiletto dagger, as used by a chief Cannoneer of the Papal Army in the 16th century, up to 500 years ago, commanded by Cesare Borgia, son of the Borgia Pope, and later in the 16th century, By Matteo Barbarini, brother to Pope Urban VIIIth.

Also, many military souvenirs of all kinds from WW1 and WW2, to, say, a Spanish Conquistador's helmet of the 16th century, to Ian Fleming’s James Bond, 1960's Ist Edition books, a Baker Rifle sword-bayonet, to original samurai swords hundreds of years old.

All are original, beautiful, historical and truly intriguing pieces.

This week we will be adding some superb and inexpensive Roman and Greek antiquities, plus medieval antiquities too. We are also sending our deliveries to our clients in the UK, Australia, America, & Canada, every working day, containing the rarest and finest pieces, from books, to helmets, swords and antiquities.  read more

Code: 21779

Princess Victoria's (Royal Irish Fusiliers) OR's fur cap grenade circa 1890

Die-stamped brass, the ball bearing Eagle on a tablet inscribed '8'.
The Eagle and '8' represents the flagstaff eagle of the 8th French Light Infantry captured by Sgt Patrick Masterson of the 87th Fusiliers at Barossa on 5th March 1811. It is 3.75 inches long. The French Imperial Eagle was the emblem of the Grande Armee of Napoleon I, and during the Peninsular War of 1808-1814 and the Battle of Waterloo, the capture of an eagle by enemy troops was a massive blow to any regiment.

In the instance of the Battle of Barrosa, in 1811, the British captured their first ever eagle. The captor was an Irish Sergeant of the 87th (Royal Irish Fusiliers) Regiment of Foot. Looking at the history of the battle  read more

Code: 20306

A Superb Case Hardened Steel Gun Lock Of a Greene Carbine 1856 For the Crimean War Then the American Civil War

Scarce British-Type Greene Carbine by Massachusetts Arms Company
Case-hardened swivel breech action with Maynard tape primer system. Lock marked: Queen's crown /VR/Mass.Arms Co./U.S.A./1856.

James Durell Greene was a prolific firearms inventor and determined to make his mark This carbine lock was manufactured by the Massachusetts Arms Company and exported to Great Britain after being inspected and stamped with the Queen's Crown by British inspectors in the USA. These were used by the British Cavalry in the Crimean War but re-exported to the USA after the Crimea War. These fine guns were deemed to be very accurate but the paper and linen cartridges of the time were criticised as being prone to swell in the damp and consequently the carbine did not find favour with the British Government. The carbine features an unusual "floating thimble" to obdurate the breech and an internal "pricker" that punctured the cartridge. It also featured Maynard Tape priming which was in the forefront of priming technology at the time and the mechanism for this is in perfect condition. The quality of workmanship is exceptional and it actions as crisply today as it did when it was made 158 years ago.
An exceptional item in outstanding condition. Only 2000 were manufactured and a complete carbine sold at Rock Island auction for $6,900 in 2021  read more

Code: 24920

A Very Good & Highly Desirable, 19th Century Pistol Powder Flask For Cased Duellers or Revolver

The most desirable kind of antique powder flask. The large fowling piece flasks can be very inexpensive, but the small 'cased pistol' sized flasks are incredibly sought after, as they can fit into cases were the flask is missing beautifully and complete a cased set perfectly..

A very good flask with crescent and bush embossed design, good spring and nice patination. All good seams. A great find for those that have a cased revolver single or pair or a pair of cased duellers lacking their flask. We show several cased pistols all with similar sized pistol flasks, including a cased pair of Colt pocket revolvers, and a pair of Durs Egg duellers.The flask is 4.75 inches long overall, max width 2 inches.  read more

Code: 21924