A Superb Old English-Viking Large 'Winged' Spear Javelin Head With Later Haft. A Vital Component in 'Shield Wall' Battles Over 1000 Years Old

Overall darkened natural patina with age and areas of a pitted surface, but overall in incredibly well preserved condition. Diamond section blade round socket with a pair of flat topped wings square section semi hooked below. It has three double rivet holes at the base of the socket for haft fixing.
The later haft was created for a museum type display to show how it was originally used. Although recovered a long time past, it was incredibly fortunate it was buried an area, likely in England, that was in a highly inorganic material that caused minimal degradation and corrosion over the past millennia, such as fine textured clay soils.

Although some of the leaf spears were light and controllable with one hand, the more massive spearheads were undoubtedly two-handed and suitable for heavy cut-and-thrust, usable as swords in all respects. Their functional aspect is often multiplied by wings, which, among other things, act as a cross-guard. When used on ground, these massive variants had to be exceptionally useful against both cavalry and infantry, while in cavalry use they could be used as cutting, anti-infantry weapons. It is difficult to imagine that such massive spearheads would be placed on very long shafts. In iconography, the spears are usually as high or slightly taller than the wearer. In archeology, the spearheads are often located next to the head, but it is not clear whether the shaft was broken before being placed in the grave or not (eg Belošević 2007: 275; Kouřil 2005: Abb. 4, 6, 15, 16).

Anglo-Saxon England or Early Medieval England, existing from the 5th to the 11th centuries from soon after the end of Roman Britain until the Norman Conquest in 1066, consisted of various Anglo-Saxon kingdoms until 927, when it was united as the Kingdom of England by King Æthelstan (r. 927–939). It became part of the short-lived North Sea Empire of Cnut, a personal union between England, Denmark and Norway in the 11th century.

The typical battle involved both sides, Anglo Saxons, and Vikings or Normans forming shieldwalls to protect against the launching of missiles, and standing slightly out of range of each other.

Stephen Pollington has proposed the following sequence to a typical shieldwall fight . {Stephen Pollington is an English author who specialises in Anglo-Saxon England and the Old English language}

Preliminaries – The lines are drawn up and leaders make pre-battle inspirational speeches
Advance to close quarters – A battle cry would be raised and one or both shieldwalls would advance
Exchange missiles – Both sides shoot arrows and throw javelins, axes and rocks to break the enemy's resolve
Shield to shield – One or other side closes the short gap and attacks, using spears and swords, protecting themselves and pushing with shields to try to break the enemy line. If neither line broke, both sides would draw back to rest. More missiles would be exchanged, and then the two lines would close again. This would continue until one line broke through the other, perhaps aided by the death of a leader or capture of a banner.
Rout and pursuit – One side would begin to give way. A final stand might be made by some, as at Maldon, but most would flee. The victors would pursue, killing all they could catch.
Individual combat style
Individual warriors would run forward from the ranks to gain velocity for their javelin throws. This made them vulnerable due to their being exposed, having left the protection of the shield wall, and there was a chance of being killed by a counter throw from the other side.citation needed This is epitomized in the following excerpt:

"So then did Aethelgar's child enbolden them all, Godric to battle. Often he sent forth spears, deadly shaft sped away onto the Vikings thus he on this people went out in front of battle, cutting down and smiting, until he too on the battlefield perished." (The Battle of Maldon. 320-4.)

If a warrior was killed in the 'no man's land' between shieldwalls, someone from the other side might rush out to retrieve the valuable armour and weapons, such as extra javelins, sword, shield and so on from the corpse. The one best positioned to retrieve the body was often the thrower of the fatal javelin as he had run forward of his shield wall too in order to make his throw. Exposing himself like this, and even more so during his attempt to retrieve the slain's gear, was a great mark of bravery and could result in much valuable personal gain, not only in terms of his professional career as a retainer, but also in material wealth if the equipment were valuable.
Due to the very visible and exposed nature of these javelin-throwing duels, we have some detailed descriptions which have survived, such as the following passage. The first part describes thrown javelin duels, and the latter part describes fighting over the corpses' belongings.

"Advanced again to fierce battle, weapons raised up, shields to defence, and towards these warriors they stepped. Resolute they approached Earl to the lowest Yeoman: each of them intent on harm for the enemy. Sent then a sea-warrior a spear of southern make that wounded the warrior lord. He thrust then with his shield such that the spear shaft burst, and that spear-head shattered as it sprang in reply. Enraged became that warrior: with anger he stabbed that proud Viking who had given him that wound. Experienced was that warrior; he threw his spear forward through the warrior's neck, his hand guiding so that he this ravager's life would fatally pierce. Then he with another stab speedily pierced the ravager so that the chainmail coat broke: this man had a breast wound cut through the linked rings; through his heart stuck a deadly spear. The Earl was the better pleased: laughed then this great man of spirit, thanking the Creator for the day's work which the Lord had given him. And so then another warrior a spear from the other side flew out of hand, which deeply struck through the noble Aethelred's retainer. To him by his side stood a young man not fully grown, a youth on the battlefield, who valiantly pulled out of this warrior the bloody spear, Wulfstan's child, Wulfmaer the younger; and so with blinding speed came the shaft in reply. The spear penetrated, for that who on the Earth now lay among his people, the one who had sorely pierced. Went then armed a man to this Earl; he desirous of this warrior's belongings to take off with, booty and rings and an ornamental sword. Then Byrhtnoth drew his sword from its sheath broad and bright of blade, and then struck the man's coat of mail. But too soon he was prevented by a certain sea-scavenger, and then the Earl's arm was wounded. Fall then to the ground with his gold-hilted sword: his grip unable to hold the heavy sword, or wield the weapon." (The Battle of Maldon. 130-58.)

Reconstructions of fighting techniques suggested by Richard Underwood in his book Anglo Saxon Weapons and Warfare suggest two primary methods of using a spear. You can use it over arm – held up high with the arm extended and the spear pointing downwards. Used this way you could try and attack over the enemy shield against head and neck. Or you could use it underarm with the spear braced along the forearm. This was more defensive and was good for parrying the enemy spear and pushing against his shield to keep him away but was not much use offensively.


Picture in the gallery from the Codex Aureus of Echternach, 1030-1050AD
Germanisches Nationalmuseum in Nuremberg, Germany.

Another picture of an archaeological detailed drawing of a warrior's grave site, showing large winged spear and sword. From Abramowicz – Nadolski – Poklewski-Koziełł 1959:

17 inches long. Weight 0.5 lb

The later haft was made purely for museum grade display purposes, while we can send it within the UK it is far too long to export.  read more

Code: 25386

A Most Rare, Original, Absolutely Glorious and Beautiful 2nd Dragoon Guards 1847 Heavy Cavalry Trooper's Helmet of ‘The Queen’s Bays’. A Victorian Beauty Made Before The Crimean War and Used In Combat and Full Dress In The Indian Mutiny

Whereas there are only a few officers helmets in existence of this vintage, other ranks' helmets are even rarer. This is a 2nd Dragoon Guards helmet with the correct black plume, and in overall good condition, the original plume has service wear.

The brass skull supports an ornate plume holder which has a brush of horsehair out of which sprouts a falling plume of the same hair. There is a rose shaped brass filial on top of the plume, similar in shape and size to the bosses that hold the chin chain. The badge on the front is similar to that on the officers' helmets except that the VR is not backed by red enamel. The star around the garter is of white metal, and placed on a Rococo shield, surrounded by a wreath of laurel and oak. The inscription on the garter is QUEENS DRAGOON GUARDS. The front and back peak are ornamented with applied acanthus leaves. Inside the helmet is a black leather sweatband.

The horse hair plume was worn during regular service and full dress, in combat the black horse hair plume was removed

The regiment next saw action when a squadron under Major Piercy Smith charged the rebels at the capture of Lucknow in March 1858 during the Indian Rebellion.

The Indian Mutiny 1857-59
Passage to India 1857

The Bays were in Dublin when the Mutiny broke out in India. They were ordered to Liverpool, then on to Canterbury where one Troop was left behind. They embarked 9 Troops under the command of Lt-Col Hylton Brisco, with a strength of 28 officers 47 sergeants and 635 other ranks. They sailed on 25 July on two transports, the Blenheim and the Monarch. The voyage was a long and arduous one for the officers and men on the overcrowded transports. The only land they sighted before reaching India, was Madeira, where they lay becalmed for 28 days. This increased their journey to 141 days. During that time they were daily rationed to 1 lb of very hard biscuit, 12 oz of salt meat, a small quantity of tea and sugar, and 5 pints of water. Washing had to be done in sea water. After 3 months at sea they were told that they were only half way there and rations had to be halved. One of the Bays described the lack of appetising food: 'On Sundays, boulle soup was given for a change, but it wasn't generally approved of, as one mess found a dead mouse in theirs, and another mess found a man's finger with a rag wrapped round it.' They reached Calcutta to find that the KDG had arrived a fortnight before, having set off a month later than them. All of them suffered sickness for 4 or 5 days after disembarkation.

Nusrutpore, 23 Jan 1858

The regiment had a difficult overland journey to Allahabad with new horses that had been purchased locally. The men suffered from cholera, and the sick men had to be carried. On 23 Jan two squadrons of the Bays, and a Troop of Horse Artillery were sent out and met up with the 97th regiment and some companies of Gurkhas. They encountered a body of mutineers at Nusrutpore in jungle country. One squadron under Captain Powell made a brilliant charge, and the fighting caused the enemy to lose 1,800 men and some of their guns. Five men of the Bays were wounded, along with 7 horses killed or wounded. These casualties were light considering the heavy fire they came under from the rebels.

Relief of Lucknow

2nd Queen's Bays Dragoon Guards
Charge at Lucknow
After the recapture of Delhi the focus of the conflict was on Lucknow, 150 miles northeast of Allahabad. Sir Colin Campbell had already rescued the beleaguered garrison there but had not prevented the rebels from capturing the city and holding it with 130,000 men. Campbell now had a force of 20,000 to march on Lucknow. The rebels made several sorties out of the town to engage with them. On 6 March two squadrons of the Bays made a charge under the command of Major Percy Smith. This got out of control over broken ground and three men were killed, including Major Smith. They were unable to retrieve his body. One corporal was unhorsed and unable to remount, so was cut to pieces. Six other men were wounded and many of the horses suffered terrible wounds from the mutineers' swords and bayonets. Lucknow was recaptured by 16 Mar 1858, but 20,000 rebels escaped. The cavalry units were already scattered around the countryside chasing small parties of rebels so were not in position to block the mass exodus on 16 Mar.
Nawabganj, 13 June 1858

In a battle at Nawabganj, east of Lucknow, 2 squadrons under Major Seymour were part of the cavalry element of Hope Grant's 3,500-strong column that attacked a force of 15,000 mutineers entrenched at a river crossing. They made a 12 mile night march to surprise the rebels. There was a three hour battle during which the British were surrounded but they turned the tables and drove the enemy off, having killed 600 and captured 9 guns. The British lost 67 killed or wounded in action, but 33 died of sunstroke and 250 ended up in hospital. All members of the regiment had suffered from fever or sunstroke, both proving fatal in many cases. The CO, William Campbell died on 6 July 1858, after being promoted to brigadier. The second lieutenant-colonel, Hylton Brisco had suffered with fever and retired in September. Because of the fatalities and sickness, officers were gaining promotion without purchase. Captain William Henry Seymour, whose letters home provide valuable information on the Bays in India, attained his majority and lieutenant-colonelcy so that within 8 months he had gone from captain to CO of the regiment.

Jamo, 8 Oct 1858

2nd Queen's Bays Dragoon Guards
Chasing Rebels
The regiment were transferred to another column led by Brigadier Sir George Barker in Oct 1858. On 8 Oct they were in action against 30 or 40 mutineers from the 42nd Bengal Native Infantry, concealed in a jungle of sugar cane at Jamo near Sundeela in Oudh. They opened fire on the Bays from a distance of a few yards. Lt-Col Seymour fought desperately with pistol and sword, but was cut down. Trumpeter Thomas Monaghan and Private Charles Anderson rushed to his rescue and fought them off so that Col Seymour was able to get up and carry on fighting. Monaghan and Anderson were awarded the VC for this action. While this was happening, boy Trumpeter John Smith engaged a sepoy in single combat and killed him.
Jowah Pass, April 1859

Colonel Seymour was in action again in the spring of 1859. There were two actions near Bungdon in Oudh, which were among the last battles fought by the Bays after their 20 consecutive months in the field. In another action mutineers had taken refuge in the mountains of Nepal and the Nepalise King asked the British to hunt them down. Two squadrons of the Bays under Major Hutchinson chased the rebels to the Jowah Pass where they charged and defeated them. They had one casualty, Cornet Torrens who was wounded. Following this they went into cantonments near Lucknow. The Queen's Bays remained in India until 1869, eleven years in all.

The regiment's most considerable 20th Century battle honours were as follows:

Early Wars: Warburg, Willems, Lucknow, South Africa 1901-02
The Great War: Mons, Le Cateau, Retreat from Mons, Marne 1914, Aisne 1914, Messines 1914, Armentières 1914, Ypres 1914 '15, Frezenberg, Bellewaarde, Somme 1916 '18, Flers-Courcelette, Arras 1917, Scarpe 1917, Cambrai 1917 '18, St. Quentin, Bapaume 1918, Rosières, Amiens, Albert 1918, Hindenburg Line, St. Quentin Canal, Beaurevoir, Pursuit to Mons, France and Flanders 1914-18
The Second World War: Somme 1940, Withdrawal to Seine, North-West Europe 1940, Msus, Gazala, Bir el Aslagh, Cauldron, Knightsbridge, Via Balbia, Mersa Matruh, El Alamein, Tebaga Gap, El Hamma, El Kourzia, Djebel Kournine, Tunis, Creteville Pass, North Africa 1941–43, Coriano, Carpineta, Lamone Crossing, Defence of Lamone Bridgehead, Rimini Line, Ceriano Ridge, Cesena, Argenta Gap, Italy 1944-45

Photo in the gallery taken in the 1860’s of a Heavy Cavalry veteran wearing his very same form of helmet with its black plume {recoloured}

Painting in the gallery, Charge of The 2nd Dragoon Guards {The Queens Bays} by Simkin  read more

Code: 26017

A Simply Stunning Most Rare Napoleonic Wars Type of a 1796 Infantry Officer's Sword, Monogrammed With Its Owner's Title and Monogram, Plus His Patriotic Motto “The Love Of, My Country, & Freedom” Etched Upon The Acutely Tapering “Needle Point’ Blade.

A most rare blade type, modelled on a 15th-16th century needle point double edged broadsword form known as the type XVII.
The mercurial gilt hilt is near to mint as possible, and it has a folding guard, but with an extraordinarily rare form of blued steel hinge arrangement. The diamond section blade has overall salt and pepper pitting, and bears, in fine etching, the owners title initial, H above his monogram, A. A., and below the monogram, is a Tarlton helmet, and below that a patriotic motto, within three scrolls, The Love Of, My Country, & Freedom. A most unusual form of bespoke blade for the 1796 infantry pattern sword, far better for combat than the standard single edged straight blade, perfect if one is a trained swordsman in the art of hand to hand rapier combat. Perfect for the thrust due to its strength and rigidity, ideal for the cut being double edged. And superb for the parry being quatrefoil, which gives it extra strength. An officer trained to use such a sword would be a formidable foe indeed. One can easily see this by simply by looking at its full length profile in the photographs. It’s appearance of a rigid reinforced needle is incredibly impressive.

After considerable research this incredible sword may indeed have been most likely commissioned for the Hon Alexander Abercromby, we can find no other British army serving officer with this rank and initials. He first served in the Gordon Highlanders, then he transferred to command the 29th Foot, the North Gloucestershires, in Busaco in the Peninsular War, then in 1815 he served under Wellington as Wellington's Assistant Quartermaster General for the 2nd Foot Guards, at Quatre Bras and Waterloo, in the War of 100 Days, Napoleon's last battles and his final foiled attempt to regain his empire.

Born on 4 March 1784, Abercromby entered the army at an early age, and served as a volunteer with the 92nd Regiment, the Gordon Highlanders, in the expedition to the Helder in 1799. He soon obtained a commission, and saw service with his regiment in Egypt. He was appointed aide-de-camp to his father's old lieutenant and friend, Sir John Moore, during his command in Sicily in 1806, but was not with him in Spain.

Like his brother, Sir John, he was rapidly promoted, and in 1808, when only twenty-four, became lieutenant-colonel of the 28th Regiment. He accompanied his regiment when it was sent to Portugal to reinforce Lord Wellesley after the battle of Talavera. He commanded it at the battle of Busaco, and in the lines of Torres Vedras, and as senior colonel had the good fortune to command his brigade at the battle of Albuera. His services there were very conspicuous, and his brigade has been immortalised by Napier. He was soon superseded, but commanded his regiment at the surprise of Arroyo de Molinos and the storming of the forts at Almaraz.

In 1812 he was removed to the staff of the army, and was present as assistant-quartermaster-general at the battles of Vittoria, the Pyrenees, and Orthes. He served in the same capacity in 1815, and was present at Quatre-Bras, Waterloo, and the storming of Péronne. Péronne, on the banks of the Somme, was captured on 26 June during the Allied advance on Paris following the victory at Waterloo

He was the son of Lieutenant General Sir Ralph Abercromby KB (7 October 1734 – 28 March 1801) who was a British soldier and politician. He rose to the rank of lieutenant-general in the British Army, was appointed Governor of Trinidad, served as Commander-in-Chief, Ireland, and was noted for his services during the French Revolutionary Wars, ultimately in the Egyptian campaign. His strategies are ranked amongst the most daring and brilliant exploits of the British army. No doubt Alexander gained his considerable combat tactical skills from his father. To be Colonel of a regiment at 24 and to be in command of a battle was no mean feat based entirely on merit.

For his active services he was promoted to a colonelcy in the 2nd or Coldstream Guards,

The last photo in the gallery of the other 10th hussars sword 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.  read more

Code: 24749

A Fabulous & Rare US Civil War General's Sabre With Its Original Civil War General Officer's Pattern 'Acorn' Sword Knot, & Steel Combat Scabbard. Superb Deluxe Etched Blade

A near pair to three other Civil War General's swords, currently in American museums or in private ownership, of, General W.T.Sherman, Major General J.E.B. Stuart, and Lt General John Bell Hood. The sword knot is also a near pair to one {with its sword} of Civil War Brigadier General Champlin. We also show in the gallery General JEB Stuarts hat, that has a pair of interlinked Civil War General's pattern acorn sword knots around the brim. General Sherman's sword is currently offered at auction with a suggested price of $60,000

Our sword has superb quality elaborate hilt embellished decor for a general, and a stunning, deluxe etched blade with maker's name, and the original wirebound sharkskin grip. In its steel, blackened, combat scabbard. All in superb condition. the General’s knot is also in very good condition for age.

An American Civil War import, commissioned from either French or German swordsmiths, and interestingly, almost all the other General's swords within the various US museums were either commissioned in France or Germany, and not domestically produced.
One of the most famous Colonel’s of the Civil War was Robert Gould Shaw of the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment. Robert Gould Shaw (1837-1863) carried his British import sword at the assault on Fort Wagner, Folly Island, S.C. on 18 July 1863. Where sadly he was KIA. The sword was a gift from his uncle George R. Russell, and in a letter to his father, dated 1 July 1863, Shaw acknowledges receiving “a box of Uncle George’s containing a beautiful English sword...” With sword in-hand, Colonel Shaw, of the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment, was shot in the chest and killed while mounting the parapet of Ft. Wagner. The sword and other personal effects were taken from his body during the night and presumed lost. In June of 1865, the U.S. Colored Troops, under the command of Gen. Charles Jackson Paine, U.S.V., found the sword "in the possession of a rebel officer" near Goldsboro, N.C. The sword was returned to the Shaw family in 1865 by Capt. Solon A. Carter, U.S.V. but was misplaced after 1900 until it's recent discovery in 2017. That sword is now within the collections of the Massachuetts Historical Society, donated to them by the Shaw family.

James Ewell Brown "Jeb" Stuart (February 6, 1833 – May 12, 1864) was a Confederate States Army general during the American Civil War. He was known to his friends as "Jeb,” from the initials of his given names. Stuart was a cavalry commander known for his mastery of reconnaissance and the use of cavalry in support of offensive operations. While he cultivated a cavalier image (red-lined gray cape, the yellow waist sash of a regular cavalry officer, hat cocked to the side with an ostrich plume, red flower in his lapel, often sporting cologne), his serious work made him the trusted eyes and ears of Robert E. Lee's army and inspired Southern morale.3

Stuart graduated from West Point in 1854 and served in Texas and Kansas with the U.S. Army. Stuart was a veteran of the frontier conflicts with Native Americans and the violence of Bleeding Kansas, and he participated in the capture of John Brown at Harpers Ferry. He resigned his commission when his home state of Virginia seceded, to serve in the Confederate Army, first under Stonewall Jackson in the Shenandoah Valley, but then in increasingly important cavalry commands of the Army of Northern Virginia, playing a role in all of that army's campaigns until his death.

He established a reputation as an audacious cavalry commander and on two occasions (during the Peninsula Campaign and the Maryland Campaign) circumnavigated the Union Army of the Potomac, bringing fame to himself and embarrassment to the North. At the Battle of Chancellorsville, he distinguished himself as a temporary commander of the wounded Stonewall Jackson's infantry corps.

Stuart's most famous campaign, the Gettysburg Campaign, was flawed when his long separation from Lee's army left Lee unaware of Union troop movements so that Lee was surprised and almost trapped at the Battle of Gettysburg. Stuart received criticism from the Southern press as well as the proponents of the Lost Cause movement after the war. During the 1864 Overland Campaign, Union Maj. Gen. Philip Sheridan's cavalry launched an offensive to defeat Stuart, who was mortally wounded at the Battle of Yellow Tavern.

J.E.B Stuart’s sword was made in Paris. U.S. Army officers were responsible for providing their own side arms, so Stuart either ordered it himself or was given it as a gift. It now resides with his hat, in the American Civil War Museum

John Bell Hood (June 12 or June 29,3 1831 – August 30, 1879) was a Confederate general during the American Civil War. Hood's impetuosity led to high losses among his troops as he moved up in rank. Bruce Catton wrote that "the decision to replace Johnston with Hood was probably the single largest mistake that either government made during the war." Hood's education at the United States Military Academy led to a career as a junior officer in the infantry and cavalry of the antebellum U.S. Army in California and Texas. At the start of the Civil War, he offered his services to his adopted state of Texas. He achieved his reputation for aggressive leadership as a brigade commander in the army of Robert E. Lee during the Seven Days Battles in 1862, after which he was promoted to division command. He led a division under James Longstreet in the campaigns of 1862–63. At the Battle of Gettysburg, he was severely wounded, rendering his left arm mostly useless for the rest of his life.4 Transferred with many of Longstreet's troops to the Western Theater, Hood led a massive assault into a gap in the U.S. line at the Battle of Chickamauga but was wounded again, requiring the amputation of his right leg.

Hood returned to field service during the Atlanta Campaign of 1864 and, at the age of 33, was promoted to temporary full general and command of the Army of Tennessee at the outskirts of Atlanta, making him the youngest soldier on either side of the war to be given command of an army. There, he dissipated his army in a series of unsuccessful assaults and was forced to evacuate the besieged city. Leading his men through Alabama and into Tennessee, his army was severely damaged in a massive frontal assault at the Battle of Franklin. The Battle of Franklin was fought on November 30, 1864 in Franklin, Tennessee; in Williamson County. John Bell Hood's Army of Tennessee (around 33,000 men) faced off with John M. Schofield's Army of the Ohio and the Cumberland (around 30,000 men). Often cited as "the bloodiest five hours" during the American Civil War, the Confederates lost between 6,500 - 7,500 men, with 1,750 dead. The Federals lost around 2,000 - 2,500 men, with just 250 or less killed. Hood lost 30,000 men in just six months (from July 1864 until December 15). The Battle of Franklin was fought mostly at night. Several Confederate Generals were killed, including Patrick Cleburne, and the Rebels also lost 50% of their field commanders. Hood would limp into Nashville two weeks later before suffering his final defeat before retreating to Pulaski in mid December. Hundreds of wounded Confederate soldiers were taken to the John and Carrie McGavock home - Carnton - after the battle. She became known as the Widow of the South. The McGavock's eventually donated two acres to inter the Confederate dead. Almost 1,500 Rebel soldiers are buried in McGavock Confederate Cemetery, just in view of the Carnton house.

Hood’s sword was purchased from Coulaux & Cie, Klingenthal, France. Lt. Gen. John Bell Hood used his cavalry saber during his service in the Confederate Army. It now resides in the Museum of the Confederacy in Richmond Va. Hood also had another sword an infantry Militia pattern dress sword, imported from Germany made by P.D.Lunschloss & Companie, that now resides in the American Civil War Museum.

Sadly, we do not know the name of the general officer to whom our sabre once originally belonged.  read more

Code: 25224

A Simply Stunning Ancestral Bladed WW2 Officer's Sword With a Blade Circa 1665 Yamashiro Koku Jyu Minamoto Tsuahiro(山城国住源綱廣)

This blade was signed by Yamashiro Koku Jyu Minamoto Tsuahiro(山城国住源綱廣). He was active in sword-forging during the Kanbun-Jyokyo era(1661-1688: early Edo period), judging from his remaining work and historical records. Therefore, we believe it was made about 350 years ago.

Yamashiro koku is the province’s name in the Kyoto area, and Jyu means living in Japanese. The signature indicates that this blade was created when Tsunahiro lived in Yamashiro Koku. There are also records of him signing as Omi no Kami Minamoto Tsunahiro. Omi no Kami is the title given to only selected swordsmiths whose sword-forging techniques were excellent.

Yamashiro province was famous for its sword-making style called Yamashiro-Den. Yamashiro-Den's origin dates back to the Heian period(794 A.D) when the capital city was moved from Nara to Kyoto. The swordsmiths in Yamashiro province initially prospered by forging swords for court nobles and imperial families. Later on, they also forged swords for feudal lords after Samurai military government took control of Japan. There are so many renowned swordsmiths from this region. It is said that the founder of Yamashiro-Den was Sanjo Munechika. And there are seven prestigious schools in this region. One of the most characteristics of Yamashiro-Den is its elegant design and beautiful Jigane.  read more

Code: 26014

What A Unique And Incredible Christmas Gift This Could Be, A Stunning Mid Victorian Antique Gadget Rifle Gun Stick Fully Set Within Its Original Hard Canvas Travelling Gun Case With All Accompanying Tools. Unique Collectors Piece From Victorian England

Circa 1850. With twin, sleeved barrels, one rifled for a rifle bullet of around .36 cal, the other for lead shot. The rifle barrel sleeve, is, say, for the assassin's bullet, the lead shot barrel, for personal defence {or wildfowl}

What a remarkable original antique collectors item, made by a fine Victorian Suffolk gunsmith, that is, without question one of the greatest conversation pieces of the antique ‘gadget weapon’ world.

Photos to be added later today.

Straight out of a Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes mystery. One could easily imagine, one such as Holmes’ arch nemesis, the diabolically fiendish and most inscrutable villain of Victorian England, Professor Moriarty, being armed with such a remarkable, concealed, rifled assassin’s piece.

A stout lacquered walking stick that belies its hidden purpose as a hidden rifle. That could be fired dozens of times from a single charge of its pneumatic pump system.

The "hidden gun stick" originated from a desire for discreet self-defense, emerging around the 18th and 19th centuries as a way to conceal a firearm within a walking stick. While sword canes with hidden blades have a longer history, the walking stick gun is a more early modern invention, a costly curio for gentlemen who wanted to be armed without drawing attention. Especially useful as a poachers arm.

In the mid Victorian era, from whence this came, the walking stick was a common accessory for wealthy men. Yet the concealed weapon stick combined this fashion staple with the element of surprise for self-defense.

Sometime around the late 1840s to early 1850s, a new pneumatic gun appeared: The walking stic gun. For at least two centuries prior to the air version’s appearance, normal walking sticks had been principal accessories for gentlemen. In the uncertain streets and avenues of 18th- and 19th-century towns and cities, as well as being a fashion statement, a iron stick could serve as a handy self-defense weapon, either as a bludgeon or, in specialized pieces, by the implementation of concealed blades or bullet-firing mechanisms.

In the 18th and 19th centuries as carrying swords became less socially acceptable, people began hiding weapons in plain sight, with the gun stick being one such evolution.
Gun sticks were expensive to produce, and they were not as practical as conventional weapons. They were often seen as a luxury item, a talking point, or a concealed weapon for gentlemen, and as the century passed the evolved with disguised percussion black powder actions, or as this beauty, with an air powered system that required a pumped air pressure action.
Similar to the gun stick, the sword stick was instead of a firearm, a blade is concealed inside the walking stick.
Poacher's guns was a more practical and easily concealed version of a sporting gun, but intended for a different purpose.
Other disguised hidden weapons thuat utilised the concept of hiding weapons in common objects is an ancient one. Examples include early Japanese
Shikomizue: A Japanese walking stick that conceals a blade, or a Gupta: A straight sword concealed within a wooden cane, used in India.

This beauty has a stunning quality Damascus steel stirrup pump with detachable T section handle in order to hand charge the top section air reservoir. The stick was then assembled to resemble an innocuous gentleman’s walking aid, complete with key, folding cleaning-ram rod, rifle insert.

In purely practical terms, the distinction is that cane guns, far more costly to produce and, generally speaking, an affectation, ostensibly carried by gentlemen who wished, at all times, to be able to take "targets of opportunity", were a curio, a talking point, or a concealed offensive weapon, one that might easily escape detection unless closely examined. In addition to gentleman's canes, guns have also been concealed in other common items such as umbrellas and walking sticks.

In the picture gallery we show a photo from the Presidential Centre Library collection, a historic sword stick that is part of the Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Centre Library collection in Fremont, Ohio, gifted from the Waggoner family, the sword-cane was said to have been presented to Mr Waggoner by General George Washington in honour of Waggoner's service in Washington's Life Guard during the American Revolutionary War.

The method of loading and discharging an air cane, while economical and reliable, also put some constraints on portability and spontaneity. Most operated thusly: First, two halves were unscrewed, and a hand pump fitted onto the rear reservoir section. One then stood on the pump’s handle and, using full-body force, gave the pump 350 to 400 hard strokes. The pump was then removed, and the two halves rejoined. A brass tip with attached ramrod was then unscrewed from the muzzle. Next, a round ball was rammed down the rifle barrel or lead shot for the smooth bore barrel, and seated at the base of either barrel. The shooter then took a key, inserted it in a square hole at the rear part of the forward section, and turned it to cock the piece. This also allowed a small button “trigger” to pop out of the side of the cane at the proper position where it could be naturally accessed by the thumb of the left hand when the cane was aimed. On full charge, a normal air gun stick could fire around 30 to ­40 times before having to be re-pumped. The first 15 to ­20 rounds would experience no decrease in velocity or accuracy. However, afterwards, power would drop dramatically. Depending on the gun, shooting ranges with bullets ran from 10 to 50 yards, with 20 to 25 not being uncommon. Shot was normally fired at closer distances, the rifle at longer.

One of other rare examples we once had, also a fully fitted and cased example, with twin sleeved barrels, Mark sold to Charlton (Chuck) Heston back in 1971. Chuck was the 26th president of the NRA, as well as a world famous movie star, and winner of the US Medal of Freedom. Charlton Heston once proclaimed to gun control advocates that they could only have his firearm after taking it "from my cold, dead hands."

Naturally this walking stick rifle cum shotgun is now solely, a superb, original antique collector’s item, an antique curio only, no longer to be used for its original purpose.  read more

Code: 26026

A Perfect, Very Special Gift or Personal Choice. The Collected Ghost Stories of M. R. James Published in 1931, Printed in 1949 Edward Arnold & Co London

Every year around this time we try our best to find a super original early post war edition of probably the very finest book of ingenious yet disturbing ghost stories ever written.
This year we have managed once more.

Montague Rhodes James, who used the publication name M.R. James, was a noted British mediaeval scholar & provost of King's College, Cambridge (1905–18) & of Eton College (1918–36). He's best remembered for his ghost stories which are widely regarded as among the finest in English literature. One of James' most important achievements was to redefine the ghost story for the new century by dispensing with many of the formal Gothic trappings of his predecessors, replacing them with more realistic contemporary settings.
the stories contained are;
"Canon Alberic's Scrap-Book"
"Lost Hearts"
"The Mezzotint"
"The Ash Tree"
"Number 13"
"Count Magnus"
"'Oh, Whistle, and I'll Come to You, My Lad'"
"The Treasure of Abbot Thomas"
"A School Story"
"The Rose Garden"
"The Tractate Middoth"
"Casting the Runes"
"The Stalls of Barchester Cathedral"
"Martin's Close"
"Mr Humphreys and His Inheritance"
"The Residence at Whitminster"
"The Diary of Mr Poynter"
"An Episode of Cathedral History"
"The Story of a Disappearance and an Appearance"
"Two Doctors"
"The Haunted Dolls' House"
"The Uncommon Prayer-Book"
"A Neighbour's Landmark"
"A View from a Hill"
"A Warning to the Curious"
"An Evening's Entertainment"
"Wailing Well"
"There Was a Man Dwelt by a Churchyard"
"Rats"
"After Dark in the Playing Fields"
plus " Stories i have tried to write"

According to James, the story must "put the reader into the position of saying to himself, 'If I'm not very careful, something of this kind may happen to me!'" He also perfected the technique of narrating supernatural events through implication and suggestion, letting his reader fill in the blanks, and focusing on the mundane details of his settings and characters in order to throw the horrific and bizarre elements into greater relief. He summed up his approach in his foreword to the anthology Ghosts and Marvels: "Two ingredients most valuable in the concocting of a ghost story are, to me, the atmosphere and the nicely managed crescendo. ... Let us, then, be introduced to the actors in a placid way; let us see them going about their ordinary business, undisturbed by forebodings, pleased with their surroundings; and into this calm environment let the ominous thing put out its head, unobtrusively at first, and then more insistently, until it holds the stage."

He also noted: "Another requisite, in my opinion, is that the ghost should be malevolent or odious: amiable and helpful apparitions are all very well in fairy tales or in local legends, but I have no use for them in a fictitious ghost story."

Despite his suggestion (in the essay "Stories I Have Tried to Write") that writers employ reticence in their work, many of James's tales depict scenes and images of savage and often disturbing violence. For example, in "Lost Hearts", pubescent children are taken in by a sinister dabbler in the occult who cuts their hearts from their still-living bodies. In a 1929 essay, James stated:

Reticence may be an elderly doctrine to preach, yet from the artistic point of view, I am sure it is a sound one. Reticence conduces to effect, blatancy ruins it, and there is much blatancy in a lot of recent stories. They drag in sex too, which is a fatal mistake; sex is tiresome enough in the novels; in a ghost story, or as the backbone of a ghost story, I have no patience with it. At the same time don't let us be mild and drab. Malevolence and terror, the glare of evil faces, 'the stony grin of unearthly malice', pursuing forms in darkness, and 'long-drawn, distant screams', are all in place, and so is a modicum of blood, shed with deliberation and carefully husbanded; the weltering and wallowing that I too often encounter merely recall the methods of M G Lewis.
The condition overall is good with commensurate wear for age, with its original paper slip cover, although the original slip cover does have a tear and a small section over the spine lacking. It bears the original 1949 owners name on the inner blank page.  read more

Code: 23812

A Fabulous Victorian Set of 24 of Charles Dickens Works, Superbly Bound In 17 Volumes By Chapman And Hall. The Ideal Christmas Present!

If you wanted a stunning set to enjoy or as an heirloom for future generations you would likely never see a better set of this type. Very good condition indeed, 17 beautiful volumes octavo, finest calf leather with marbled boards, five raised bands across each spine, with titles, in gilt on red leather with green leather title labels, and gilt decoratio. Marbled edges, with marbled end papers original illustrations, all contents clean and bright and bindings firm.
Charles Dickens
TWENTY-FOUR Works in Seventeen Volumes
COMPLETE
Sketches by Boz.

The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club.

The Adventures of Oliver Twist & A Tale of Two Cities.

The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby.

The Old Curiosity Shop.

Barnaby Rudge.

The Life and Adventures of Martin Chuzzlewit.

Christmas Books & Hard Times. Including A Christmas Carol

Dombey and Son.

The Personal History of David Copperfield.

Bleak House.

Little Dorrit.

Great Expectations & The Uncommercial Traveller.

Our Mutual Friend.

The Mystery of Edwin Drood & Reprinted Pieces.

American Notes for General Circulation & Pictures from Italy & A Child's History of England.

Christmas Stories & Master Humphrey's Clock.  read more

Code: 25195

Sapper Cyril McNeile – Bull-Dog Drummond – 1st Edition Hodder & Stroughton, First UK Edition 1920 Rebound Green Morocco by Sangorski & Sutcliffe

Sapper Cyril McNeile – Bull-Dog Drummond – First UK Edition 1920

A first edition, first printing published by Hodder and Stoughton in 1920. Rare first Bull-Dog Drummond novel.
Bull-dog Drummond (later Bulldog Drummond) was the first Bulldog Drummond novel, written by H. C. McNeile under the pen name Sapper. Following serialisation in Hutchinson's Story Magazine from September 1919 to July 1920 under the title "Bull-Dog Drummond, D.S.O., M.C.", the book was published in 1920. The book included a Prologue that was absent from the serialisation. In 1921 it was adapted into a play of the same title starring Gerald du Maurier. In 1929, the book was adapted into a film of the same name starring Ronald Coleman.

Plot
The novel begins with ex-British Army Captain Hugh "Bulldog" Drummond, DSO, MC, a wealthy former World War I officer of the Loamshire Regiment, dashing and strong, but not handsome, placing an advertisement in The Times stating his desire for an adventure. He receives a reply from a young woman, concerned about some business acquaintances of her father. It turns out that her father is being blackmailed by archvillain Carl Peterson who is attempting to organise a coup d'état to enable a pro-communist takeover of Britain. This is being done for financial gain as Peterson is being paid by wealthy foreigners who will profit from this.

Drummond is captured several times, and manages to escape several times, before eventually defeating Peterson and his henchmen, with the aid of ex-army friends.

Sapper was the pseudonym of Herman Cyril McNeile, whose father was Malcolm McNeile, a Captain in the Royal Navy and, at who was at the time, governor of the naval prison at Bodmin, the town where Herman was born.

McNeile was educated at Cheltenham College and the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich and was commissioned into the Royal Engineers in 1907. He went to France in 1914 when World War I broke out and he saw action at both the First and the Second Battle of Ypres where he displayed considerable bravery, was awarded the Military Cross and was mentioned in dispatches.

His first known published work was a series of short war stories based on his own experiences, and published under the name 'Sapper' in the Daily Mail and in the magazine 'The War Illustrated'.

These stories were immediately successful and later sold over 200,000 copies within a year when subsequently republished in book-form. His realistic writing proved most popular at a time of great stress and Lord Northcliff, the owner of the Daily Mail who recognised his talent, was so impressed by that he attempted, but failed, to have McNeile released from the army so he could work as a war correspondent.

After the War was over, in 1919, McNeile resigned from the army with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and became a full-time author, publishing his first novel, Mufti, in that year.

In 1922, he moved to Sussex and lived there for the rest of his life, having married Peggy Baird-Douglas with whom he had two sons.

He began the series for which he now best remembered, that of Hugh 'Bulldog' Drummond in 1920 and thereafter he wrote 10 novels featuring his eponymous hero. The public took to Drummond and McNeile had great financial success.

The first book was adapted for the stage and produced, to great success, at Wyndham's Theatre during the 1921-1922 season with Gerald du Maurier playing the main character. Films followed and the first talkie BullDog Drummond film in 1922 was reputed to have earned McNeile the vast sum of $750,000. There were 26 films made of his books.

As well as Drummond, he wrote about Ronald Standish but the majority of his work was short stories that were published in various popular monthly magazines and continued to earn him good money. Indeed, in addition to his novels, many of his books were short story collections.

He was reputedly an unremittingly hearty man, who even his good friend and collaborator Gerard Fairlie, who continued the Drummond series after McNeile's death with seven further books, described as "not everybody's cup of tea". He died on August 14, 1937 at his home in Pulborough, West Sussex.

His funeral, with full military honours, took place at Woking crematorium.

Sangorski & Sutcliffe is a firm of bookbinders established in London in 1901. It is considered to be one of the most important bookbinding companies of the 20th century, famous for its luxurious jeweled bindings that used real gold and precious stones in their book covers.

Sangorski & Sutcliffe was established by Francis Sangorski (1875–1912) and George Sutcliffe (1878–1943). They had met in 1896 at a bookbinding evening class taught by Douglas Cockerell at the London County Council's Central School of Arts and Crafts.

In 1898, Sangorski and Sutcliffe each won one of the ten annual craft scholarship awards, giving them £20 a year for three years to continue their training as apprentice bookbinders. They were employed at Cockerell's own bindery, and began to teach bookbinding at Camberwell College of Art. They were laid off in 1901 after a coal strike caused an economic slump, and they decided to set up on their own in a rented attic in Bloomsbury, starting on 1 October 1901. They soon moved to Vernon Place, and then, in 1905, to Southampton Row.

Sangorski's elder brother, Alberto Sangorski (1862–1932),1 worked for the firm. He became an accomplished calligrapher and illuminator, working for Rivière from 1910.

They quickly revived the art of jewelled bookbindings, decorating their sumptuous multi-colour leather book bindings with gold inlay and precious and semi-precious jewels. They were commissioned to create a most luxurious binding of the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, the front cover of which was adorned with three golden peacocks with jewelled tails and surrounded by heavily tooled and gilded vines, that was sent on the ill-fated RMS Titanic in 1912. The book, known as the Great Omar, sank with the ship and has not been recovered. Shortly afterwards, Sangorski drowned.

Sutcliffe continued the firm, which became recognised as one of the leading bookbinders in London. The bindery moved to Poland Street, and managed to survive through the First World War, the Great Depression, the Second World War, and post-war austerity. It also created miniature books for Queen Mary's Dolls' House

THE LANES ARMOURY, THE PREMIER HOME OF ORIGINAL AND AFFORDABLE ANCIENT ANTIQUITIES , MILITARY ARMOURY ANTIQUES & COLLECTABLES IN BRITAIN  read more

Code: 25633

An Incredibly Rare, Superb 3rd to 2nd Century B.C. Falcata {Machaira Sword} From the Invasion of Rome Era of the Punic Wars, by The Great General Hannibal. It Is Also The Very Same Design of Sword Used by Alexander The Great & His Generals 335 BC

A fabulous original historical artefact of ancient Romano Greek weaponry. Used by a high ranked warrior in the ancient Roman Republic period in Carthage. A design so efficient and effective in combat it was as popular in Ancient Rome as it was in the same period in Ancient Greece.
You simply do not often see such a rare and iconic original ancient sword, used by the most famed protagonists of the Carthaginian Wars, against the might of Rome, such as the Battle on Cannae, during the period of one of the greatest eras in classical history, let alone have the opportunity to own one.
Also a style of sword used by the Ancient Greeks in the time of Alexander the Great. The falcata or machaira is one of the most distinctive swords of classical history, and the machaira's design enabled a warrior to deliver a sharp blow from above, with its inverted curve and powerful blade it can be seen depicted in the earliest decoration of Hellenistic attic vases and early pottery from ancient Greece, paintings from great historical battles in early art work of the medieval period

Two similar examples are in the Metropolitan in New York see photo 10 in the gallery

In 219 B.C., Hannibal of Carthage led an attack on Saguntum, an independent city allied with Rome, which sparked the outbreak of the Second Punic War. He then marched his massive army across the Pyrenees and Alps into central Italy in what would be remembered as one of the most famous campaigns in history. After a string of victories, the most notable coming at Cannae in 216 B.C., Hannibal had gained a foothold in southern Italy, but declined to mount an attack on Rome itself. The Romans rebounded, however, driving the Carthaginians out of Spain and launching an invasion of North Africa. In 203 B.C., Hannibal abandoned the struggle in Italy to defend North Africa, and he suffered a devastating defeat at the hands of Publius Cornelius Scipio at Zama the following year. Though the treaty concluding the Second Punic War put an end to Carthage’s status as an imperial power, Hannibal continued to pursue his lifelong dream of destroying Rome up until his death in 183 B.C. This is simply a stunning and rare original Iberian single -edged Falcata of the 3rd-2nd century BC and later. A single-edged machaira sword of falcata type, with curved hilt of regular geometric shape, lateral iron guard (later addition); grooves on one side of the upper part of blade; three circular rivets of circular section which fastened the organic handle to the hilt. Weighing approx 630 grams , almost 22 inches long, and in nice condition for age.

A fine example piece, from the ancient Roman period over 2000 years old. Although this sword is now in an obvious ancient, and historical, russetted condition, with some elements lacking, every item made of iron from this era, such as the rarest of swords and daggers, even in the Royal Collection, are in this very same state of preservation.

See Quesada Sanz, F.,El armamento Ibérico, Madrid, 1991; Quesada Sanz, F., Arma y símbolo: la falcata Ibérica, Alicante, 1992; Quesada Sanz, F., ‘Patterns of interaction, Celtic and Iberian weapons in Iron Age Spain’ in Celtic connections, volume 2, papers from the Tenth International Congress of Celtic Studies, Edinburgh, 1995, Edinburgh, 2005; a similar specimen with a near identical hilt is the Iberian Falcata from Cerro Muriano (Córdoba, Spain) which is preserved in the Copper Museum of Córdoba (III-II century BC).
Since the 5th-4th century BC, the Iberian warriors armed themselves with round shields and single edged swords (falcatas) that were the Etruscan version of the Greek machaira. The latter type of sword was duly transformed into a completely new type, with a different size, shape and function, the falcata, already in use in the Iberian area by c. 490 BC. This type of curved, slashing, single-edged sword is generally accepted by the scholars as the 'national' weapon of the Iberians, and was commonly used in the Iberian Peninsula, worn by the warriors usually suspended on the left side in a scabbard to which was often attached a short knife. It was a terrifying cut-and-thrust sword, with an average blade length of 45cm. General Commander-in-Chief of the Carthaginian army, Hannibal was a Carthaginian general and statesman who commanded Carthage's main forces against the Roman Republic during the Second Punic War. He is widely considered one of the greatest military commanders in human history. His father, Hamilcar Barca, was a leading Carthaginian commander during the First Punic War. His younger brothers were Mago and Hasdrubal, and he was brother-in-law to Hasdrubal the Fair, who also commanded Carthaginian armies. Hannibal lived during a period of great tension in the western Mediterranean Basin, triggered by the emergence of the Roman Republic as a great power after it had established its supremacy over Italy. Although Rome had won the First Punic War, revanchism prevailed in Carthage, symbolised by the alleged pledge that Hannibal made to his father never to be a friend of Rome. The Second Punic War broke out in 218 BC after Hannibal's attack on Saguntum, an ally of Rome in Hispania. He then made his famous military exploit of carrying war to Italy by crossing the Alps with his North African war elephants. In his first few years in Italy, he won a succession of dramatic victories at the Trebia, Lake Trasimene, and Cannae. He distinguished himself for his ability to determine his and his opponent's respective strengths and weaknesses, and to plan battles accordingly. Hannibal's well-planned strategies allowed him to conquer several Italian cities allied to Rome. Hannibal occupied most of southern Italy for 15 years, but could not win a decisive victory, as the Romans led by Fabius Maximus avoided confrontation with him, instead waging a war of attrition. A counter-invasion of North Africa led by Scipio Africanus forced him to return to Carthage. Scipio eventually defeated Hannibal at the Battle of Zama, having previously driven Hannibal's brother Hasdrubal out of the Iberian Peninsula. As with all our items it comes complete with our certificate of authenticity.  read more

Code: 23521