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8th Punjab Indian Army Regt. Officer's Cap Badge

8th Punjab Indian Army Regt. Officer's Cap Badge

Single pin mount. The 8th Punjab Regiment had its origins in the Madras Army, where its first battalion was raised at Masulipatam in 1798. Four more battalions were raised in 1799-1800. In 1824, they were designated as the 29th, 30th, 31st, 32nd and 33rd Regiments of Madras Native Infantry. In the early 19th century, these battalions were engaged in fighting the Marathas and took part in a number of foreign expeditions including the Anglo-Burmese Wars. Between 1890 and 1893, they were reconstituted with Punjabi Muslims and Sikhs as Burma Battalions and permanently based in Burma to police the turbulent Burmese hill tracts. Under the Kitchener Reforms of 1903, they were redesignated as the 89th, 90th, 91st, 92nd Punjabis, and 93rd Burma Infantry. They were delocalized from Burma before the First World War The 8th Punjabis have a most distinguished record of service during the First World War. Their long list of honours and awards includes the Victoria Cross awarded to Naik Shahmed Khan of 89th Punjabis in 1916. The 89th Punjabis had the unique distinction of serving in more theatres of war than any other unit of the British Empire. These included Aden, where they carried out the first opposed sea-borne assault landing in modern warfare, Egypt, Gallipoli, France, Mesopotamia, North-West Frontier Province, Salonika and Russian Transcaucasia. All battalions served in Mesopotamia, while 93rd Burma Infantry also served in France. The 92nd Punjabis were made 'Prince of Wales's Own' in 1921 for their gallantry and sacrifices during the war During the Second World War the 8th Punjab Regiment again distinguished itself, suffering more than 4500 casualties. It was awarded two Victoria Crosses to Havildar Parkash Singh and Sepoy Kamal Ram, besides numerous other gallantry awards. The regiment raised a further nine battalions. Two of its battalions, the 1st and 7th, were captured on Singapore Island, when the British Commonwealth Army surrendered there to the Japanese on 15 February 1942. Four battalions fought in the Burma Campaign, while others saw service in Iraq, Iran, Italy, French Indochina and the Dutch East Indies. Two men from the 8th Punjab Regiment received the Victoria Cross: Havildar Parkash Singh in Burma and Sepoy Kamal Ram in Italy. By the end of the war, the Regiment consisted of 14 Battalions.  read more

Code: 19938

65.00 GBP

Royal Scottish Clan Glengarry Badge  'In Defence' Lion Rampant, Gilt

Royal Scottish Clan Glengarry Badge 'In Defence' Lion Rampant, Gilt

WW1 period. A very nice Glengarry badge of the Scottish Royal crest. The glengarry bonnet is a traditional Scots cap made of thick-milled woollen material, decorated with a toorie on top, frequently a rosette cockade on the left side, and with ribbons hanging down behind. It is normally worn as part of Scottish military or civilian Highland dress, either formal or informal, as an alternative to the Balmoral bonnet or tam o' shanter. The Royal Regiment of Scotland wears the glengarry with diced band and black cock feathers as its ceremonial headdress. Traditionally, the Glengarry bonnet is said to have first appeared as the head dress of the Glengarry Fencibles when they were formed in 1794 by Alexander Ranaldson MacDonell of Glengarry, of Clan MacDonell of Glengarry. MacDonell, therefore, is sometimes said to have invented the glengarry - but it is not clear whether early pictures of civilians or fencible infantry show a true glengarry, capable of being folded flat, or the standard military bonnet of the period merely 'cocked' into a more 'fore-and-aft' shape. The first use of the classic, military glengarry may not have been until 1841, when it is said to have been introduced for the pipers of the 79th Foot by the commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel Lauderdale Maule.

It was only in the 1850s that the glengarry became characteristic undress headgear of the Scottish regiments of the British Army. By 1860, the glengarry without a diced border and usually with a feather had been adopted by pipers in all regiments except the 42nd (Black Watch), whose pipers wore the full dress feather bonnet. In 1914, all Scottish infantry regiments were wearing dark blue glengarries in non-ceremonial orders of dress, except for the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) who wore them in rifle green, and the Scots Guards, who wore peaked forage caps or khaki service dress caps. 2.25 inches high  read more

Code: 21054

55.00 GBP

Original, Antique, Victorian Household Cavalry Armour Breastplate Cuirass of the LifeGuards, The Blues &The Royals. the Mounted Personal Bodyguard Regiments of the British Monarch, Part of The Household Division

Original, Antique, Victorian Household Cavalry Armour Breastplate Cuirass of the LifeGuards, The Blues &The Royals. the Mounted Personal Bodyguard Regiments of the British Monarch, Part of The Household Division

With With brass edge trim & rivets. It bears the ordnance inspection stamps. Used by all of H.M.Queen Victoria's Household Cavalry regiments.

We have a pair of these original Victorian Horse Guards cuirass breastplates, but they are for sale separately.

During a visit to the Tower several decades ago, thanks to an invitation by our friend Howard Blackmore {historian and assistant curator at the Tower} we had a discussion, amongst many other subjects, of the conversion of the Life Guards and Horseguards back to armoured heavy cavalry, after around 150 years of un-armoured service as the monarch's mounted guard since the 17th century.

This is one of those early cuirass breast plates created for the newly armoured horse guards regiments.

From 1661 to 1778, the Life Guards Troops saw action in the Jacobite Wars, the Second Dutch War
(when they served as sailors) ant the War of the Austrian Succession. In 1778 the four Horse
Guard Troops and Horse Grenadiers re-formed as the 1st Life Guards. Both Regiments fought
with distinction in the Waterloo campaign.
For the Egyptian War of 1882, Life Guards formed a Composite Household Cavalry
Regiment with the Royal Horse Guards, making Royal Horse Guards, making the famous
moonlight charge at Kassain. In 1894, for the relief of Khartoum, both Regiments contributed
soldiers to the Heavy Camel Regiment and were again formed as a Composite Household
Cavalry Regiment for the 2nd Boer War in 1900

The Royal Dragoons (1st Dragoons), initially known as The Tangier Horse, were raised by
King Charles II to form part of the garrison at Tangier, which had been acquired on his
marriage to Catherine of Braganza as part of her dowry. Known as The Royals, during the
18th century the Regiment saw service in most of the same wars as The Blues, including the
Peninsula campaign and Waterloo, where the Regiment famously captured the Eagle of the
French 105th Infantry Regiment. However, in the 19th century, unlike The Blues, The Royals
saw service in the Crimea and in India.  read more

Code: 25578

825.00 GBP

A Good Antique Meiji Period Japanese 'Hidden' Sword Stick 'Shikome Zue' In Bamboo. Made In The Period When Traditional Samurai Warriors Were Banned From Wearing Swords in Japan, By the Haitō Edict in 1876

A Good Antique Meiji Period Japanese 'Hidden' Sword Stick 'Shikome Zue' In Bamboo. Made In The Period When Traditional Samurai Warriors Were Banned From Wearing Swords in Japan, By the Haitō Edict in 1876

This is an antique Japanese sword stick called a shikomi-zue hidden sword. In the 1870's the Meiji Emperor disbanded the fuedal samurai order and banned the wearing of the sword. This created much unrest between the samurai and the government and some samurai moved to carrying shikome-zue hidden sword. Therefore, via a circuitous route, they still remain armed, but with their sword hidden from view. But by that way they felt, least in part, their honour remained intact. With a long and powerful blade. In ninjutsu shikomizue became quite popular, as it provided the night warriors with what they needed most – versatility, secrecy and mortality. The walking sticks were popular among all the classes and carrying it caused no suspicion. Combined with the impersonation skills, shikomizue was really a dangerous weapon attacking the enemy most suddenly. This is a good robust example, and would have been highly effective in its day. The blade is a long thrusting and parrying blade, without a dominant edge. The stick is fully bamboo with a bamboo root-ball handle. We show an 1817 Japanese print by Hokusai of his depiction of an all black clad warrior so called ninja climbing a rope, with what appears to be his shikome-zue hidden sword stick. Some shikome-zue have early smith made antique adapted blades from swords, this is a standard sword blade that was custom made for this cane when it was created in the 19th century. Overall grey steel with areas of pitting. 34.75 inches long overall, blade 28.25 inches This sword stick is also shown in the Japanese section item 23479

Twenty Three Years Ago, After 80 Years Trading in Brighton, We Were Honoured by Being Nominated & Awarded by BACA, In The Best Antique & Collectables Shop In Britain Awards 2001
Presented by MILLER'S Antiques Guide, THE BBC, HOMES & ANTIQUES MAGAZINE, for the British Antique & Collectables Awards. The version of the antique dealers ‘Oscars’ of Britain.

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  read more

Code: 24172

775.00 GBP

A Superb & Rare, Napoleonic Wars Period ‘Port Royal’, Jamaica, Caribbean Station Service, British Royal Naval Officer's Sword 1805. Admiral Horatio Nelson Period. By Mitchellson of Kingston Jamaica

A Superb & Rare, Napoleonic Wars Period ‘Port Royal’, Jamaica, Caribbean Station Service, British Royal Naval Officer's Sword 1805. Admiral Horatio Nelson Period. By Mitchellson of Kingston Jamaica

Particularly rare Nelson period Royal Naval junior officer's sword as it was commissioned for its officer in Jamaica, for an officer that served from Port Royal, the Caribbean Royal Naval port, in Jamaica, the centre of the Royal Navy in the Caribbean from 1655. The Jamaica Station of the United Kingdom's Royal Navy was based in Port Royal, Jamaica from 1655 to 1830. In 1800, Vice-Admiral Lord Hugh Seymour was the commander in chief of the Jamaica Station.
Jamaican made Royal Naval swords from the era of Nelson are as rare as hen's teeth, and one may not see another available for many decades, if at all.

For a collector of all things Nelsonian, based around Nelson's navy era, this is an absolute must, it would superbly compliment a collection of midshipman's dirks, regular domestic British made 1805 pattern swords, either the type made for officers up to the rank of senior lieutenant, or the type made for commanders and above or admirals.

Port Royal has an incredible maritime history, possibly the most famous of the maritime world, and at the very heart of the notorious piracy conducted in the Caribbean, Port Royal provided a safe harbour initially for privateers and subsequently for pirates plying the shipping lanes to and from Spain and Panama. Buccaneers found Port Royal appealing for several reasons. Its proximity to trade routes allowed them easy access to prey, but the most important advantage was the port's proximity to several of the only safe passages or straits giving access to the Spanish Main from the Atlantic. The harbour was large enough to accommodate their ships and provided a place to careen and repair these vessels. It was also ideally situated for launching raids on Spanish settlements. From Port Royal, Christopher Myngs sacked Campeche and Henry Morgan attacked Panama, Portobello, and Maracaibo. Additionally, buccaneers Roche Brasiliano, John Davis and Edward Mansvelt used Port Royal as a base of operations.

Since the English lacked sufficient troops to prevent either the Spanish or French from seizing it, the Jamaican governors eventually turned to the pirates to defend the city. By the 1660s the city had, for some, become a pirate utopia and had gained a reputation as the "Sodom of the New World", where most residents were pirates, cutthroats, or prostitutes. When Charles Leslie wrote his history of Jamaica, he included a description of the pirates of Port Royal:

Wine and women drained their wealth to such a degree that ... some of them became reduced to beggary. They have been known to spend 2 or 3,000 pieces of eight in one night; and one gave a strumpet 500 to see her naked. They used to buy a pipe of wine, place it in the street, and oblige everyone that passed to drink.

The taverns of Port Royal were known for their excessive consumption of alcohol such that records even exist of the wild animals of the area partaking in the debauchery. During a passing visit, famous Dutch explorer Jan van Riebeeck is said to have described the scenes:

The parrots of Port Royal gather to drink from the large stocks of ale with just as much alacrity as the drunks that frequent the taverns that serve it.

There is even speculation in pirate folklore that the infamous Blackbeard (Edward Teach) met a howler monkey, while at leisure in a Port Royal alehouse, whom he named Jefferson and formed a strong bond with during the expedition to the island of New Providence. Recent genealogical research indicates that Blackbeard and his family moved to Jamaica where Edward Thatch, Jr. is listed as being a mariner in the Royal Navy aboard HMS Windsor in 1706. Port Royal benefited from this lively, glamorous infamy and grew to be one of the two largest towns and the most economically important port in the English colonies. At the height of its popularity, the city had one drinking house for every 10 residents. In July 1661 alone, 40 new licenses were granted to taverns. During a 20-year period that ended in 1692, nearly 6,500 people lived in Port Royal. In addition to prostitutes and buccaneers, there were four goldsmiths, 44 tavern keepers, and a variety of artisans and merchants who lived in 2,000 buildings crammed into 51 acres (21 ha) of real estate. 213 ships visited the seaport in 1688. The city's wealth was so great that coins were preferred for payment over the more common system of bartering goods for services.

Following Henry Morgan's appointment as lieutenant governor, Port Royal began to change. Pirates were no longer needed to defend the city. The selling of slaves took on greater importance. Upstanding citizens disliked the reputation the city had acquired. In 1687, Jamaica passed anti-piracy laws. Consequently, instead of being a safe haven for pirates, Port Royal became noted as their place of execution. Gallows Point welcomed many to their death, including Charles Vane and Calico Jack, who were hanged in 1720. About five months later, the famous woman pirate Mary Read died in the Jamaican prison in Port Royal. Two years later, 41 pirates met their death in one month. From 1735, Port Royal once more became the focus of the Admiralty's attention. New wharves and storehouses were built at this time, as well as housing for the officers of the Yard. Over the next thirty years, more facilities were added: cooperages, workshops, sawpits, and accommodation (including a canteen) for the crews of ships being careened there. A Royal Naval Hospital was also established on land a little to the west of the Naval Yard; and by the end of the 18th century a small Victualling Yard had been added to the east (prior to this ships had had to go to Kingston and other settlements to take on supplies)

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  read more

Code: 23397

Reserved

Part of a Superb WW1 Machine Gunner's Collection, British and German. An Incredibly Rare WW1 German Machine Gunners Abteilung Marked Utility and Combat Axe and Cradle Leather Belt Holster Regimentally Marked

Part of a Superb WW1 Machine Gunner's Collection, British and German. An Incredibly Rare WW1 German Machine Gunners Abteilung Marked Utility and Combat Axe and Cradle Leather Belt Holster Regimentally Marked

steel axe head stamped with standing lion makers mark and “G. LEWELT”, waved wooden haft. Housed in brown leather cradle with stud fittings, stamped to the inside “1 M.G.A” 1st Maschinengewehr Abteilung and the axe block with “BA II 1917” Issued to Bekleidungsamt Armee Korps Stettin. Split to leather by brass stud. Used by the machinegunner to cut down trees or wood that thus enabled a machine gun to be placed at its best advantage point, preferably concealed by wood or thicket. It was also the perfect trench warfare close combat weapon. The German army had been a late convert to the potential of machine guns, but its tactical employment of them in 1914 proved superior to that of its enemies. German machine gunners exploited the weapon’s long-range accuracy, and the fact that the guns were a regimental (rather than battalion) asset allowed them to be grouped to achieve maximum effect. This efficiency created a myth that Germany deployed far more machine guns than its opponents in 1914.

Following the onset of positional warfare, machine guns gained notoriety as highly effective direct-fire weapons. They could theoretically fire over 500 rounds per minute (rpm), but this was not normal in combat, where "rapid fire" generally consisted of repeated bursts amounting to 250 rpm. The effectiveness of these bursts of between ten and fifty bullets was enhanced by exploitation of ballistics and the precision offered by firing from adjustable mounts. At ranges of 600 metres or less, machine guns could create fixed lines of fire which would never rise higher than a man's head, with deadly results for those attempting to advance across them. Or the gun could be traversed between bursts to offer what the French called feu fauchant (mowing fire). At longer range, their bullets fell in an elliptical "beaten-zone", giving them an area-fire capability.

Groups of guns could interlock their fire. In favourable circumstances, such as at Loos on 26 September 1915, or on the Somme on 1 July 1916, this could prove devastating. But although this is how machine guns are now best remembered, new methods of using them were developed from 1915 onwards.

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  read more

Code: 23343

775.00 GBP

A Most Delightful, Original, Antique Carved Buffalo Horn Hilted Ottoman Empire Khanjar Dagger

A Most Delightful, Original, Antique Carved Buffalo Horn Hilted Ottoman Empire Khanjar Dagger

this is a typical Ottoman Empire khanjar or jambiya of the 19th century, with traditional carved buffalo horn hilt.

Where they were adopted they had slight differences to the blade, hilt and scabbard. A significant part of a jambiya or khanjar is its hilt (handle). The saifani hilt is made of exotic horn, It is used on the daggers of wealthier men. Different versions of saifani hilts can be distinguished by their colour. Other jambiya hilts are made of different types of horn, wood, metal and ivory. Apart from the material used for the hilt, the design and detail is a measure of its value and the status of its owner. there are 53 different types of Jambiya in the Metropolitan museum Collection, some bear a similarity to this example, many with near identical blades.

The blade and carved hilt are in superb condition, the wooden scabbard is good and sound, but the embossed leather covering is thin and therefore now somewhat fragile with natural age losses.

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
Overall 11 inches long in scabbard.  read more

Code: 24521

245.00 GBP

A Scarce 18th Century Military Style Plug Bayonet. The Plug Bayonet Is the Earliest Form Of Bayonet Ever Used

A Scarce 18th Century Military Style Plug Bayonet. The Plug Bayonet Is the Earliest Form Of Bayonet Ever Used

Short double edged blade, eliptical turned wooden grip and brass pommel and steel ovoid crossguard.

As used at the Battle of Blenheim of 1704 era.

In the early 17th Century the matchlock musket was a cumbersome, slow loading weapon and the musketeers required the protection of soldiers carrying long, wooden-shafted pikes to shield them from enemy cavalry and footsoldiers during the lengthy reloading process. As the century progressed, more emphasis began to be placed on the use of the musket as a primary weapon of the common soldier and as a result, the pike was gradually phased out.

In former times, the usual practice when engaging at close quarters was to fire the musket and then follow the pikemen as they closed on the enemy wielding the musket as if it were a club. A sword or long knife was also carried as a secondary weapon. The use of the gun in this way was far from effective and the idea was hit upon to jam the tapered handle of a belt knife in to the muzzle, temporarily converting the musket to a short pike. This "plug bayonet" produced a far more effective weapon than the clubbed musket and in time removed the need for large numbers of pikemen.
The term "bayonet" is thought to have derived from the French town of Bayonne, famous for its cutlers and may have originally referred to a type of long knife or dagger which was carried by soldiers of the time. The obvious disadvantage of the plug bayonet is that once fixed, the gun cannot be fired until the bayonet is removed. Overall pitted blade.

11.25 inches long overall  read more

Code: 19498

675.00 GBP

A Stunning Ancient Roman Ist Century AD, Galloping Cavalry Soldier on Horseback, Stylized Intaglio Engraved Bronze 'Status' Seal Ring.

A Stunning Ancient Roman Ist Century AD, Galloping Cavalry Soldier on Horseback, Stylized Intaglio Engraved Bronze 'Status' Seal Ring.

In Roman Britain, at any given time, there were at least 9000 auxiliary cavalry in the province, divided between alae (military formations composed of conscripts from the socii, Rome's Italian military allies), elite cavalry units, and the slightly lower-status mixed cohorts, which contained both infantry and cavalry.

Classified by the seminal classification of ancient ring forms, by Dr. Martin Henig, as Ancient Roman, Henig type Xb. Roman ring around 1900 years old. In copper bronze with great, natural age patination. Beautifully carved intaglio seal detail of wide oval bezel affixed to flattened shoulders engraved copper alloy, with a fair amount of aged surface russetting. Almost identical to one found in the UK, near Hadrian's Wall. The ring was important for displaying the Roman's status. For example Tiberius, who was after all left-handed according to Suetonius, thus displays a ring in his bronze portrait as the Pontifex Maximus:

From a small collection of British recovered original Roman rings, all in excavated condition, found in the 19th century from the same location. Examples of this type can be found in Henig, M. (1974) A corpus of engraved gemstones from British Sites, British Archaeological Reports 8 (II): 90.

The engraved intaglio seal ring was important for displaying the Roman's status. For example Tiberius, who was after all left-handed according to Suetonius, thus displays a ring in his bronze portrait as the Pontifex Maximus: The complete Roman Empire had around a 60 million population and a census more perfect than many parts of the world (to collect taxes, of course) but identification was still quite difficult and aggravated even more because there were a maximum of 17 men names and the women received the name of the family in feminine and a number (Prima for First, Secunda for Second…). A lot of people had the same exact name.
So the Roman proved the citizenship by inscribing themselves (or the slaves when they freed them) in the census, usually accompanied with two witnesses. Roman inscribed in the census were citizens and used an iron or bronze ring to prove it. With Augustus, those that could prove a wealth of more than 400,000 sesterces were part of a privileged class called Equites (knights) that came from the original nobles that could afford a horse. The Equites were middle-high class and wore a bronze or gold ring to prove it, with the famous Angusticlavia (a tunic with an expensive red-purple twin line). Senators (those with a wealth of more than 1,000,000 sesterces) also used the gold ring and the Laticlave, a broad band of purple in the tunic.

So the rings were very important to tell from a glimpse of eye if a traveller was a citizen, an equites or a senator, or legionary. People sealed and signed letters with the rings and its falsification could bring death.
The fugitive slaves didn’t have rings but iron collars with texts like “If found, return me to X” which also helped to recognise them. The domesticus slaves (the ones that lived in houses) didn’t wore the collar but sometimes were marked. A ring discovered 50 years ago is now believed to possibly be the ring of Pontius Pilate himself, and it was the same copper-bronze form ring as is this one, with identical stylized engraving.

Limestone architectural fragment; a door jamb, part of a doorway. From the temple of Set (which was built by Thutmosis III) at Ombos, Egypt. 18th Dynasty. The Petrie Museum

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

Code: 25586

395.00 GBP

Original, & Beautiful 11th to 12th Century Bronze Knights Templar Christian Pectoral Cross Patee {Formee}

Original, & Beautiful 11th to 12th Century Bronze Knights Templar Christian Pectoral Cross Patee {Formee}

Original, Knights Templar cross pattee formee from our original ancient arrow heads, spears, lead sling bullets, antiquities and rings from an 1820 Grand Tour classical collection, collected from Europe and the Middle East. Very likely, a so called ‘Warrior of Christ’, such as the Knight's Templar and Knight’s of St John of Jerusalem. After the fall of the Kingdom of Jerusalem in 1291 (the city of Jerusalem had fallen in 1187), the Knights of St, John were confined to the County of Tripoli and, when Acre was captured in 1291, the order sought refuge in the Kingdom of Cyprus. Finding themselves becoming enmeshed in Cypriot politics, their Master, Guillaume de Villaret, created a plan of acquiring their own temporal domain, selecting Rhodes to be their new home, part of the Byzantine empire. His successor, Foulques de Villaret, executed the plan, and on 15 August 1310, after more than four years of campaigning, the city of Rhodes surrendered to the knights. They also gained control of a number of neighbouring islands and the Anatolian port of Halicarnassus and the island of Kastellorizo.
Pope Clement V dissolved the Hospitallers' rival order, the Knights Templar, in 1312 with a series of papal bulls, including the Ad providam bull that turned over much of their property to the Hospitallers.

The holdings were organised into eight "Tongues" or Langues, one each in Crown of Aragon, Auvergne, Crown of Castile, Kingdom of England, France, Holy Roman Empire, Italy and Provence. Each was administered by a Prior or, if there was more than one priory in the langue, by a Grand Prior.

At Rhodes, and later Malta, the resident knights of each langue were headed by a baili. The English Grand Prior at the time was Philip De Thame, who acquired the estates allocated to the English langue from 1330 to 1358. In 1334, the Knights of Rhodes defeated Andronicus and his Turkish auxiliaries. In the 14th century, there were several other battles in which they fought.

In 1374, the Knights took over the defence of Smyrna, conquered by a crusade in 1344. They held it until it was besieged and taken by Timur in 1402.

On Rhodes the Hospitallers, by then also referred to as the Knights of Rhodes, were forced to become a more militarized force, fighting especially with the Barbary pirates. They withstood two invasions in the 15th century, one by the Sultan of Egypt in 1444 and another by the Ottoman Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror in 1480 who, after capturing Constantinople and defeating the Byzantine Empire in 1453, made the Knights a priority target .Good condition for age, with superbly well surviving armourers stamps. Early Christian Knight’s symbols of crucifixes symbols, and variations, can be still be seen chiselled into stone in the numerous remains of Templar Knights or Christian knight’s castle sites in the Holy Land, the Mediterranean and France.
Two photos in the gallery of two of the same Templar carved stone cross pattee, in France, from the 11th to 13th century. France, Val d'Oise, Omerville, croix pattée, monolithic cross,carved from limestone, dating from the 11th to the 13th century. France,Val d'Oise,Villers-en-Arthies,Croix du Gros Poirier, croix pattée,monolithic cross,carved from limestone,dating from the 11th to the 13th century

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 4.4 cm by 3.4 cm.  read more

Code: 25593

365.00 GBP