The Lanes Armoury, Antiquarian & Specialist Book Dept. Many Thousands of Books in Stock, Most with a Military & Historical Flavour, Plus, Rare First Editions, Incunabula, Late Medieval Books or Illuminated Pages from Ancient Prayer Books

Just a tiny proportion can seen on our website to buy online, as we have many thousands of books to choose from, and as they are our largest individual selling item, they come and go so fast that individual listing is simply too impractical sadly. If you require a military, or historical book, either antique or modern, please email a request, stating; title, author, and publisher [if known].

Large quantity book purchases [over 30 volumes] can attract discounts wherever possible. We specialise almost entirely in hardbacks, but also military or wartime magazines and journals, both for reference or the study, plus 'coffee table' books.

We also specialise in rare, 1st editions, late medieval books, incunabula and individual illuminated manuscripts, from such as a book of hours etc.

In the past year we were delighted to find for a collector a most rare special edition volume we have been seeking for him for around 10 years. He had been looking for 20 years, had seen two, the last in Edinburgh around 9 years ago, the other at Bonhams Auctioneers in 2012 [that sold for a shade over £50,000 gbp] but neither were quite suitable to his needs.
It was a most rare complete copy of the "Cranwell" 1926 edition of The Seven Pillars of Wisdom. by T.E.Lawrence

The book, signed by Lawrence, was an absolute gem

The Seven Pillars of Wisdom - T. E. Lawrence's famous recount of his role in the Arab Revolt of 1916 - 18, was first printed in the enormously rare "Oxford" edition in 1922. Only eight copies were printed. Lawrence then reworked the text over the next few years, aided by critical commentary from E. M Forster.

In 1926, Lawrence again took The Seven Pillars of Wisdom to print, this time as part of the "Cranwell" edition, privately printed for subscribers. Of the 211 copies printed, 32 were intentionally left incomplete, 170 were complete, lacking three plates, as gifts to the men who had served with Lawrence in Arabia.

The so-called 'Subscribers' Edition—in a limited print run of about 200 copies, each with a unique, sumptuous, hand-crafted binding—was published in late 1926, with the subtitle A Triumph. It was printed in London by Roy Manning Pike and Herbert John Hodgson, with illustrations by Eric Kennington, Augustus John, Paul Nash, Blair Hughes-Stanton and his wife Gertrude Hermes. Copies occasionally become available in the antiquarian trade outside of the UK and can easily command prices of up to US$100,000. Unfortunately, each copy cost Lawrence three times the thirty guineas the subscribers had paid

An advertisement for the 1935 edition quotes Churchill as saying "It ranks with the greatest books ever written in the English language. As a narrative of war and adventure it is unsurpassable."  read more

Code: 15503

A Very Good & Beautiful Shinto Long Katana Signed Chikanobu

All original Edo period mounts and lacquer saya. Fine iron tsuba. With a very beautiful choji hamon to the blade is an absolute beauty, and fully polished. Long kissaki. Dark blue silk tsukaito over traditional giant rayskin with gold and bronze menuki of dragons. Fully matching suite of sinchu and contrasting silver line mounts to the tsuka and saya, Matsushiro Sinano school. The samurai were roughly the equivalent of feudal knights. Employed by the shogun or daimyo, they were members of hereditary warrior class that followed a strict "code" that defined their clothes, armour and behavior on the battlefield. But unlike most medieval knights, samurai warriors could read and they were well versed in Japanese art, literature and poetry.
Samurai endured for almost 700 years, from 1185 to 1867. Samurai families were considered the elite. They made up only about six percent of the population and included daimyo and the loyal soldiers who fought under them. Samurai means ?one who serves."

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

As part of their military training, samurai were taught to sleep with their right arm underneath them so if they were attacked in the middle of the night and their the left arm was cut off the could still fight with their right arm. Samurai that tossed and turned at night were cured of the habit by having two knives placed on either side of their pillow.

Samurai have been describes as "the most strictly trained human instruments of war to have existed." They were expected to be proficient in the martial arts of aikido and kendo as well as swordsmanship and archery---the traditional methods of samurai warfare---which were viewed not so much as skills but as art forms that flowed from natural forces that harmonized with nature.
An individual didn't become a full-fledged samurai until he wandered around the countryside as begging pilgrim for a couple of years to learn humility. When this was completed they achieved samurai status and receives a salary from his daimyo paid from taxes (usually rice) raised from the local populace. Swords in Japan have long been symbols of power and honour and seen as works of art. Often times swordsmiths were more famous than the people who used them.
likely details on the Chika[nori] nobu. Slight name change here, he was then actually signing Chikanobu as he did on this blade, [ appears in kanji reference notes as nori, nobu is next to nori, and thus often confused] . He also used to be known as Shigechika

Chikanobu, previously known as Shigechika, studied under 1st generation Aizu Kanetomo, [circa 1660].

Chikanobu received the name nobu from Kanetomo [as an honour] to therefore thus change his name.

Kanetomo also used to be known as another name once, Kanenobu and thus passed the nobu name to Shigechika [as an honour], who thus changed his name to Chikanobu  read more

Code: 23063

A Most Attractive 500 Plus Year Old Samurai Battle Katana With All Original Edo Mounts,

Shibui mounted in all its original Edo period mounts and saya. Higo iron fushigashira mounts, decorated with takebori gold aoi leaves. Tetsu round tsuba with pierced kozuka and [gilt copper filled] kogai hitsu-ana. The original Edo saya lacquer is simply beautiful, in two shades of black with an intricate fine rainfall pattern within the design. The menuki under the Edo silk binding, are patinated takebori flowers with pure gold highlights. The blade has a beautiful undulating hamon pattern of considerable depth.
Shibui is a term that effectively translates to ‘quiet’ , it is a reference to a sword that has a relatively subdued look as it concentrates on high quality yet subtle elegance, as it is a sword entirely concentrating on combat and less on flamboyant display. Of course all samurai swords were designed for combat, often despite being mounted as works of art, often with fantastic quality fittings worthy of Italian Renaissance jewels, such as the European equivalent work by the Italian master Cellini, but they would be for samurai eager to display their status in the elite hierarchy of the samurai class, such as daimyo. The swords mounted shibui were for the samurai of far more serious nature, dedicated to their more basic standards of bushido, the art of the ultimate warrior, with little or no interest in displays of rank. A samurai of the highest skill but preferring the anonymity of almost being invisible to unwanted attention.

Samurai endured for almost 700 years, from 1185 to 1867. Samurai families were considered the elite. They made up only about six percent of the population and included daimyo and the loyal soldiers who fought under them. Samurai means one who serves."

Samurai were expected to be both fierce warriors and lovers of art, a dichotomy summed up by the Japanese concepts of bu [to stop the spear] exanding into bushido (the way of life of the warrior) and bun (the artistic, intellectual and spiritual side of the samurai). Originally conceived as away of dignifying raw military power, the two concepts were synthesised in feudal Japan and later became a key feature of Japanese culture and morality. The quintessential samurai was Miyamoto Musashi, a legendary early Edo-period swordsman who reportedly killed 60 men before his 30th birthday and was also a painting master. Members of a hierarchal class or caste, samurai were the sons of samurai and they were taught from an early age to unquestionably obey their mother, father and daimyo. When they grew older they may be trained by Zen Buddhist masters in meditation and the Zen concepts of impermanence and harmony with nature. The were also taught about painting, calligraphy, nature poetry, mythological literature, flower arranging, and the tea ceremony. 40 inches long overall. 28.5 inch long blade, from tsuba to tip., The blade is in super condition for its age, with just a few wear marks, and pit marks on the mune back edge near the boshi. The saya lacquer has some natural age craking at the base  read more

Code: 24217

A Super Zulu War 94th Regt Marked Martini Henry With Buff Hide Sling. Enfield, Dated 1878. the Battle of Ulundi, 94th foot Regiment

Original Antique MK II Antique Short Lever Martini Henry Rifle, with buff hide leather sling & super stock patina. Much of the stock looks fabulous with a very fine patina. Fully actionable and a superb tight mechanism. The stock bears the original regimental stamp markings of the 94th Foot, that fought amongst other areas at the Battle of Ulundi. The metalwork is exceptionally good, and so is most of the stock, but it has had some split repairs at the wrist, and two small inserts in the forestock. British rifles were rarely regimentally stamped in the 1870's, but it is especially rare to find one stamped for a regiment that fought in the Zulu war. It is armourer stamped in the traditional manner either 1/94 or H/94.

Shown with an original Martini Henry sword bayonet that is an optional extra, and not included in the price.

The 94th Regiment of Foot in the Zulu War

The 94th Regiment was stationed at Aldershot when a sudden order was received on 12 February 1879, directing it to Natal. All officers and men were recalled at once, with a further 350 volunteers joining to bring the Regiment to war strength. The men embarked from Southampton aboard the S.S. China and arrived at Durban on 2 April.

Forming part of Newdigate's Division, the 94th formed at advance post at Conference Hill, where they built two forts and a stone laager under the direction of officers from the Royal Engineers.

At the battle of Ulundi, the 94th was the only regiment in Newdigate's Division that had six companies present; in the engagement, two of its men were killed and one officer and eighteen men were wounded. Following Ulundi, the Regiment retired to Entonjaneni and subsequently assisted in disarming the Zulus and dismantling Sekukini's stronghold. It also bore the grim duty of burying those who fell at the Zlobane on 28 March.

992 Medals were issued to the 94th Regiment, 948 of them with the '1879' clasp.

The most desirable Martini Henry are these MKII's, The very types of MK IIs as were used by the 24th Foot at Ishandwhana and Rorke's Drift, the 94th at Ulundi as this one was the Afghan War and several conflicts against the Mahdi in the Sudan. They were also used up to WW1 by some colonial regiments. This gun are original ordnance contract example, issued to the 94th, as the best line regiment issue, and made at Enfield with VR Crown mark, all are originally line regiment issue.

This rifle was made at the Enfield arms workshop in 1878, and is a truly exceptional and beautiful example, maker marked, and in very good operational order indeed with an excellent action, but clearly combat used.

The Martini Henry, .450 577 rifle was most famous British Infantry breech loading rifle of the 19th century. All the MK11 rifles are just as were used in the film ZULU, and the exact model type as was used during the Zulu War

This Martini-Henry was the breech-loading lever-actuated rifle adopted by the British, combining an action worked on by Friedrich von Martini (based on the Peabody rifle developed by Henry Peabody), with the rifled barrel designed by Scotsman, Alexander Henry. It first entered service in 1871 replacing the Snider-Enfield, and variants were used throughout the British Empire for 30 years. It was the first British service rifle that was a true breech-loading rifle using metallic cartridges.
During the Martini-Henry period in service, the British army were involved in a large number of colonial wars, most notably the Anglo-Zulu War. The Martini Henry, 450-577, Short Lever, MK I converted MK II or the regular MK II rifle was the type used by the company of the 2nd Battalion, 24th Regiment of Foot present at Rorke's Drift during the eponymous battle. The MK I originally had a small design fault in that the actions hinge pin was initially made of brass, which was too soft for continual use. The rare and early MKI's were thus converted by removing this pin, replacing it with a steel pin, and then redesignated the MKII. The Martini Henry examples we have were used throughout the British Empire. in fact the Martin henry was such a good rifle many survived to be used in WW1 by some colonial regiments.

As with all our original antique arms, no licence is required to own, purchase or to collect anything of that description we sell. They, and all of these rifles, are entirely unrestricted to own, collect, and display just as they are.  read more

Code: 24968

A Superb Pocket Sized 'Pepperbox' Derringer Revolver Six Shot Pistol Circa 1840, With Most Rare Sliding Hammer Safety Mechanism

Good condition for age, all over blue-black finish, all barrels are numbered 1 through 6 and all individually proofed. Chequered original wooden grips, frame scroll hand engraved, hammer leaf engraved, trigger guard scroll engraved

The 'pepperbox' 6 shot revolver was an amazing progression from the single shot percussion pistol, that worked on the rotating multi barrelled principle before the concept of a revolving cylinder and a single barrel system was invented. the style of the pistol created its nickname of the pepperbox as it looked somewhat like a peppermill, but they most often were large belt or holster pistol sized, whereas the pocket Derringer sized type, being the scarcest of all, is most rarely seen to survive today.

the pepperbox revolver was still being used in the American Civil War, especially by Southern soldiers due to the lack of arms, a photo in the gallery shows a Confederate corporal holding his larger holster or belt size pepperbox revolver, and he looks barely 13 years of age.

In the 1850s, the extreme popularity of antique derringer pistols swept the nation like wildfire. Henry Deringer, the man who made the first Philadelphia Deringer, created a small and concealable pistol for people to carry for protection. When searching for an antique derringer pistol for sale, one will notice that derringers are made by a number of different brands and manufacturers. Many people wanted to make their design number one and stick out among the rigorous competition. One man that took the idea into his own hands and became a favorite in the Old West for pocket sized guns was Christian Sharps

Sharp had been in the business of rifle making before he endeavored into pocket pistol designs. He started his career in Harpers Ferry, Virginia with John Halls Rifle Works. He patented his own Sharps rifle in 1848 and, interestingly enough, a year later in December 1849, he patented his first design for the antique derringer pistol he desired to create. Unfortunately, it was a poorly constructed and fragile design in need of some work before it could be sold commercially.

The antique derringer sized pistols became known as the ‘hideout pistol’ to westerners. The prominence of these small multi shot pocket pistols as a gambler’s gun arose in the the Old Wild West. The gun was very commonly used by gamblers and tavern frequenters since they could slide it up their sleeve or in their pocket without the people around the being any the wiser. Western outlaws loved the conceal ability and carried the gun as an extra side arm. The gun is sometimes referred to as the perfect concealable pistol.

Tight and crisp spring, action rotates and one nipple is lacking.

No licence is required to own and collect this antique pistol

Six inches long overall with six two inch long barrells  read more

Code: 24967

A Wonderful, Very, Very Rare, European Medieval Knight’s Hauberk Chain Mail Armour Shirt

Originally recovered from the Keep of Burleigh Castle. And formerly of the Edred Gwilliam Collection.

European early mail is really rare and only ever seen in such a near complete state in the best museum or castle armoury collections, such as in the Tower of London, Nuremburg Castle or the British Museum. This mail would be ideal for the connoisseur of medieval European history or the collector of rare armour. It has a near unlimited abundance of the intellectual beauty of ancient history, and as a surviving example of the pageantry from the days of early, European, chivalric knighthood simply wonderful. This is a medieval Hauberk from the late Crusades era the late 1200's up to the 14th - 15th century, and at one time it was housed in the keep of Burleigh Castle.

The mail coat or hauberk formed a flexible metal mesh that was often worn over a padded tunic. The traditional image of the knight encased in a full suit of plate armour did not come about until the 1400s. It is relatively complete with some separated areas that could be reconnected with a little patience and skill. The word hauberk is derived from an old German word Halsberge, which originally described a small piece of mail that protects the throat and the neck (the 'Hals'). The Roman author Varro attributes the invention of mail to the Celts. The earliest extant example was found in Ciumesti in modern Romania and is dated to the 4th-5th centuries BC. Roman armies adopted similar technology after encountering it. Mail armour spread throughout the Mediterranean Basin with the expansion of the Romans. It was quickly adopted by virtually every iron-using culture in the world, with the exception of the Chinese. The Chinese used it rarely, despite being heavily exposed to it from other cultures.

The short-hemmed, short-sleeved hauberk may have originated from the medieval Islamic world. The Bayeux Tapestry illustrates Norman soldiers wearing a knee-length version of the hauberk, with three-quarter length sleeves and a split from hem to crotch. Such armour was quite expensive both in materials (iron wire) and time/skill required to manufacture it Only the wealthy, the nobles, could afford to purchase mail shirts, and so a hauberk became a symbol of rank for the warrior class of society. The first step involves the smelting of iron, and after that, one must make the wire. Making the wire requires the use of small, thin sheets of iron and then shearing thin strips off the sides of this sheet in order to form square wires, or using another method, one can repeatedly beat and shape small iron pieces into narrow rods in order to form the raw material needed for wire.

After making the rods, the armorer must reheat and draw the strips through conical holes in a metal block to form round wire, and if thinner wire is needed, he can repeat this step several times using narrower holes. Once the wire is reduced to the desired diameter, it is then wrapped around a metal rod to create long, spring-like coils. The armorer then cuts along the length of the coil, down one side with shears or hammer or cutting chisel, and this causes the coils to separate into individual rings. Each ring is then flattened with a tool called a die, or something similar, and while flattening, the die also punches holes in each end of the ring. The armorer then overlaps the ends of each ring and rivets them shut. This process of flattening, punching with a die, joining the rings together, and then riveting them might have to be repeated thousands of times in order to make a single shirt of mail.





The hauberk stored in the Prague Cathedral, dating from the 12th century, is one of the earliest surviving examples from Central Europe and was supposedly owned by Saint Wenceslaus. In Europe, use of mail hauberks continued up through the 14th century, when plate armour began to supplant it. The hauberk is typically a type of mail armour which is constructed of interlocking loops of metal woven into a tunic or shirt. The sleeves sometimes only went to the elbow, but often were full arm length, with some covering the hands with a supple glove leather face on the palm of the hand, or even full mail gloves. It was usually thigh or knee length, with a split in the front and back to the crotch so the wearer could ride a horse. It sometimes incorporated a hood, or coif. The iron links of the mail shirt provided a strong layer of protection and flexibility for the wearer. The overlapping rings allowed a slashing or cutting blow from a sword to glance off without penetrating into the skin; though a smashing blow from a club could still shatter or break or crush bones. For this reason to prevent the breakage of bones a knight would wear a layer of padded armour, or an aketon, underneath the mail. So the combined layers of padded tunic and mail gave the knight a suit of armour that was nearly impervious to cutting and slashing and also protective against the heavy, smashing blows often delivered on the medieval battlefield. 2 Illustrations in the gallery of the Bayeux tapestry embroidery show hauberk's being carried for battle, on long poles, by the squires, and a hauberk, in the second picture section, being taken from a fallen knight's body lower section under Harold Rex. Another picture in the gallery is from an old manuscript showing the tradecraft in the manufacture of mail armour.  read more

Code: 21436

A Wonderful, Highest Ranking British Officer's Sword, For the Navy or Army, A 1790's Admiral of the Fleet or Field Marshal's Sword

A near identical sword was carried by Admiral of the Fleet Sir Peter Parker (1721 – 21 December 1811).

Mercurial gilt fluted pattern hilt, with Adam urn pommel and solid silver triple wire binding, oval fluted hilt guard. Triple edged blade, with superb and elaborate engraving and traces of blue and gilt.

The sword used by the most senior of officers of the army and navy of Britain, field marshals and admirals of the fleet, and kings and princes of the royal family, since the 1780's until the 1820's.

Pictures in the gallery of Field Marshal the Duke of Wellington, Admiral of the Fleet Sir Peter Parker, and Field Marshal Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany.

This Anglo-Irish soldier, the Duke of Wellington, and statesman fought as Field Marshal of the British Army during the Napoleonic Wars. With the help from Prussian Marshal Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher, he defeated Napoleon at Waterloo on June 18, 1815 and became a hero in England.

The office of marshal was already well established in England by the 12th century, but the modern military title of field marshal was introduced into the British army in 1736 by King George II, who imported it from Germany. In Britain the rank came to be bestowed only upon a few senior army officers,

From the 1790's to the 1820's here are the Field Marshals of Britain

Henry Seymour Conway (1793)
HRH Prince William Henry, Duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh (1793)
Sir George Howard (1793)
HRH The Prince Frederick Augustus, 1st Duke of York and Albany (1795)
John Campbell, 5th Duke of Argyll (1796)
Jeffrey Amherst, 1st Baron Amherst of Montreal (1796)
John Griffin Griffin, 4th Baron Howard de Walden (1796)
Studholme Hodgson (1796)
George Townshend, 1st Marquess Townshend (1796)
Lord Frederick Cavendish (1796)
Charles Lennox, 3rd Duke of Richmond and Lennox (1796)
HRH The Prince Edward Augustus, 1st Duke of Kent and Strathearn (1805)
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Marquis of Wellington (1813)
HRH The Prince Ernest Augustus, 1st Duke of Cumberland and Teviotdale (1813)
HRH The Prince Adolphus Frederick, 1st Duke of Cambridge (1813)
HRH Prince William Frederick, Duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh (1816)
HRH Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld (1816)
Charles Moore, 1st Marquess of Drogheda (1821)


The ranks of Admiral of the Fleet and Admiral of the Red were formally separated from 1805, with an announcement in the London Gazette that "His Majesty has been pleased to order the Rank of Admirals of the Red to be restored" in His Majesty's Navy..." as a separate role. The same Gazette promoted 22 men to that rank. From the nineteenth century onward there were also occasional variations to the previous requirement that only one Admiral of Fleet could serve at one time. In 1821 George IV appointed Sir John Jervis as a second admiral of the fleet, to balance the Duke of Wellington's promotion as a second Field Marshal in the British Army.

Admirals of the Fleet

12 March 1796 The Earl Howe
16 September 1799 Sir Peter Parker, Bt.
24 December 1811 King William IV at that time as The Duke of Clarence and St Andrews
19 July 1821 The Earl of St Vincent

Excellent condition overall , no scabbard.  read more

Code: 24953

A Beautiful Full Suit of 16th Century Tudor Style Knight’s Hall Plate Armour with Halbeard

We don't normally acquire or sell non original items but historismus pieces have always been desireable and most collectable in their own right. Historicism or also historism and historismus comprises artistic styles that draw their inspiration from recreating historic styles or imitating the work of historic artisans. This is especially prevalent in architecture, such as revival architecture. Through a combination of different styles or implementation of new elements, historicism can create completely different aesthetics than former styles. Thus it offers a great variety of possible designs.

In the history of art, after Neoclassicism which in the Romantic era could itself be considered a historicist movement, the 19th century saw a new historicist phase marked by an interpretation not only of Greek and Roman classicism, but also of succeeding stylistic eras, which were increasingly considered equivalent. In particular in architecture and in the genre of history painting, in which historical subjects were treated of with great attention to accurate period detail, the global influence of historicism was especially strong from the 1850s onwards.

Plate armour is a historical type of personal body armour made from bronze, iron, or steel plates, culminating in the iconic suit of armour entirely encasing the wearer. Full plate steel armour developed in Europe during the Late Middle Ages, especially in the context of the Hundred Years' War, from the coat of plates worn over mail suits during the 14th century.

In Europe, plate armour reached its peak in the late 15th and early 16th centuries. The full suit of armour, also referred to as a panoply, is thus a feature of the very end of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance period. Its popular association with the "medieval knight” is due to the specialised jousting armour which developed in the 16th century.

Full suits of Gothic plate armour were worn on the battlefields of the Burgundian and Italian Wars. The most heavily armoured troops of the period were heavy cavalry, such as the gendarmes and early cuirassiers, but the infantry troops of the Swiss mercenaries and the Landsknechts also took to wearing lighter suits of "three quarters" munition armour, leaving the lower legs unprotected.

The use of plate armour began to decline in the early 17th century, but it remained common both among the nobility and for the cuirassiers throughout the European wars of religion. After the mid-17th century, plate armour was mostly reduced to the simple breastplate or (cuirass), worn by cuirassiers. This was due to the development of the musket, which could penetrate armour at a considerable distance. For infantry, the breastplate gained renewed importance with the development of shrapnel in the late Napoleonic wars.

Plate armour gave the wearer very good protection against sword cuts, as well against spear thrusts, and provided decent defense against blunt weapons.

The evolution of plate armour also triggered developments in the design of offensive weapons. While this armour was effective against cuts or strikes, their weak points could be exploited by thrusting weapons, such as estocs, poleaxes, and halberds. The effect of arrows and bolts is still a point of contention with regard to plate armour. The evolution of the 14th-century plate armour also triggered the development of various polearms. They were designed to deliver a strong impact and concentrate energy on a small area and cause damage through the plate. Maces, war hammers, and pollaxes (poleaxes) were used to inflict blunt force trauma through armour. Strong blows to the head could result in concussion, even if the armour is not penetrated.

Fluted plate was not only decorative, but also reinforced the plate against bending under striking or blunt impact. This offsets against the tendency for flutes to catch piercing blows. In armoured techniques taught in the German school of swordsmanship, the attacker concentrates on these "weak spots", resulting in a fighting style very different from unarmoured sword-fighting. Because of this weakness, most warriors wore a mail shirt (haubergeon or hauberk) beneath their plate armour (or coat-of-plates). Later, full mail shirts were replaced with mail patches, called gussets, which were sewn onto a gambeson or arming jacket. Further protection for plate armour was the use of small round plates called besagews, that covered the armpit area and the addition of couters and poleyns with "wings" to protect the inside of the joint.

Over the past century many visitors will have seen the numerous full suits of plate armour we have had the pleasure of displaying. 15th, 16th and 17th century originals, plus, historismus hall armours. Our most impressive, if some of you may remember, in the 1960’s, was a full suite of equestrian mounted ‘knight on horseback’ armour. And we displayed it in our shop just round the corner, in Prince Albert St, as it had 20 foot high ceilings. It looked just like the example we show as the last photo in the gallery of one such similar in a museum in America. This fabulous set was passed on to our friend and neighbour, the late arms dealer Paul Grafton, who owned the former ‘House of Correction’ for many years, and it occupied his whole shop!, but exceptionally memorable it was.
It was eventually passed on to Holland and Holland, we believe for their bespoke gun shop in London, and thence later, we understand, to an American billionaire who kept it next to his swimming pool, whereupon it became very wet and thus rusty. After that it travelled to New Jersey or Park Avenue, New York possibly, but we sadly lost track of it then

This beautiful full suit of Tudor hall plate armour is very likely circa to post 1900  read more

Code: 24964

An Enfield 3 Band Rifle,1853 Pattern, Made in 1860 With Snider Centre-Fire Boxer Cartridge Conversion with Original 1853 Bayonet

Royal Small Arms Factory developed the Pattern 1853 Enfield in the 1850s. The 39 in (99 cm) barrel had three grooves, with a 1:78 rifling twist, and was fastened to the stock with three metal bands, so that the rifle was often called a "three band" model. The rifle's cartridges contained 2+1⁄2 drams, or 68 grains (4.4 g) of gunpowder, and the ball was typically a 530-grain (34 g) Boxer modification of the Pritchett & Metford or a Burton-Minié, which would be driven out at approximately 1,250 feet (380 m) per second.


The British .577 Snider–Enfield was a breech-loading rifle. The American inventor, Jacob Snider created this firearm action, and the Snider–Enfield was one of the most widely used of the Snider varieties. The British Army adopted it in 1866 as a conversion system for its ubiquitous Pattern 1853 Enfield muzzle-loading rifles, and used it until 1874 when the Martini–Henry rifle began to supersede it. The British Indian Army used the Snider–Enfield until the end of the nineteenth century.

In trials, the Snider Pattern 1853 conversions proved both more accurate than the original Pattern 1853s and much faster firing; a trained soldier could fire ten aimed rounds per minute with the breech-loader, compared with only three rounds per minute with the muzzle-loading weapon. From 1866 onwards, the Enfield rifles were converted in large numbers at the Royal Small Arms Factory (RSAF) Enfield beginning with the initial pattern, the Mark I. The converted rifles received a new breechblock/receiver assembly, but retained the original iron barrel, furniture, lock, and hammer.

The Mark III rifles were newly made. They featured steel barrels which were so marked, flat nosed hammers, and a latch-locking breech block instead of the simple integral block lifting tang.

The Snider–Enfield used a new type of metal-cased cartridge called a Boxer cartridge after its designer. The breech block housed a diagonally downward sloping firing pin struck with a front-action lock mounted hammer. To operate the weapon, the rifleman cocked the hammer, flipped the block out of the receiver to the right by grasping the left mounted breech block lever, and then pulled the block back to extract the spent case. There was no ejector, so the firer turned the rifle to the right and upside-down to allow the case to drop out.

Frank Richards, who served on the Northwest Frontier between 1902 and 1908, records in Old Soldier Sahib that the British army still used Sniders during that period. Sentries on night duty in camps and cantonments would carry a Snider and buckshot cartridges. Should tribesmen try to get into the camp to steal rifles, the buckshot would give the sentries a better chance of hitting the thief, and unlike a .303 round, would be less likely to wound or kill a comrade should the sentry miss.

The Snider was notably powerful. Rudyard Kipling gave a graphic depiction of its effect in his poem, "The Grave of the Hundred Head":

A Snider squibbed in the jungle—
Somebody laughed and fled,
And the men of the First Shikaris
Picked up their Subaltern dead,
With a big blue mark in his forehead
And the back blown out of his head.  read more

Code: 24965

A Most Beautiful Early 18th Century Austrian Flintlock, A Royal Castle Gun, Originally Made in Vienna Possibly by Fowler & Riflemaker Casper Zelner. Latterly Used in the American Revolutionary War of the 1770's

Somewhat reminiscent of the beautiful guns produced by Caspar Zelner of Vienna, as his long guns utilized the rifle style trigger guard combined with stock cheekpiece despite being a fowler, Likely to make the gun more accurate than a regular fowler, but an expensive addition to the guns initial cost, but if it was indeed made as a royal castle gun for the hunts of the dukes and princes, this would be an inconsequential expense.

The brass trigger guard bow and front tang are have deep scroll carving. The brass buttplate tang is also nicely carved and engraved. The brass wrist escutcheon has a royal coat of arms in the center. The brass sideplate is very well executed. The carved half stock is fine. It has edge lines along the ramrod channel, carving and edge lines along the trigger guard, carving around the barrel tang, and decorative lines at the forward part of the comb. The action functions correctly. It's unusual to find an early fowler with its original full length barrel as most were shortened during their period of use. This could very well be a castle gun, originally used for royal hunts. Then possibly taken by an officer nobleman who fought in the American Revolutionary War with the Prussians for the British, or, for the American Continental Army

From the American Revolutionary War period. Banana shaped lock, good swan necked cock and walnut stock with finest brass mounts.

The great military arms collections in the US such as the Smithsonian and the Metropolitan have numerous guns of this very type, all once the property of officers serving in the American Continental Army during the War of Independence. This is a very nice example in very good order with a good sound action. The mounts are beautiful quality, in all brass, superbly deluxe engraved.

Ethnic Germans, and indeed Austrians, served on both sides of the American Revolutionary War. Large numbers of Germans had emigrated to Pennsylvania, New York, and other American colonies, and they were generally neutral. Some belonged to pacifist sects such as the Amish, but many were drawn into the Revolution and the war.
Germans in Europe lived in numerous separate states. Some of these states had been in alliance with Britain during the Seven Years' War, and were eager to assist Great Britain. Britain had used auxiliary forces in every one of its 18th century wars, their use in suppressing rebellion seemed consistent with previous policy. Their use against British subjects was controversial, however. Despite British Whig opposition to using German soldiers to subjugate the "sons of Englishmen," Parliament overwhelmingly approved the measure in order to quickly raise the forces need to suppress the rebellion.

The leasing of soldiers to a foreign power was also controversial to some Europeans, but the people of these continental states generally took great pride in their soldiers' service in the war. Prussia notably rejected the request to send soldiers. Germans living in America did not enlist in the auxiliary units but some enlisted in British units. The 60th (Royal American) Regiment recruited both from the Americas and from Germany.

Colonial-era jurists drawing a distinction between auxiliaries and mercenaries, with auxiliaries serving their prince when sent to the aid of another prince, and mercenaries serving a foreign prince as individuals.13 By this distinction, the troops which served in the American Revolution were not mercenaries, but auxiliaries. Early Republican historians, however, defended the term "mercenaries" to distinguish the foreign, professional armies from the idealized citizen soldier who altruistically fought for independence.14 Mercy Otis Warren promoted the idea of German auxiliaries as barbarians, but also as victims of tyranny.15

Throughout the war, the United States attempted to entice the hired men to stop fighting. In April 1778, Congress issued a letter, addressed "To the officers and soldiers in the service of the king of Great Britain, not subjects of the said king", which offered land and livestock to defecting German units, in addition to increased rank.16 At the conclusion of the war, Congress offered incentives—especially free farmland—for these ethnic Germans to remain in the United States. Great Britain also offered land and tax incentives to its Loyalist soldiers willing to settle in Nova Scotia in present-day Canada.

41.5 inch barrel, 57 inches long overall  read more

Code: 24963