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

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

Code: 18628

Mauvillon, Jacob - Essai Sur L’Influence de la Poudre a Canon dans L’Art de la Guerre Moderne.Used By All the French Artillery Officers from the Revolution to Waterloo

Ex libris Henry B.H .Beaufoy F.R.S. (1785–1851) with bookplate to front pastedown. & large folded plates.

'The' French manual on the use of artillery cannon in warfare from before the French Revolution and right through all of Napoleon's campaigns from Egypt to Spain, Austria, Prussia, Russia, Belgium etc.

In better condition we have sold these books up to £700, so this original historical manual on artillery is very inexpensive, due to its external condition. However, internally is has all the same information and certainly its historical context, it is just the same as a fine example.

Ex libris: A Latin phrase meaning "from the library of," used to indicate former or current ownership of a book.

Henry B.H. Beaufoy F.R.S. (1785–1851): The book's previous owner. The "F.R.S." suffix denotes his status as a Fellow of the Royal Society. Beaufoy inherited a wealthy family vinegar distillery in Lambeth, served as an MP, and built an extensive library containing over 25,000 volumes. His collection famously included the first four Folio editions of Shakespeare.

In the antiquarian book market, a bookplate from the Beaufoy Library acts as a verified badge of historical pedigree. Because his substantial library was systematically dispersed at major auctions (such as Christie's in 1909 and 1912), his distinctive armorial bookplates continue to surface in rare collections globally.  read more

Code: 26390

Incredibly Rare Collectors Item. A Nuclear Warden's Helmet 1950-55. Named For "Area 13" in the Central Government War Headquarters Bunker, Codename 'Turnstile', 120 feet Underground In Wiltshire, A Complex Housing 4,000 People Incl. 60 Miles Of Roads

We first starting buying WW2 Tommy Helmets within a year of the wars end, and Cold War Civil Defence kit since the 1970's, yet this is the very first Nuclear Warden's helmet we have ever seen outside of a museum.

As can be plainly seen, this is a simple and purely functional helmet, with no elaborate decor or attractiveness at all, but, that was the very point, it was simply supplied to the wardens, with hand painted area designation, for an effective purpose, and without any frills or fancy badging required, or even used. Similar as to how camouflage was applied German combat helmets in WW1 and WW2

A WW2 manufactured, Tommy Helmet, aka the MKII Brodie pattern. Maker stamped dated 1939 Mk II maker stamped JSS. During World War II, the stamp J.S.S. stood for Joseph Sankey & Sons Ltd, a major metal-press and automotive parts manufacturer based at the Albert Street Works in Bilston, Staffordshire, England from 1938 to 1941. Re-purposed in 1950 for the Cold War, British, Nuclear Bunker Government Headquarters.

Original British Army green paint, with original, hand painted, naming of Nuclear Warden and Area 13 on the rear. Area 13 was the section for power and agricultural supply within the bunker complex.

The Civil Defence Corps (Established 1948)
Following the Civil Defence Act of 1948, the British government established the Civil Defence Corps to prepare for potential future conflicts, including the threat of nuclear attacks.
Volunteers were organized into localized sections, including a Warden Section.
These wardens were not divided into nationwide "nuclear warden areas" only the underground headquarters 'Turnstile, aka, Burlington', likely due to its massive size. Instead, they were organized locally by individual county and borough councils across the UK,

The massive underground complex was located 120 feet underground at Spring Quarry in Corsham, Wiltshire, known by codenames Burlington, Turnstile, or Chanticleer—was designed to act as the UK's emergency shadow government headquarters during a nuclear war.
While the quarry was used as an aircraft engine factory during World War II, the Cabinet Office did not take it over for nuclear civil defence planning until around 1950, with official commissioning happening in 1955. Within this underground city, Area 13 was a specific corridor inside the bunker that housed the power rooms and the agricultural supplies.

The history of 'Burlington' & 'Turnstile'

The Quarrying Era (19th Century)
The complex originated as a series of deep underground mines for Bath stone (Oolite limestone). The industry boomed in the 1840s following the construction of Isambard Kingdom Brunel’s famous Box Tunnel for the Great Western Railway. Quarrying excavated vast, pillar-supported subterranean chambers roughly 80 to 120 feet underground.
Beginning in 1938, sites like Tunnel Quarry were converted into the largest ammunition dump in the world , the Central Ammunition Depot (CAD). At its peak, it spanned 125 acres, stored 300,000 tonnes of munitions, and featured its own underground railway platform linked directly to the main line

As the threat of aerial bombardment escalated in the late 1930s, the British government requisitioned the quarries. They were developed into two distinct, massive wartime installations:

In 1940, the Ministry of Aircraft Production took over the 35-acre Spring Quarry. It was retrofitted into a bomb-proof, air-conditioned factory where the Bristol Aeroplane Company manufactured Centaurus aircraft engines safe from Luftwaffe raids

In 1954, following the dawn of the thermonuclear age, the government purchased Spring Quarry to build a hardened, secret bunker code-named Burlington (also known as Turnstile or Site 3). Commissioned under Prime Minister Anthony Eden
Built to operate in total isolation for up to three months, the grid-mapped bunker included 60 miles of underground roads, a hospital, industrial kitchens, water treatment facilities supplied by an underground lake, and a massive telephone exchange. It even featured a fully equipped BBC broadcasting studio to address the surviving population

The Subterranean City: The complex was designed to relocate 4,000 central government personnel, including the Prime Minister, the Cabinet Office, and an army of civil servants  read more

Code: 26384

An Important Volume From The Library of The Women's Retreat of Dr Octavia Wilberforce, Wilberforce Library, Backsettown. Dear Friend to Virginia Wolf, and Friend of The Bloomsbury Group, & Companion to American Actress Suffragette Elizabeth Robins.

Strickland's, Lives Of The Queens Of England, Volume II, Published in 1875. With Dr Octavia Wilberforce's, bookplate of her Wilberforce Library, Backsettown. Octavia's women's retreat near Henfield, Sussex. Virginia Woolf was driven to Brighton to visit Octavia just the day before her suicide in 1941. She put heavy stones in her pockets, and drowned herself in the River Ouse in Sussex. The River Ouse runs through the partners farm near Lewes.

An opportunity to own a volume from Dr Octavia Wilberforces library is a most rare event, as they appear very infrequently, and are incredibly sought after by followers and collectors, in regards to Virginia Woolf, the Bloomsbury Group and the earliest members of Womens Suffrage. Just the thought of who may have studied and enjoyed this historical volume at Backsettown, on early English Queens, is incredibly fascinating and most intriguing. See below for just a few of these incredible women

The Wilberforce Library was established by Dr. Octavia Wilberforce (1888–1963)—a pioneering English physician, close friend, and medical attendant to Virginia Woolf who famously advised rest shortly before Woolf's suicide in 1941.

About the Wilberforce Library

Founded by Dr. Octavia Wilberforce, who defied her parents to qualify as a doctor at the London School of Medicine for Women and practiced medicine in Brighton for decades.

Housed at Backsettown, a women's health convalescent home and retreat near Henfield, Sussex, which Dr. Wilberforce ran alongside her companion, the American actress and suffragette Elizabeth Robins. The American-born actress, playwright, and suffragist, lived much of her life in England, where she and Woolf developed a deep friendship during the interwar period
The library preserved rare and antiquarian volumes—such as historical essays on English songwriting and literature—some of which descended through historical estate provenances like Lavington House and were integrated into the intellectual and community life of Backsettown.

Dr. Wilberforce's extensive correspondence with Virginia Woolf (spanning 1940–1941) and Leonard Woolf (spanning 1941–1963) is preserved within the University of Sussex Library Special Collections

Octavia Wilberforce (1888–1963) was an English physician who made a medical career despite opposition from her parents, with support from Elizabeth Robins. She was in general practice in Brighton, and ran a women's shelter near Henfield. She treated Virginia Woolf's mental illness in the final years of Woolf's life. She was also friends with multiple members of the Bloomsbury Group.

Octavia Margaret Wilberforce was the daughter and eighth child of Reginald Garton Wilberforce (1838–1914), son of Samuel Wilberforce, and his wife, Anna Maria Denman (died 1938), daughter of Richard Denman; her great-grandfather was Thomas Denman, 1st Baron Denman. She was born at Lavington House, Petworth, Sussex, and had little formal education. She came out as a débutante in 1907

Wilberforce met world famous stage actress, and suffraget Elizabeth Robins in 1909. In 1910 she took one of the family's maids to hospital, and met Louisa Martindale, an influential contact. Her parents planned for her to marry Charles Buxton, son of Sydney Buxton, 1st Earl Buxton, but the match was against her wishes and she refused him. Instead, she entered the London School of Medicine for Women in 1913, beginning seven years of study and qualifying in 1920.

With her father refusing her financial support and disinheriting her, Wilberforce relied mainly on Robins and Lord Buxton. Upon qualifying, she worked as house physician to Wilfred Harris at St Mary's Hospital, London.

From 1923 Wilberforce was in general practice in Brighton, retiring in 1954.
Robins met Leonard and Virginia Woolf in 1928, at the award ceremony for the Femina - Vie Heureuse Prize, she had known Leslie Stephen, Virginia's father.
The Woolfs came to know Wilberforce, who lived with Robins in Brighton, on a social basis at this point.

A social call for tea by Wilberforce to the Woolfs at Monk's House, Rodmell on 9 December 1940 became a consultation when Leonard Woolf involved Wilberforce in her professional capacity. Wilberforce subsequently advised Virginia on the lines of her treatment of exhausted women at Backsettown, a farmhouse belonging to Robins.

On 27 March 1941 Leonard drove Virginia to consult Wilberforce in Brighton; she advised complete rest on the basis of a physical examination. Virginia Woolf died by suicide the following day.

Octavia Wilberforce died on 19 December 1963

Virginia Woolf and the Bloomsbury Group formed an influential collective of early 20th-century English writers, artists, and intellectuals who radically rejected strict Victorian conventions in favor of personal freedom, aesthetic appreciation, and liberal politics.

Formed around 1904–1905, the group started when Virginia and her sister, the painter Vanessa Bell, moved to 46 Gordon Square in the Bloomsbury district of London. They were joined by friends from Cambridge University, establishing regular Thursday evening salons and Friday Club discussions.

Alongside Virginia Woolf and Vanessa Bell, prominent members included Vanessa's husband Clive Bell, writer and publisher Leonard Woolf, economist John Maynard Keynes, writer E.M. Forster, biographer Lytton Strachey, and artists Roger Fry and Duncan Grant. Heavily influenced by philosopher G.E. Moore, the collective prioritized deep personal relationships, artistic creation ("art for art's sake"), and a skeptic view of orthodox morality and religion

Heavily influenced by philosopher G.E. Moore, the collective prioritized deep personal relationships, artistic creation ("art for art's sake"), and a skeptic view of orthodox morality and religion

The Hogarth Press: Founded by Virginia and Leonard Woolf in 1917, this independent publishing house gave Virginia complete creative independence from traditional commercial publishers and printed works by modern trailblazers.

The group championed Post-Impressionism in art, pacifism and conscientious objection during wartime, and progressive ideas regarding gender equality and sexuality Members frequently split their time between London and Sussex, gathering at iconic countryside locations like Monk's House in Rodmell (the Woolfs' home) and Charleston Farmhouse in Firle (Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant's home).

Photo in the gallery of Octavia's companion Elizabeth Robins,
With pinned back chestnut hair and piercing blue-grey eyes, few could resist the intensity of the gaze - nor the personality to match - of Miss Elizabeth Robins. Actress, writer, suffragist and feminist, in her time a darling of the London literati, a friend of Oscar Wilde, Bernard Shaw and Henry James, she was known in this country as the 'High Priestess of Ibsen'.


Just a few of the notable women who may well have enjoyed this superb volume at Backsettown.

Vita Sackville-West. An aristocratic poet, novelist, and gardener. She and Woolf shared a passionate romantic affair and lifelong friendship; Sackville-West famously served as the inspiration for Woolf's gender-bending novel Orlando.

Vanessa Bell: Woolf’s sister and a foundational post-impressionist painter. They were core members of the avant-garde Bloomsbury Group and maintained an intense, lifelong creative alliance.
Katherine Mansfield. The prominent Modernist short-story writer. Mansfield and Woolf shared a complex "love-hate" friendship characterized by a fierce creative rivalry and a deep mutual respect for each other’s literary innovations.

Lady Ottoline Morrell. A flamboyant and influential literary hostess who patronized the Bloomsbury Group, bringing together the era's most famous writers and artists at her Garsington Manor estate.

Emmeline and Christabel Pankhurst. The famous mother-daughter leaders of the suffragette movement (the Women's Social and Political Union). Robins was a staunch ally, using her writing to support their cause and once even hiding a Pankhurst family member from the police at her Sussex home.

Lady Florence Bell. A prominent upper-class writer and playwright. Despite Bell being an anti-suffragist, she and Robins shared a deep creative "sisterhood," translating plays together and co-authoring the anonymous protest play Alan's Wife.

Marion Lea. An American actress who teamed up with Robins in the 1890s to break into theater management. Together, they successfully bought the rights to and produced Henrik Ibsen's Hedda Gabler in London, creating complex, realistic roles for women on stage.

Dame Sybil Thorndike. One of the most celebrated British actresses of the 20th century. She collaborated with Robins through the Actresses' Franchise League and remained a mutual friend of both Robins and the Woolfs later in life.  read more

Code: 26388

An Original, Zulu War Period, Antique Zulu King's 'Prestige Sceptre', Dating For The Reign of the 1879 Anglo-Zulu War King, Cetshwayo. Said To Have Belonged To Cestshwayo. A Fabulous Carved Ubhejane Royal Sceptre Knopkerrie, Circa 1860's to 1870

A very special item indeed, hand carved from blonde rhino horn, possibly one of the most important historical pieces from the Zulu War, showing amazing age patination, beautiful golden yellow colouring, and for those with serious interest in original and unique Zulu War artefacts. One of the royal sceptres of King Cetshwayo.

Over the decades since 1921 we have had pass through our hands, hundreds of Martini Henrys and bayonets, similar numbers of Zulu spears and shields {all original Zulu war period} but in the past 20 years we have only had two carved Rhino horn 'royal sceptres', both very distingushable and naturally most similar in size and appearence, as one would expect. The first, we knew not any of its history, it just appeared one day across our threshold, and of course it was also a 19th century Zulu Kings sceptre, but without any history known at all, however, this one, we know its amazing verbal history.

The Anglo-Zulu War was fought in 1879 between the British Empire and the Zulu Kingdom. Following the passing of the British North America Act of 1867 forming a federation in Canada, Lord Carnarvon thought that a similar political effort, coupled with military campaigns, might succeed with the African Kingdoms, tribal areas and Boer republics in South Africa. In 1874, Sir Bartle Frere was sent to South Africa as High Commissioner for the British Empire to effect such plans. Among the obstacles were the armed independent states of the South African Republic and the Kingdom of Zululand.

Frere, on his own initiative, sent a provocative ultimatum on 11 December 1878 to the Zulu king Cetshwayo and upon its rejection sent Lord Chelmsford to invade Zululand.The war is notable for several particularly bloody battles see below, including an opening victory of the Zulu at the Battle of Isandlwana, followed by the defence of Rorke's Drift by a small British force from attack by a large Zulu force. The British eventually won the war, ending Zulu dominance of the region.

Battle of Isandlwana; the battle fought on 22nd January 1879, at which the Zulus wiped out a substantial British force, including the 1st Battalion, 24th Foot and rocked Victorian society.

Battle of Rorke’s Drift; the iconic defence of the mission station in Natal on 22nd January 1879, by a small force of British and colonial troops; winning a record number of Victoria Crosses and inspiring Victorian Britain.

Battle of Khambula; the defeat by Colonel Evelyn Wood of a Zulu army on 29th March 1879, in the opening stages of the Zulu War.

Battle of Gingindlovu; the battle fought on 2nd April 1879, where Lord Chelmsford defeated a Zulu army on his route to overwhelming the Zulu nation at Ulundi.

Battle of Ulundi: The final battle of the Zulu War, fought on 4th July 1879, where Lord Chelmsford’s troops destroyed the army of the Zulu King Cetshwayo.

This fabulous sceptre would have been made only for the use of the Zulu king during the 1860’s and 1870’s, and would have been both prestigious and also powerful; the strength of the animal from which it was taken gave it enormous potency and therefore only a King, a great medicine man, could own it.

Sceptres with heads of this size were outlawed in the Victorian era by the government who passed a law stating that the diameter of the head had to be of a size small enough to fit into the owner's mouth. This one won’t fit in most mouths

Gifted to the previous current owner by a Zulu Prince in the 1960’s, probably the most significant piece from the Zulu War we have seen.
Approx 23 inches long

Sold with approval of worked item (EC Regulation 865/2006, Article 62(3) - 453-11/12. Therefore this club can be legally traded in the UK without the need for further CITES certification.

Not suitable to export outside of the UK. Worked pre-1947 rhincoceros horn does not require a CITES permit to be sold within the UK  read more

Code: 24574

Original Japanese WWII Type 93 Non-Commissioned Officer 4x10 Binoculars, with JES ねぢ Mark, Nippon Kōgyō Kikaku, in Original Leather Case & Strap, And His NCO's Service Uniform Twin Piece Interlocking Belt Buckle

These are a very nice pair of Japanese WWII Non-Commissioned Officer's (NCO) Type 93 binocular field glasses. Known in Japanese as the 93式双眼鏡 (93-Shiki sōgankyō), these were intended as a smaller more portable version of binocular field glasses that could be used by NCO's in the field. Lightweight and small, they were well designed for their task. JES Mark: Stamped on the prism plate, JES stands for Japanese Engineering Standards (Nippon Kōgyō Kikaku). This regulatory standard was formally introduced in 1939 to standardize production quality and optimize material supply lines during the war.
JES ねぢ (JES Negi / Neji): The characters immediately following "JES" read ねぢ in historical Japanese hiragana (modern: ねじ / neji), which means "screw" or "screw thread". This specifically denotes that the hardware, fittings, and threads on the optics adhere to unified standard industrial screw specifications


Field glasses have no internal prisms that can be knocked out of alignment so their main advantage is that they are durable, making them a good choice for file combat operations. These binoculars measure 3.5” L x 5” W and are marked with a magnification factor of 4x10°. The binoculars are in good shape, with both lenses clear.

The included original leather case is in great condition, with company stamp within the fine soft leather lid lining.The original carry strap is present and functional with all the rest of the leather components present.

His very scarce service issue Rising Sun uniform, cast brass, twin piece belt buckle is complete with it. It is also the pattern of buckle also used by regular officer's.  read more

Code: 26380

A Pair of Super & Historical 'Doppelfernrohr', WW2 Third Reich Binoculars Very Scarce SS Panzer Commander's Type 10 x 50 Binoculars. Third Reich Maker Code 'bmj' for Hensoldt & Sohne. In Its Original, Bespoke, Military Leather Carrying Case

10 x 50 with serial number. In original military bespoke leather case and neck strap. A distinctive characteristic of the Panzer manufacturer supplied synthetic outer body covering. They are in superb condition, with very good optics, although the left eye focus adjuster slips. The case has fascinating early post war touring labels attached from a German Hotel in Cologne and a Finnish Hotel.

Although a souvenir of WW2, they are not just a simple war trophy or a 'Tommies bring-back' item, these binoculars are very special with great combat service history..

The company was bought by Carl Zeiss in 1928, but the company {Zeiss} still continued using the company name of Hensoldt & Sohne

Panzer commanders relied on 10x50 Dienstglas binoculars (often made by manufacturers like Hensoldt Wetzlar with code bmj) for high-magnification reconnaissance and target identification from the hatch of their armored vehicles.

The 10x magnification allowed commanders to spot enemy anti-tank guns, infantry positions, and rival armor at much greater distances A 50mm objective lens diameter ensured a bright image even in low-light or dusty conditions, which was vital in environments like the Russian Front or North Africa
Unlike heavy tripod-mounted flak optics, the handheld 10x50 configuration struck a balance of power and portability, making them easier to maneuver inside a cramped turret.
Photo in the gallery show an Heer Panzer with a Panzer Commander, with the highly distinctive Panzer binoculars being worn, a superb photo from the bundesarchive of a closeup of a Tank commander with his binoculars in good detail


Also in the gallery, a photo of Heinrich Himmler with his 10 x 50 panzer binoculars, standing next to Hitler, and an SS-Panzer grenadier-Regiment 25 (12. SS-Panzer-Division "Hitlerjugend") at the Ardennes Abbey/Normandy, late June 1944. On the left is regimental commander SS-Obersturmbannführer Heinz Milius, in the centre (with compact close quarter use binoculars) and standing to his left and slightly behind, his subordinate officer, carrying, over his left shoulder, his 10 x 50 SS SS panzer tank commander binoculars, and lastly a U-Boot commander using his at sea. Photos for information only  read more

Code: 26381

A Fine & Most Rare, French Napoleonic Wars Consulat To Empire Period Early 19th Century Flintlock Officer's Pistol From 1801, Manufacture St Etienne, Lock Interior Marked Duran, Identical To Another Sold By the Smithsonian Institution Of New York in 1996

Lock marked St Etienne, and the barrel marked RS, the identical marking as on the Smithsonian Institutes pistol. Likely the version used by L'officier de marine, such as at Trafalgar in 1805, it was also an option for the L'officier Gendarmerie. It was the pattern designed to be used in most cavalry of the Consulat and during the early years of the Empire, as well as in the Navy. The cavalry examples were usually 3cm longer. They were produced until 1808

The modèle An IX replaced the modèle 1777, which had been criticized to the point where the older modèle 1763 had been brought back into service.

This pistol is superficially similar in appearance to the well respected Pistolet modèle 1763/66 pattern. The Pistolet modèle An IX is in effect the same in terms of changes made to the musket pattern of the same year, but when compared to the modèle 1777/1786 had the spring and brass barrel bands of its predecessor restored to make it much easier to service.

The Battle of Trafalgar, (October 21, 1805), was a naval engagement of the Napoleonic Wars, which established British naval supremacy for more than 100 years; it was fought west of Cape Trafalgar, Spain, between Cádiz and the Strait of Gibraltar. A fleet of 33 ships (18 French and 15 Spanish) under Admiral Pierre de Villeneuve fought a British fleet of 27 ships under Admiral Horatio Nelson.

Nelson was outnumbered, with 27 British ships of the line to 33 allied ships including the largest warship in either fleet, the Spanish Santísima Trinidad. To address this imbalance, Nelson sailed his fleet directly at the allied battle line's flank, hoping to break the line into pieces. Villeneuve had worried that Nelson might attempt this tactic but, for various reasons, had made no plans for this eventuality. The plan worked almost perfectly; Nelson's columns split the Franco-Spanish fleet in three, isolating the rear half from Villeneuve's flag aboard Bucentaure. The allied vanguard sailed off while it attempted to turn around, giving the British temporary superiority over the remainder of their fleet. In the ensuing fierce battle 20 allied ships were lost, while the British lost none.

Nelson's own HMS Victory led the front column and was almost knocked out of action. Nelson was shot by a French musketeer during the battle, and died shortly before it ended. Villeneuve was captured along with his flagship Bucentaure. He attended Nelson's funeral while a captive on parole in Britain. The senior Spanish fleet officer, Admiral Federico Gravina, escaped with the remnant of the Franco-Spanish fleet (a third of the original number of ships); he died five months later of wounds sustained during the battle.

The victory confirmed the naval supremacy Britain had established during the course of the eighteenth century, and was achieved in part through Nelson's departure from prevailing naval tactical orthodoxy.  read more

Code: 25387

A Superb, Deluxe Engraved, English, 1850's ‘Adams’ Transitional Revolver With Most of its Original Barrel Blue & Fine Engraving.

6 shot .36 cal. Probably by Robert Adams, though un-named. Some of the most ground breaking work in the early design and manufacture of revolvers was undertaken in England long before the world famous American revolver makers, such as Colt and Remington, became famous for their fine pistols. This most attractive piece is fully, and most finely engraved, on the frame and grip, with a highly detailed micro chequered walnut butt. Circa 1850. A classic example of one of the earliest English cylinder revolvers that was favoured by gentleman wishing to arm themselves with the latest technology and improvement ever designed by English master gunsmiths. They were most popular with officers that could afford them in the Crimean War and Indian Mutiny, as this one was used.

A picture in the gallery is of Robert Adams himself, loading his patent revolver for HRH Prince Albert, Queen Victoria's Consort. He was also manager for the London Armoury and he made many of the 19,000 pistols that were bought by the Confederate States for the Civil War. The US government also bought Adams revolvers from the London Armoury, at $18 each, which was $4.00 more than it was paying Colt for his, and $6.00 more than Remington.The action on this beautiful gun is perfect, very nice, and tight, but the trigger return spring is weak. In good blue finish with some original 'mirror' blue finish remaining. Revolving cylinder operates sporadically.

As with all our antique guns no license required and they are all unrestricted antique collectables

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: 22431

A Shinto Samurai Naganata Naoshi Wakizashi With Shakudo Edo Fittings & Full Edo Traditional Polish

Just returned from a year of expert artisan conservation polish of the original Edo polish blade and cleaning. Now looking superb, the unokubi zukuri bo-hi blade with a vivid toran great wave hamon, is mounted with all original Edo shakudo koshirae of fuchigashira, decorated with takebori drinking gourd and woodsman’s axe, flower basket menuki and kozuka, which is decorated shakudo with gold birds in flight over the sea. With an iron and copper and gold onlay mokko form tsuba decorated with a seated figure in a gold patterned robe, alongside the river below Mount Fuji.
Beautiful urushi spiral lacquer pattern saya, The original Edo period urushi lacquer on the saya is in simply excellent condition and shows most elegant simplicity, it reveals within that simplicity the finest craftsmanship and beauty worthy of a master of the art of urushi decor. Japanese lacquer, or urushi, is a transformative and highly prized material that has been refined for over 7000 years.

Cherished for its infinite versatility, urushi is a distinctive art form that has spread across all facets of Japanese culture from the tea ceremony to the saya scabbards of samurai swords

Japanese artists created their own style and perfected the art of decorated lacquerware during the 8th century. Japanese lacquer skills reached its peak as early as the twelfth century, at the end of the Heian period (794-1185). This skill was passed on from father to son and from master to apprentice.

Tōran-ba is a hamon which looks like as if surging waves are rolling back and forth. It was created by a swordsmith in Settsu (Osaka prefecture), Sukehiro, in the early Edo period. It is the very first pictorial hamon which showed “a hamon as an expression”. It had a great influence on many swordsmiths over time. It is an innovative hamon which is copied on some swords made from the Bakumatsu.
A very few minuscule blade age marks..  read more

Code: 24707