Superb Napoleonic Wars, British Officer's Sabre With Captured French 'Trophy' Mamluk Guard Officer's Damascus Blade, With An Ancient Egyptian Serpent Goddess Hilt. For an Officer Who Served in The Nile Campaign

New photographs added to include the identical Damascus blade, bearing a Mamluke head, of the Philippe Missilier Collection exceptionally rare sword of an officer of the Mamluk Imperial Guard, Ist Empire, {see photo 9 in the gallery}

Gilt bronze entwined twin serpent hilt, influenced by the Egyptian Goddess Wadget, chisselled in great detail and of very fine quality. Talisman symbolic, Napoleonic Damascus blade, from an officer of the elite Napoleonic Mamluke Guard Circa 1800. There is another blade known, of identical example on another sword from an officer of the French Napoleonic Mamluke Guard, formerly in the Philippe Missillier collection, that appears in Aries seminal work on french Napoleonic swords, and Michel Pétard's work of similar renown, with all the same iconography within the design, and, upon a damascus blade.

This sword is extraordinarily rare, as the officer corps of Napoleon's Mamluk Consular Guard would likely number less 15. For example in 1802 there were just 13 officers recorded who would have carried this sword, and how many survive to today, may possibly be less than two or three.

Certainly a war trophy blade and scabbard used by a British officer that served at the Battle of the Nile, thus, it also has Nile Club connections. There are numerous examples of snakes depicted in Napoleonic swords, such as the Lloyds Patriotic Fund swords, but usually combined with other beasts, such as lions, tigers or hounds, but to have two opposing entwined serpents alone is very rare indeed. Without a doubt this hilt design was inspired by Wadjet, the ancient Egyptian serpent goddess.

Snake sculpture - the Staff of Aesculapius, the Staff of Mercury, and the Embodiment of Wisdom Snakes are fairly frequent in Georgian sculpture, and of course from other periods. In art generally in fact from medieval times onwards, the snake is also associated with wisdom, and in this capacity is often found with statues of Prudence. The way this sword is constructed shows it is a trophy blade, of a mamaluke officer captured in combat, and then mounted. The mamaluke officers sword, was etched with talismanic symbols of a crescent moon, sun, Mamluks turbaned head, and a stand of arms, upon fine Damascus steel .

In fact the whole sword may indeed now be described as iconically talismanic. The blade is in superb condition, with its original steel combat scabbard, also in excellent condition, and the English zoomorphic hilt is, furthermore, excellent too .

Egyptian gods and goddesses, much famed in ancient Egypt, become hugely popular throughout Western artistic culture in the early 19th century.
Europe became beguiled by ancient Egyptian art and architecture in all its forms, and furniture designers and sculptors particularly, eagerly created the ‘Egyptian style’ in the Regency period England, and the Consular and Directoire period in France.

The Nile Club" (often referred to historically as the Egyptian Club) was an exclusive group of senior British officers who fought under the command of Rear-Admiral Sir Horatio Nelson at the decisive Battle of the Nile on August 1–3, 1798.

Key details regarding this group and its connection to the Napoleonic Wars include:
Formation and Purpose: Following their massive victory at Aboukir Bay, which stranded Napoleon in Egypt, the captains of Nelson’s fleet formed thismost exclusive club to celebrate and commemorate the action.

The club included the captains of the ships present at the battle, such as Captains Sir F. Berry (Vanguard), T. Trowbridge (Culloden), R.W. Miller (Theseus), and A.J Ball (Alexander).
The "Nile" Dirks/Swords: Members were entitled to wear a special sword or dirk featuring a Nile Crocodile on the hilt to signify their participation. Marines and Army may have had the associated Egyptian snake god hilt, or, another option, the camel head hilted sabre.

These weapons are now considered rare historical artifacts.

Connection to Trafalgar: Many of the officers in the Nile Club continued to serve under Nelson and were likely present at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, where they would have worn their Nile-associated swords with pride.

The last photo in the gallery shows a photograph of one section of the collection in the museum of Waterloo, taken in around 1900, showing all the weapons of Waterloo en situ, including all the protagonists {British, French, Prussian and Belgian muskets, swords, pistols, armour uniforms, etc}. The museum was founded and owned by a veteran of the 7th Hussars that fought at Waterloo.

Overall in superb condition, Scabbard throat lacking.



Overall 39 inches long, blade 32 inches  read more

Code: 23387

Incredibly Rare To Survive, 2000 Year Old Historic Museum Pieces. Original, Republic & Imperial Roman Military, Legionary's or Centurion's Lorica Squamatae Mail Armour 1st Century

These are small integral pieces of original Roman combat armour, that once discovered have to be recognised for their rarity by such as an archaeologist or ancient Roman military historian or they would never be saved for history, and very likely discarded. Which would be one of the primary reasons that they are so very rare, that, and also because they are thin small plates that have to be originally lost in the correct organic surroundings within which to survive the past two millennia relatively intact.

These small but incredibly rare pieces could look amazing sympathetically bespoke framed.

A super, small collection of original, historical, Imperial Roman, Viking and Crusader's artefacts has just been acquired by us and will be added over the next week or so. Only the third such group of original Roman armour we have seen in 15 years.
A small section panel of an incredibly rare, original Roman military armour mail shirt, around 2000 years old, small pieces but exceptionally historically significant. They would look amazing if nicely framed. Used by both regular Roman Legionaries and high ranking Centurions, Lorica squamata was a scale armour, looking like the skin of a fish. Items such as this were oft acquired in the 18th century by British noblemen touring Northern France and Italy on their Grand Tour. Originally placed on display in the family 'cabinet of curiosities', within his country house upon his return home. A popular pastime in the 18th and 19th century, comprised of English ladies and gentlemen traveling for many months, or even years, througout classical Europe, acquiring antiquities and antiques for their private collections.
A shirt of scale armour would be put on with side or rear lacing and reach to the mid-thigh. The lorica squamatae is a type of scale armour used by the ancient Roman military during the Roman Republic and at later periods. It was made from small metal scales sewn to a fabric backing.

It is typically seen on depictions of standard bearers, musicians, centurions, cavalry troops, and auxiliary infantry, as well as regular legionaries. The somewhat historically inaccurate Roman victory triumph depicting Trajan's victory over the Dacians, the Tropaeum Traiani, shows the majority of legionaries wearing loricae squamatae. A shirt of scale armour was shaped in the same way as a mail lorica hamata, mid-thigh length with the shoulder doublings or cape.

The individual scales (squamae) were either iron or bronze, or alternating metals on the same shirt. They could be tinned as well, one surviving fragment showing bronze scales that were alternately tinned and plain. The metal was generally not very thick, 0.50 mm to 0.80 mm (.020" to .032") perhaps being a common range. Since the scales overlapped in every direction, however, the multiple layers gave good protection. The size ranged from as small as 6.3 mm wide by 9.5 mm tall (1/4" ? 3/8") up to about 5 cm wide by 8 cm tall (2" ? 3"), with the most common sizes being roughly 1.3 cm by 2.5 cm (1/2" ? 1"). Many have rounded bottoms, while others are pointed or have flat bottoms with the corners clipped off at an angle. The scales could be flat, or slightly domed, or have a raised midrib or edge. All the scales in a shirt would generally be of the same size; however, scales from different shirts may vary significantly.

The scales were wired or laced together in horizontal rows that were then laced or sewn to the backing. Therefore, each scale had from four to 12 holes: two or more at each side for wiring to the next in the row, one or two at the top for fastening to the backing, and sometimes one or two at the bottom to secure the scales to the backing or to each other.

There was also a rare type where the backing was a mail lorica hamata, effectively giving two layers of defence, but at the cost of greater weight and expense.

It is possible that the shirt could be opened either at the back or down one side so that it was easier to put on, the opening being closed by ties. Much has been written about scale armour's supposed vulnerability to an upward thrust, but this may be exaggerated.

No examples of an entire lorica squamata have ever been found, but there have been several archaeological finds of very small fragments of such shirts, and individual scales.

The type of armour in which the scales are laced to each other and need no backing at all is known as lamellar armour, while to confuse the matter there is also locking scale in which the scales are wired together without a backing. It can be difficult to tell which type of armour a single scale might have come from, as the Romans did not necessarily have different terms for each type. The typical scale had a vertical pair of holes at each side near the top, plus one or two holes at the top. These armour scales would look superb put together and framed in a display. They are individualy quite small and partially fragmented but easily dwarfed by their historical interest, rarity and significance. Their size and unusual appearance explains much why they are so rarely found, as they are easily corrupted by the centuries once buried, and only identifiable by those that know exactly what they are, thus easily discarded if discovered by the uninformed. As with all our items it comes complete with our certificate of authenticity.  read more

Code: 23017

A Late 17th to Early 18th Century Hangar Used and Favoured By Naval Officers & Admirals, And Pirate 🏴‍☠️ Captains From the 17th Century 9 Years War, The Indian French War, The American Revolution & Up To the 1780's

Carved horn grip, single shell guard. Brass hilt with single knuckle bow. Straight fullered blade.
In the days of the early Royal Navy, admirals and captains carried short swords in the pattern of hunting swords, with both straight or curved blades, fancy mounted single knucklebow hilts with principally stag horn, reeded ebony or walrus grips, or carved horn {as has this example}. The hilt could be repousse with a floral and figural design or plain, this one is engraved in the clamshell style. They were also the sword of choice for notorious pirates of the day such as Blackbeard.

There are numerous portraits in the National Portrait Gallery and The National Maritime Musuem that show British Admirals such as Benbow and Clowdesly Shovel holding exactly such swords. John Benbow (10 March 1653 – 4 November 1702) was an English officer in the Royal Navy. He joined the navy aged 25 years, seeing action against Algerian pirates before leaving and joining the merchant navy where he traded until the Glorious Revolution of 1688, whereupon he returned to the Royal Navy and was commissioned.

Benbow fought against France during the Nine Years War (1688–97), serving on and later commanding several English vessels and taking part in the battles of Beachy Head, Barfleur and La Hogue in 1690 and 1692. He went on to achieve fame during campaigns against Salé and Moor pirates; laying siege to Saint-Malo; and fighting in the West Indies against France during the War of the Spanish Succession (1701–1714).

Benbow's fame and success earned him both public notoriety and a promotion to admiral. He was then involved in an incident during the Action of August 1702, where a number of his captains refused to support him while commanding a squadron of ships. Benbow instigated the trial and later imprisonment or execution of a number of the captains involved, though he did not live to see these results. These events contributed to his notoriety, and led to several references to him in subsequent popular culture.

Blackbeard or Edward Teach (c.1680-1718) is one of the most infamous pirates to have ever lived.
Known for his fearsome image and daring acts on land and sea throughout the West Indies and along the North American East coast, his legacy has been the inspiration for many depictions of pirates throughout history. In possibly his most brazen act, Teach used his flotilla to blockade the port of Charlestown in the province of South Carolina. Over the course of a week, nine vessels were stopped and plundered as they attempted to sail out of the harbour, where Teach's fleet was moored.
Teach informed some of his prisoners that his fleet required medical supplies from the colonial government of South Carolina and that if none were provided, all would be beheaded and their ships burned.
Two pirates and a prisoner were sent to the town but when they did not return he moved eight ships into the harbour, causing panic and looting within the town. Shortly after his supplies were delivered and the prisoners released, after reportedly being robbed of all worthy possessions.
This siege represents the height of Teach’s notoriety, not just as a skilled captain but a fierce leader who was not confined to the sea and would maraud where he pleased. Exploits such as these made Teach was one of the most commonly reported pirates in the news and in the print of his age.

Hilt in very nice condition overall, small field repair at the quillon, overall russetted blade . Blade length 18 inches  read more

Code: 25516

A Very Good, Rare & Historic 18th Century American Revolutionary & Colonial Period Musket. An Incredible Museum Piece From The Earliest Days Of The American Frontiersmen & The War In America That Shaped The World Forever.

Long 47 inch two stage barrel, fine walnut stock with early down turned butt style. Stepped lock. Very crisp action. In the Metropolitan Museum in New York there are several extremely similar muskets used in the Revolutionary War just like it. See pages 116/117 Weapons of the American Revolution by Warren Moore, published in New York 1967 see photo 10 in the gallery . It is very similar to the early American Committee of Safety style Long Land Pattern musket. As the American Revolutionary War unfolded in North America, there were two principal campaign theaters within the thirteen states, and a smaller but strategically important one west of the Appalachian Mountains to the Mississippi River and north to the Great Lakes. The full-on military campaigning began in the states north of Maryland, and fighting was most frequent and severest there between 1775 and 1778. Patriots achieved several strategic victories in the South, the British lost their first army at Saratoga, and the French entered the war as an American ally.

In the expanded Northern theatre and wintering at Valley Forge, General Washington observed British operations coming out of New York at the 1778 Battle of Monmouth. He then closed off British initiatives by a series of raids that contained the British army in New York City. The same year, Spanish-supplied Virginia Colonel George Rogers Clark joined by Francophone settlers and their Indian allies conquered Western Quebec, the US Northwest Territory.

Starting in 1779, the British initiated a southern strategy to begin at Savannah, gather Loyalist support, and reoccupy Patriot-controlled territory north to Chesapeake Bay. Initially the British were successful, and the Americans lost an entire army at the Siege of Charleston, which caused a severe setback for Patriots in the region. But then British maneuvering north led to a combined American and French force cornering a second British army at Battle of Yorktown, and their surrender effectively ended the Revolutionary War. The American armies were small by European standards of the era, largely attributable to limitations such as lack of powder and other logistics. At the beginning of 1776, Washington commanded 20,000 men, with two-thirds enlisted in the Continental Army and the other third in the various state militias. About 250,000 men served as regulars or as militia for the Revolutionary cause over eight years during wartime, but there were never more than 90,000 men under arms at one time.

As a whole, American officers never equaled their opponents in tactics and maneuvers, and they lost most of the pitched battles. The great successes at Boston (1776), Saratoga (1777), and Yorktown (1781) were won from trapping the British far from base with a greater number of troops. Nevertheless, after 1778, Washington's army was transformed into a more disciplined and effective force, mostly by Baron von Steuben's training. Immediately after the Army emerged from Valley Forge, it proved its ability to match the British troops in action at the Battle of Monmouth, including a black Rhode Island regiment fending off a British bayonet attack then counter-charging for the first time in Washington's army. Here Washington came to realize that saving entire towns was not necessary, but preserving his army and keeping the revolutionary spirit alive was more important in the long run. Washington informed Henry Laurens "that the possession of our towns, while we have an army in the field, will avail them little."

Although Congress was responsible for the war effort and provided supplies to the troops, Washington took it upon himself to pressure the Congress and state legislatures to provide the essentials of war; there was never nearly enough. Congress evolved in its committee oversight and established the Board of War, which included members of the military. Because the Board of War was also a committee ensnared with its own internal procedures, Congress also created the post of Secretary of War, and appointed Major General Benjamin Lincoln in February 1781 to the position. Washington worked closely with Lincoln to coordinate civilian and military authorities and took charge of training and supplying the army. Most similar to the fusil de chasse/fusil du traite du plaine of 1740. Old forend repair. 63.25 inches long overall  read more

Code: 23439

A Superb Pleistocene Period Large Cave Bear Tooth. Roots and Jawbone Part, Around 200,000 years Old. A Prehistoric Species of Large Bear Wiped Out in the Last Ice Age

From the Austrian Dragon Cave, Drachenhohle - Mixnitz, in Austria, a prehistoric, extinct Cave Bear molar with roots and jawbone. The cave bear (Ursus spelaeus) was a species of bear that lived in Europe during the Pleistocene and became extinct about 24,000 years ago during the Last Glacial Maximum.

Both the name “cave” and the scientific name spelaeus are because fossils of this species were mostly found in caves, showing that cave bears may have spent more time in caves than the brown bear, which uses caves only for hibernation. Consequently, in the course of time, whole layers of bones, almost entire skeletons, were found in many caves.

Cave bear skeletons were first described in 1774 by Johann Friederich Esper in his book Newly Discovered Zoolites of Unknown Four Footed Animals. While scientists at the time considered that the skeletons could belong to apes, canids, felids, or even dragons or unicorns, Esper postulated that they actually belonged to polar bears. Twenty years later, Johann Christian Rosenmüller, an anatomist at the Leipzig University, gave the species its binomial name

Both the cave bear and the brown bear are thought to be descended from the Plio-Pleistocene Etruscan bear (Ursus etruscus) that lived about 5.3 million years past to 10,000 years ago. The last common ancestor of cave bears and brown bears lived between 1.2 and 1.4 Mya. The immediate precursor of the cave bear was probably Ursus deningeri (Deninger’s bear), a species restricted to Pleistocene Europe about 1.8 Mya to 100,000 years ago. The transition between Deninger’s bear and the cave bear is given as the last Interglacial, although the boundary between these forms is arbitrary, and intermediate or transitional taxa have been proposed, e.g. Ursus spelaeus deningeroides, while other authorities consider both taxa to be chronological variants of the same species.

The cave bear had a very broad, domed skull with a steep forehead. Its stout body had long thighs, massive shins and in-turning feet, making it similar in skeletal structure to the brown bear. The average weight for males was 400 to 500 kilograms (880 to 1,100 lb), while females weighed 225 to 250 kg (495 to 550 lb). Of cave bear skeletons in museums, 90% are male due to a misconception that the female skeletons were merely “dwarfs”. Cave bears grew larger during glaciations and smaller during interglacials, probably to adjust heat loss rate.

Cave bears of the last Ice Age lacked the usual two or three premolars present in other bears; to compensate, the last molar is very elongated, with supplementary cusps. The humerus of the cave bear was similar in size to that of the polar bear, as were the femora of females. The femora of male cave bears, however, bore more similarities in size to those of kodiak bears.

The cave bear was sometimes hunted by Neanderthals during the Stone Age. There are many mass cave bear burial sites indicating these early humans actually worshipped the cave bear with its image often represented on cave walls.  read more

Code: 24561

A Superb 18th Century Royal Naval Midshipman's & Officer's Short Sword Hanger, Carved Spiral Hilt Grip With Rare Silver Close Plate Quillon and Pommel used From The Battle of the Glorious Ist of June, the Battle Of the Nile and the Battle of Trafalgar

Long bright blade in excellent condition. Spiral hilt of walrus tooth with silver close plate quillon crossguard with dome top silver close plate rubb over pommel.

Silver was a popular sword and pistol mounting material, if the officer could afford it, but for swords, silver could be a little soft, however a superb but expensive alternative was silver close plate {patented in 1789} a process of sheets of silver fused onto a hardened iron mounts using sal ammoniac and tin. which created a hilt as strong as steel but, stunningly beautiful as it was overlayered in pure silver.

Made in the 1790's, and used by a Royal Naval midshipman and officer right through to the end of the Napoleonic Wars era. A most beautiful Royal Naval officer's sword/long dirk of very nice quality indeed. Spiral hilted swords usually plain but sometimes stained green, became ultra high fashion in the mid to third quarter of the 18th century, in fact General George Washington carried a green stained spiral hilted sword in his role as commander-in-chief of the American Continental Army during the Revolutionary War. His spiral hilted sword, bear identical to ours, but his was stained green. See the last photo in the gallery.

In the National Maritime Museum there are most similar carved hilted short sword dirk

We show original paintings of naval officers wearing this very type of edged weapon. One is of Captain William Rogers capturing the 'Jeune Richard', on the 1st October 1807, the sword at his waist belt appears to be a near identical dirk/sword. There are several other near identical examples, in the National Maritime Collection, and practically every officer from Nelson down to his midshipmen carried one similar at some time or another during their naval career, in combat service, in the late 18th to early 19th century. It would be an amazingly effective close combat weapon, both offensive or defensive, and would certainly do any eminently suitable job as was demanded of it. Although traditionally known as midshipman's dirks or swords these useful edged weapons were also worn at the time by officer's of all ages and rank while serving and in combat see picture in the gallery. The rank of midshipman originated during the Tudor and Stuart eras, and originally referred to a post for an experienced seaman promoted from the ordinary deck hands, who worked in between the main and mizzen masts and had more responsibility than an ordinary seaman, but was not a military officer or an officer in training. The first published use of the term midshipman was in 1662. The word derives from an area aboard a ship, amidships, but it refers either to the location where midshipmen worked on the ship, or the location where midshipmen were berthed.

By the 18th century, four types of midshipman existed: midshipman (original rating), midshipman extraordinary, midshipman (apprentice officer), and midshipman ordinary. Some midshipmen were older men, and while most were officer candidates who failed to pass the lieutenant examination or were passed over for promotion, some members of the original rating served, as late as 1822, 23.

The Battle of the Glorious First of June in 1794 was the first naval conflict between the British and the French during the French Revolutionary Wars.

Background to the battle
During April and May 1794 the British fleet was searching the Atlantic Ocean for French grain ships bound for France from the USA. The grain was vitally needed to reduce the starving conditions brought about by the French Revolution. The French fleet left Brest in mid-May to escort this vital convoy to harbour.

The British had a line of 34 battleships under the command of Admiral Earl Howe and the French had a line of 26 battleships under Rear-Admiral Villaret-Joyeuse. The two forces clashed 400 nautical miles west of the island of the French island of Ushant. The battle began as a series of engagements, beginning with skirmishes and manoeuvring on 28 May 1794, and a more serious brush the following day. The rival fleets maintained distant contact during the two subsequent days of foggy weather.

British advantage
The morning of 1 June was fine and clear and the maneouvering of the preceding days had gained the British fleet the weather gage. This was a vital factor during the days of sailing ships as it meant the fleet was windward (nearest the direction the wind was blowing from) and had the choice of when and how to bring the enemy into action.

Howe’s plans were for his ships to run down onto the French fleet, break through all along their line and individually engage their opposite numbers. These intentions were difficult to transmit by signal and not all his captains fully understood or complied with the orders. In the end, only a few ships penetrated the French line – Howe’s flagship Queen Charlotte, alongside the Defence, Marlborough, Royal George, Queen and Brunswick.

The first ship to break through, Defence, was severely handled and totally dismasted. Elsewhere, the battle became a series of single combats between ships, none more fiercely fought than the duel between the Brunswick and the Vengeur. They pounded each other for nearly four hours before the Vengeur surrendered.

Aftermath
All along the line, the fighting was intense, and by the time the firing died away, 11 British and 12 French ships were more or less dismasted, 7000 were killed, wounded and captured on the French side, and 1000 killed or wounded from the British fleet.

Six French ships were captured and another, the Vengeur, sunk, while the damaged remainder of the French fleet made off in considerable confusion. After five days of strenuous chase and a hard-fought battle, the British were too exhausted to mount a pursuit.

Tactically, the British had won the day, and the news of victory was greeted with wild enthusiasm in Britain, but the grain convoy from America had escaped intact.

Overall 30 inches long 24.25 inch blade  read more

Code: 25515

Really, Really Rare, Original German 75mm Tank Shell Case, WW2 As Used by the Infamous Panther Tank, Officially the Panzerkampfwagen V Panther. With Impact Fuse, And Electric Tank Primer. Fitted With 75mm Shell Head, High Explosive, WW2 IssueDated 1944

A fabulous display and conversation piece

On 27 February 1944 it was redesignated to just PzKpfw Panther, as Hitler ordered that the Roman numeral "V" be deleted.citation needed In contemporary English-language reports it is sometimes referred to as the "Mark V".

The Panther was intended to counter the Soviet T-34 medium tank and to replace the Panzer III and Panzer IV. Nevertheless, it served alongside the Panzer IV and the heavier Tiger I until the end of the war. The Panther was a compromise. While having essentially the same Maybach V12 petrol (690 hp) engine as the Tiger I, it had better gun penetration, was lighter and faster, and could traverse rough terrain better than the Tiger I. The trade-off was weaker side armour, which made it vulnerable to flanking fire, and a weaker high explosive shell. The Panther proved to be effective in open country and long-range engagements. Although it had excellent firepower, protection and mobility, its reliability was less impressive. The Panther was far cheaper to produce than the Tiger I. Key elements of the Panther design, such as its armour, transmission, and final drive, were simplifications made to improve production rates and address raw material shortages. Despite this, the overall design has still been described by some as "overengineered".

The Panther was rushed into combat at the Battle of Kursk in the summer of 1943 despite numerous unresolved technical problems, leading to high losses due to mechanical failure. Most design flaws were rectified by late 1943 and early 1944, though the bombing of production plants, increasing shortages of high-quality alloys for critical components, shortage of fuel and training space, and the declining quality of crews all impacted the tank's effectiveness. Though officially classified as a medium tank, at 44.8 metric tons the Panther was closer in weight to contemporary foreign heavy tanks. The Panther's weight caused logistical problems, such as an inability to cross certain bridges, otherwise the tank had a very high power-to-weight ratio which made it highly mobile.

The naming of Panther production variants did not, unlike most German tanks, follow alphabetical order: the initial variant, Panther "D" (Ausf. D), was followed by "A" and "G" variants.

The critical detail of the 88mm round was that it didn’t reach the velocity of the 75mm L71 gun on the Panther. The 88mm round weighed 22 pounds, reached 2600 feet per second and could penetrate 83mm of hardened steel at 2000 meters. The 75mm L71 round was 16 pounds, reached 3070 feet per second and could penetrate 89mm of hardened steel at 2000 meters. Both could easily pop the top off any Allied tank out to 1500–2000 meters. But the heavier 88mm round was slower and had a comparative trajectory like the proverbial rainbow. Even though the 75mm gun on the Panther tank fired a lighter shot, it had a flatter trajectory and didn’t overload the already strained Panther drivetrain with the excessive weight of the 88mm piece.

The bottom of the shell case is surface corroded but you can still see the electric primer fitting. The shell head is an original 75mm WW2 German example, but not the original panther type.

37.5 inches high.

Inert, safe and empty.  read more

Code: 26137

Stunning,1600's 'Senshu Banzai' Antique Edo Samurai Katana With Signed Blade, Kashu ju Darani Tachibana Katsukuni Saku, Katsukuni of the Tachibana Clan, the Darani School of Smiths, Made This {Sword} in Kashu Province, Incredible Hamon of Sanbon-Sugi

Beautifully mounted in original Edo mounts of iron fuchi kashira of silver birds in reeds, a pair of takebori crab menuki, with a fine iron tsuba decorated with takebori prunus blossom in silver, upon their branches. Finest blue tsukaito binding, and a beautiful black lacquer saya carved buffalo horn kurigata and dark brown sageo.
Signed blade,
加州住陀羅尼橘勝國作
Kashu ju Darani tachibana Katsukuni saku.
The Darani school, was geographically located in the Kaga domain, and its aim was following the Mino forging style. The sword's smith, likely the third generation, of the 1600’s, was a member, and made for, the Tachibana clan of Kashu {Kaga} province.

Engraved upon the ura with mei Senshu Banzai, which means ‘celebrate long life’, it may be for the samurai for whom it was made, or possibly to whom it was presented. A most unusual engraved Mei blessing to see chisseled upon a blade nakago

The Tachibana clan
Home province Chikuzen
Parent house Ōtomo clan
Founder Tachibana Sadatoshi (Ōtomo Sadatoshi)
Founding year 14th century
The Tachibana clan (立花氏) was a Japanese clan of daimyō (feudal lords) during Japan's Sengoku and Edo periods. Originally based in Tachibana castle in Kyūshū, the family's holdings were moved to the Yanagawa Domain in the far north-east of Honshū in the Edo period.

Darani Katsukuni swords are rated on the Wazamono list in the Kokon Kajibiko (古今鍛冶備考) of 1830 and later additions, as
Yoki Wazamono (良業物), {Ryo Wazamono } "Very good." Swords that cut through the torso 5-7 out of 10 times.
Edo period 1597 to 1863
The head of Darani school - Katsukuni 勝国 followed Mino technique and made to emulate Sanbon-sugi hamon {three cedar pattern} of Kanemoto

Wazamono is a classification of Japanese swords and swordsmiths used in Japan to identify historic blades of exceptional quality. According to the first edition of Kaiho Kenjaku (懐宝剣尺) published in 1797, There are 163 Wazamono swords in total, grouped into four categories based on their quality. This rating is based on a book compiled by Yamada Asaemon V (山田浅右衛門吉睦), an official sword cutting ability examiner and executioner of the Tokugawa shogunate, and is an authoritative index of cutting ability of Japanese swords. The list of ratings concerning swordsmithing differs between Kaiho Kenjaku (懐宝剣尺) published in 1797 and the reprinted edition published in 1805, and the major revised edition of Kokon Kajibiko (古今鍛冶備考) published in 1830. Adding to the number of sword smiths in each edition: Saijo Ō Wazamono 15, Ō Wazamono 21, Yoki Wazamono 58, Wazamono 93, lower 3 grade mixed 65. In the original list of 1797 Twelve swords are classified as Saijō Ō Wazamono (Supreme Grade), twenty-one swords are classified as Ō Wazamono (Excellent), fifty swords are classified as Yoki (Ryō) Wazamono (Very Good), and eighty swords are classified as Wazamono (Good).

There was a most famous sword of the Tachibana it was named Raikiri: The Lightning Cutter, or Thunder Cutter.

Raikiri, also known as the Lightning Cutter, holds a place of honour within the annals of Japanese sword lore. Its story intertwines with the remarkable warrior Bekki Dōsetsu, the first head of the Tachibana family.
Originally, Raikiri began its existence as a long tachi sword named “Chidori.”
One fateful day, as Dōsetsu rested beneath a grand tree, a thunderbolt struck nearby. Swift as lightning, he drew his sword, Chidori, and slashed at the electrifying force.
The blade’s swift and decisive cut earned it a new name: Raikiri, signifying the lightning’s cleaving power.
Dōsetsu, father of the renowned Tachibana Ginchiyo, wielded Raikiri with unmatched skill. His valour and connection to the supernatural elevated the sword’s status.
Raikiri became a symbol of courage, a blade that could slice through not only flesh but also the very elements.

The katana was such a crucial part of a samurai's life that when a young warrior was on the verge of entering this world, the sword he would use as a protector was brought into the delivery room as if to greet the young one. And, when a weathered, old veteran warrior was on his deathbed, ready to cross over into the White Jade Pavilion of the afterlife, his katana was placed at his side, as if to protect him one last time. Samurai endured for almost 700 years, from 1185 to 1867. Samurai families were considered the elite. They made up only about six percent of the population and included daimyo and the loyal soldiers who fought under them. Samurai means “one who serves."

Samurai were expected to be both fierce warriors and lovers of art, a dichotomy summed up by the Japanese concepts of bu to stop the spear exanding into bushido (the way of life of the warrior) and bun (the artistic, intellectual and spiritual side of the samurai). Originally conceived as away of dignifying raw military power, the two concepts were synthesized in feudal Japan and later became a key feature of Japanese culture and morality.The quintessential samurai was Miyamoto Musashi, a legendary early Edo-period swordsman who reportedly killed 60 men before his 30th birthday and was also a painting master. Members of a hierarchal class or caste, samurai were the sons of samurai and they were taught from an early age to unquestionably obey their mother, father and daimyo. When they grew older they were trained by Zen Buddhist masters in meditation and the Zen concepts of impermanence and harmony with nature. The were also taught about painting, calligraphy, nature poetry, mythological literature, flower arranging, and the tea ceremony.

As part of their military training, it was said, that samurai were taught to sleep with their right arm underneath them so if they were attacked in the middle of the night and their the left arm was cut off the could still fight with their right arm. Samurai that tossed and turned at night were cured of the habit by having two knives placed on either side of their pillow. It seems somewhat extreme, but not entirely impossible.

Samurai have been describes as "the most strictly trained human instruments of war to have existed." They were expected to be proficient in the martial arts of aikido and kendo as well as swordsmanship and archery---the traditional methods of samurai warfare---which were viewed not so much as skills but as art forms that flowed from natural forces that harmonized with nature.
An individual didn't become a full-fledged samurai until he wandered around the countryside as begging pilgrim for a couple of years to learn humility. When this was completed they achieved samurai status and receives a salary from his daimyo paid from taxes (usually rice) raised from the local populace. Swords in Japan have long been symbols of power and honour and seen as works of art. Often times swordsmiths were more famous than the people who used them.

Antique Japanese woodblock prints in the gallery {not included} of Tachibana clan armour and Tachibana Masashige  read more

Code: 25268

A Superb Original Waterloo Recovered Souvenir '6 Pounder ' Royal Artillery Cannon Ball Fired at La Haye Sainte During The Battle, Recovered From The Farm. With Clear Impact Site To The Ball.

Napoleonic Wars cannon ball recovered from a Waterloo excavation well over 190 years ago. One of three we just acquired that were brought back from Waterloo to England over 190 years ago, the first was sold by us recently.

At the Battle of Waterloo, the British Royal Artillery deployed 6-pounder cannons, from which this ball was fired, a relatively light artillery piece that fired a 6-pound (approximately 2.7 kg) solid iron ball. These cannons, introduced in 1793, were crucial for supporting cavalry charges and were easier to manoeuvre than heavier guns.

The 6-pounder was designed to provide lighter, yet still effective, artillery support to the cavalry and infantry.
They fired various types of ammunition, including round shot (solid iron balls), canister shot (a type of scatter shot), and spherical case shot (a type of shell).
The effective range of the 6-pounder with round shot was around 800-900 yards (732-823 metres), though it could reach up to 1700 yards (1554 metres).
The cannonballs were devastating, capable of inflicting serious injury and damage to both men and horses.

At Waterloo, the 6-pounders were primarily used by the Royal Horse Artillery and some field artillery units, with variations in the types of 6-pounders used.
Captured at Waterloo:
Some French 6-pounder cannons were also captured by the British as trophies of war.
La Haye Sainte:
The strategic farmhouse of La Haye Sainte was a focal point of fighting, where the 6-pounder was used extensively.

We show in the gallery a photo of a Waterloo cannon ball embedded in a cemetery wall, from Waterloo Relics by Bernard & Lechaux

Another identical cannon ball is now in the National Army Museum, see gallery.
NAM Accession Number
NAM. 1999-05-8-1

Every single item from The Lanes Armoury, Britain's famous, favourite, and oldest original Armoury Antique store, 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, and thus, it is a lifetime guarantee.  read more

Code: 26135

A Sengoku Era Samurai Battle Katana, Koto Period, With An Amazing Blade, & All Original Edo Fittings Circa 1500.

With all original Edo period mounts, the fuchi is of pure gold decoration on dragon over shakudo on a nanako ground {see below for the details on nanako-ji,} the fuchi of gilt dragon on shakudo on a nanako ground.

A very attractive patinated copper tsuba with gold highlights, on the takebori decoration of two samurai kabuto helmets and a pair of abumi samurai stirrups with a background of prunus blossom on a nanako ground.

The blade has an amazing hamon, and grain {somewhat akin to woodgrain} in the hada, and the polish is simply beautiful.

The Sengoku period was initiated by the Ōnin War in 1467 which collapsed the feudal system of Japan under the Ashikaga Shogunate. The Sengoku period was named by Japanese historians after the similar but otherwise unrelated Warring States period of China. The era is beautifully depicted in Akira Kurowsawa’s films called Jidaigeki. The Sengoku Period (1467-1568 CE) was a lawless century-long era characterized by rising political instability, turmoil, and warlordism in Japan. During this period, field armies and soldiers rapidly rose in number, reaching tens of thousands of warriors. Many castles in Japan were built during the Sengoku Period as regional leaders and aristocrats alike competed for power and strong regional influence to win the favours of the higher-class Japanese at the time. Kurosawa’s film depiction of Macbeth, Throne of Blood, is set in this era of Japan’s feudal period. Original title 蜘蛛巣城, Kumonosu-jō, lit. 'The Castle of Spider's Web'

Initiated by the collapse of the country’s feudal system during the 1467 Onin War, rival warlords or daimyō, continued to struggle to gain control of Japan until its reunification under Japan’s three “Great Unifiers” –– Nagoya Nobunaga, Hideyoshi, and Ieyasu Tokugawa –– thus, bringing the war-stricken era to an end in the siege of Osaka.

The Samurai sword, from all eras, in all its forms, has grown to be one of the most highly desired and iconic military antiques of all time.

There are many reasons why people enjoy collecting swords. Some people are drawn to the beauty and craftsmanship of swords, while others appreciate their historical and cultural significance. Swords can also be a symbol of power and strength, and some collectors find enjoyment in the challenge of acquiring rare or valuable swords.

One of the greatest joys of sword collecting is the opportunity to learn about the history and culture of different civilisations. Swords have been used by warriors for millennia, and each culture has developed its own unique sword designs and traditions. By studying swords, collectors can gain a deeper understanding of the people who made and used them.

Another joy of sword collecting is the sheer variety of swords that are available. There are swords in our gallery from all over the world and from every period of history. Collectors can choose to specialize in a particular type of sword, such as Japanese katanas or medieval longswords, or they can collect a variety of swords from different cultures and time periods. No matter what your reasons for collecting swords, it is a hobby that can provide many years of enjoyment. Swords are beautiful, fascinating, and historically significant objects.

** Authentic, currently, modern hand-made nihonto (Japanese sword blades) from top-tier, licensed swordsmiths in Japan today, typically start around $10,000–$25,000 for a katana, with prices often exceeding $60,000 for renowned masters or customized commissions. These, 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.
Master Smith Pricing, by high-ranking, famous, or award-winning smiths can range from $25,000 to over $60,000. With the added restriction that if the smith created a blade that was ranked high enough to be within the $ 60,000 range, it would be forbidden for it to leave Japan by law.
Japanese law limits smiths to producing roughly 24 long swords (katana/tachi) per year, significantly driving up demand and cost.

Every item is accompanied with our unique, Certificate of Authenticity. Of course any certificate of authenticity, given by even the best specialist dealers, in any field, all around the world, is simply a piece of paper,…however, ours is backed up with the fact we are the largest dealers of our kind in the world, with over 100 years and four generation’s of professional trading experience behind us.

Something else important to consider for potential collectors. Although it is fair to say that very fine, ancient, and available Japanese samurai swords are not the most inexpensive pieces to buy, compare them to the same equally highly ranked and available collectables in literally any other medium. The best available watercolour paintings will be priced from the hundreds of thousands to millions. The best available oil paintings will be from lower millions to tens of even hundreds of millions. The same for jewels, clocks, fine art, watches and certainly some rare vintage cars.

Of course, there are Japanese swords that can rank in value within the millions of pounds, in fact one of the most valuable works of art in the world, according to Forbes list, is a samurai sword, valued at 100 million dollars, and if a Masamune samurai sword ever appeared on the open market, it would certainly be priced at the ten’s of millions range. However, they simply are never available, but maybe, in theory, one 'might' appear on the open market but only every 50 to 100 years or so. However, the next level down within the world of collectable samurai swords, below the ‘very rarest’ of national treasure masterpieces, are available {and we have dozens of them} yet, they are still within the upper thousands to tens of thousand of pounds, which, by comparison, is utterly remarkable.
A wonderful Renoir, Cezanne, or any of best French Impressionist oil paintings are readily available though, in fact they appear for sale every month or so, in either London, Paris, New York or Tokyo, but, selling for tens or even the hundreds of millions of pounds range,and rare, early 1960's Ferraris can be also within that incredible range of value. So, where else can one find, within the collectable world of fine art, the finest ‘available’ collectable samurai sword, that can be less than one percent the cost of its equivalent competition. However, view a fabulous 500 year old samurai sword beautifully displayed and decorating a billionaire's home, and the uninformed will assume it will likely have cost millions of pounds, and it could certainly look as if it would have. But no, it will likely have been purchased for under £20,000.



Samurai have been describes as "the most strictly trained human instruments of war to have existed." They were expected to be proficient in the martial arts of aikido and kendo as well as swordsmanship and archery---the traditional methods of samurai warfare---which were viewed not so much as skills but as art forms that flowed from natural forces that harmonized with nature.
Some samurai, it has been claimed, didn't become a full-fledged samurai until he wandered around the countryside as begging pilgrim for a couple of years to learn humility. When this was completed they achieved samurai status and receives a salary from his daimyo paid from taxes (usually rice) raised from the local populace.

Nanako Ji: "fish roe ground" A surface decoration produced by forming very small raised bosses by a sharply struck punch or burin called 'nanako tagane'. Shakudo is the metal most often used, but copper and gold are quite often employed. The harder metals, shibuichi, silver and iron are rarely decorated in this way. The size of the dots vary from 0.04" to 0.008" (25 to 125 and inch) and the regularity of the work is marvelous as the dots must be spaced entirely by touch. The dots are usually arranged in straight lines or in lines parallel to the edge of the piece being decorated, but sometimes in more elaborate patterns. Used on guards since the Momoyama period although the technique existed since much earlier periods. Usually done by specialist 'nanako-shi', but sometimes done by the maker of the guard himself. The articles of sword ornamentation made by the Goto artists were practically all on shakudo grounds with nanako finish; after the emergence of the machibori artisans in the mid-Edo period and the popularity of the newly inspired kozuka, shakudo grounds with nanako finish "became the rage". Nanako finish is probably an evolution and refinement of a very old style finish (which it vaguely resembles); "millet finish", 'awa ishime', which is found on some old armorer tsuba. However, awa ishime consisted of small, round dimples punched into the surface of the ground; on the other hand, nanako is formed by striking the ground with a cup-shaped punch to raise, and project upward from the surface, small semi-hemispheric nipples. Since we find nanako finish on old yamagane grounds, it was in use as early as the Kamakura period. It is note-worthy that a nanako finish on a shakudo ground has been used since the time of the first Goto 1440 - 151 in the mitokoromono, "set of three", for use on formal or ceremonial occasions. Later, shakudo nanako became the regular finish for use by the metal artisans. (deleted repeated sentences) In applying nanako, meticulous and scrupulous care must be used in positioning and striking the "cupping tool" in order to achieve fine, regular, carefully and closely spaced, identical results, row after row. Careless, imprecise and even coarse workmanship can be detected in the nanako of some older works and on "ready made" products, but work of later years, executed with infinite and scrupulous care, are beautiful beyond belief. However, even the finest of execution of nanako finish applied to brass (shinchu) or shibuichi fails to carry the distinct air of refinement and elegance of similar work on shakudo. The very elegance of nanako workmanship reflects not only the extraordinary skills of the Japanese in the execution of minute, detailed work, but also their tremendous patience and artistic inspiration. It is said that blindness of nanako workers at thirty years of age was usual because of the microscopic and meticulous work so carefully and patiently executed. On many old tsuba, pre-dating the period of the Goto, one encounters nanako laid in horizontal or vertical rows; on subsequent work nanako was applied along curved lines conforming to the shape of the tsuba.

In the current photos the saya lacquer appears slightly bruised, these slight marks have been removed and now the urushi lacquer looks perfect. Blade length 26.75 inches, overall in saya 37 inches

Akira Kurowsawa & Jidaigeki

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: 24387