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A Superb 1822 Pattern French Light Cavalry Sabre, In Near Mint Condition.

It would likely be impossible to ever see a better example. This Light Cavalry 1822 Pattern was carried by all French light cavalry, Horse Chasseurs, Hussars, Lancers, Horse Artillery, Spahis, Goumiers and used in all campaigns from the Mexican expeditions to the Crimean wars, the colonial wars in North Africa and WW1, for more than 100 years. On January 18, 1822, the Committee of cavalry decided unanimously in favour of a curved sword for the entire Light Cavalry, using a Montmorency type blade.The curved blade has a wide fuller on each side to within 160 mm from the point and a thin 550 mm fuller on each side near the back edge which is engraved Manu. d'Armes de Chattll Avril 1876 = Cavalerie Mle 1822. Also used in WW1.The charge of the French Light Cavalry against the Germans on the road to Lassigny (a village between Montvidier and Noyon in France) during World War One in 1914. No scabbard

Code: 23978

395.00 GBP

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A Superb Near Mint WW1 Imperial German to Third Reich Era Dress Sidearm Made by WKC

Weyersberg Kirschbaum & Cie was the amalgamation of two very old Solingen family companies in 1883. Both companies had had their own trademark. For Weyersburg it was King's head and for Kirschbaum it was a Knight's head. Before the regulation 1933 pattern Holbein dress SS Dagger was designed, the Imperial Heer dress sidearm, with stylized eagle head pommel, bright steel finish with black grip and black scabbard, was the dagger of choice for enlisted men when walking out, and this dagger continued to be worn by men right into the war period, by both Heer and SS.. Made by WKC. Solingen. Mint blade, near mint hilt, excellent scabbard with unusual triangle inspection stamp at the throat. this is an absolute beauty.

Code: 23977

245.00 GBP

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A Fabulous Quality WW2 Kriegsmarine Deluxe Officers Dagger with Hanging Straps

High quality deluxe hammered scabbard version exactly as was used by numerous Admirals in the German Navy of WW2. A near mint example that could likely not be improved upon. The blade is perfectly plain, and curiously that is much scarcer and rarer than the regular etched blade version. The standard scabbard was the lightning bolt type, the deluxe version was hand hammered. The silk and velvet backed straps are mounted with gilded alloy lions head buckles and fittings. A German naval dirk once used by a Kriegsmarine warship and U Boat officer. Original ivorine grip and wire binding, blade in jolly nice condition. The hammered scabbard was initialy first used on the Imperial German Naval Ist pattern dagger of 1902, but was a firm favourite of officers of nobility and status who served in WW2 using this second pattern with the eagle and swastika pommel, and could afford the additional expence. The Kriegsmarine [War Navy] was the name of the Navy of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It superseded the Imperial German Navy of World War I and the inter-war Reichsmarine. The Kriegsmarine was one of three official branches of the Wehrmacht, the armed forces of Nazi Germany.

The Kriegsmarine grew rapidly during German naval rearmament in the 1930s (the Treaty of Versailles had limited the size of the German navy previously). In January 1939 Plan Z was ordered, calling for the construction of many naval vessels. The ships of the Kriegsmarine fought during the Spanish Civil War and World War II. The Commander-in-Chief of the Kriegsmarine (as for all branches of armed forces during the period of absolute Nazi power) was Adolf Hitler, who exercised his authority through the Oberkommando der Marine.

The Kriegsmarine's most famous ships were the U-boats, most of which were constructed after Plan Z was abandoned at the beginning of World War II. Wolfpacks were rapidly assembled groups of submarines which attacked British convoys during the first half of the Battle of the Atlantic but this tactic was largely abandoned in the second half of the war. Along with the U-boats, surface commerce raiders (including auxiliary cruisers) were used to disrupt Allied shipping in the early years of the war, the most famous of these being the heavy cruisers Graf Spee and Admiral Scheer and the battleship Bismarck. However, the adoption of convoy escorts, especially in the Atlantic, greatly reduced the effectiveness of commerce raiders against convoys.

Code: 21150

1895.00 GBP

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The Lanes Armoury..Everything You Can Imagine, and a Lot, Lot More!

Original pieces from the great ancient civilisations, Ancient Egyptian, Greek, Scythian, Persian, Roman, Celtic, Anglo-Saxon, Viking, Norman, Japanese, Chinese, Indian, British, and beyond, in fact more antiquities, armoury antiques, militaria, that you can imagine, plus leaves from illuminated manuscripts, rare and historical books, incunabula and Ist editions

We may not quite have everything that everyone might be seeking, but you can trust that we have spent over 100 years trying, and every day we do our utmost to scour the collecting world to find yet more, unique ancient or antique pieces. We put in all the hard work, effort and expertise, so that you don't have to!, and remember, every purchase is accompanied with our Certificate of Authenticity, as our unique, lifetime guarantee, backed up by over 100 years of long established experience.

We are asked almost every day by many of our amazed and curious visitors about famous celebrities that have been customers past and present, so here goes, but just a snippet of a few mixed up names that Mark has personally assisted since 1970, and David since 1980, but of course there are many that our younger viewers will very likely have never even heard of!;

Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, actors
Charlton 'Chuck' Heston, actor
Edward G. Robinson, actor, recommended by 'Chuck'
HRH Princess Margaret, late sister of HM Queen
'Fat Boy' Slim, aka Norman Cook, songwriter +
Ronald Reagan, yes, that Ronald Reagan, Potus
John Osborne, author [he wasn't young though, and certainly not angry!!]
Lord Olivier a well beloved Brighton resident, and the greatest actor to have ever lived.
Barry Humphries, genius of limitless talent, retired, currently a columnist, The Oldie Magazine
Garfield [Garry] Weston, proprietor of Fortnum and Mason, chairman Associated British Foods and of the Garfield Weston Foundation
John Montgomery, author
Johnny Rotten, singer and armed forces supporter
The Tower Armouries, museum
Octav Botnar Chairman, &. Late Owner Nissan UK formerly Datsun UK
Katy Melua, singer songwriter
Will Young, singer
Mark Williams, character actor par excellence
Sir Ralph Richardson, the iconic English eccentric gentleman and actor
Jim Davidson major armed services charities benefactor,
Warner Bros. UK, movies, tv etc.
Sir Henry Cecil One of the world's greatest horse trainers
Macy’s New York Department Store
Rebekkah Brooks & Ross Kemp in their past to-gether days, journalist and actor
Major General Lord Fitzalen Howard Life Guards GCVO, CB, CBE, MC
Steven Berkoff, actor, playwright, theatre director
Galeria Kaufhof GmbH German department store chain
Adriana Papiri-Brignoni late foremost gallery proprietor of Switzerland [with her husband Gigi], a friend and interior decorator for us to such Italian collectors as movie star Gina Lollobrigida and fashion designer Valentino
Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche (Jigme Namgyel), renown Buddhist and author.....
Plus, many thousands more...

Code: 23976

Price
on
Request

A Spectacular Beautiful 'Harvey' British Dragoon Basket Hilted Sword, Culloden Period, With Large King George's Crown & Cypher Engraved Blade Museum Grade Example

As used by the Scot's Dragoon's and the 7th Queens Dragoons, in fact all the British heavy dragoons in the 1740's up to 1790's. From the Battle of Culloden until the American Revolutionary War in the 1770's. Likely made by the world famous English blade maker of his day, Samuel Harvey, and bearing the royal GR Cypher of King George. The Harvey surname was one of the marks of renown Birmingham maker, Samuel Harvey, 1718-1778, who supplied many basket hilted swords to the British Crown, mostly for use by Highland troops. This sword is marked with the surname alone, HARVEY below the Crown and Cypher [the overlapping monogram of GR] for King George. His more common mark was a running wolf, his other marks could be Harvey or S.Harvey. The fabulous basket hilt has the large oval ring insert, for the holding of the horses reins while gripping the sword when riding to battle, and part of the original buff hide basket liner. Wire bound fishskin grip, discoid pommel. The British dragoon regiments were a decisive force in the Battle of Culloden for example; At the close of the battle the stand by the Royal Ecossais may have given Charles Edward Stuart the time to make his escape. At the time when the Macdonald regiments were crumbling and fleeing the field, Stuart seems to have been rallying Perth's and Glenbuchat's regiments when O'Sullivan rode up to Captain Shea who commanded Stuart's bodyguard: "Yu see all is going to pot. Yu can be of no great succor, so before a general deroute wch will soon be, Seize upon the Prince & take him off ". Shea then led Stuart from the field along with Perth's and Glenbuchat's regiments. From this point on the fleeing Jacobite forces were split into two groups: the Lowland regiments retired in order southwards, making their way to Ruthven Barracks; the Highland regiments however were cut off by the government cavalry, and forced to retreat down the road to Inverness. The result was that they were a perfect target for the government dragoons. Major-general Humphrey Bland led the charge against the fleeing Highlanders, giving "Quarter to None but about Fifty French Officers and Soldiers He picked up in his Pursuit". The basket hilted sword of this very form and character were used by British heavy dragoons for several decades, importantly in the American Revolutionary war. There is a near identical sword by Harvey, bearing the same form of maker mark and crown GR in a collection of American War of Independence weaponry featured in "Swords and Blades of the American Revolution" by George C. Neumann. Page 148 sword 261s
The shortage of cavalry in the Revolutionary War was a major drawback for the British. A strong cavalry presence at battles like Long Island and Brandywine could have enabled the British to encircle the Americans and prevent their retreat. It is possible that a strong cavalry force would have captured Washington's army entirely during the march south through New Jersey in 1776. This is the form of sword used by the Scot's Greys Dragoons in the 7 Years War against France, and by the 7th Queen's Dragoons. One of the earliest basket-hilted swords was recovered from the wreck of the Mary Rose, an English warship lost in 1545. Before the find, the earliest positive dating had been two swords from around the time of the English Civil War. At first the wire guard was a simple design but as time passed it became increasingly sculpted and ornate. During the 18th century, the fashion of duelling in Europe focused on the lighter smallsword, and fencing with the broadsword came to be seen as a speciality of Scotland. A number of fencing manuals teaching fencing with the Scottish broadsword were published throughout the 18th century. Portraits from the time show this very sword as worn.

Code: 21608

3995.00 GBP

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A Very Good 19th Century, Early Victorian, English Cut Steel Small Sword

A most stylish, regency style, all steel hilt with cut steel so-called 'nail head' decor in engraved and chiselled star pattern form, double edged diamond shaped blade. The small sword or small sword is a light one-handed sword designed for thrusting which evolved out of the longer and heavier rapier of the late Renaissance. The height of the small sword's popularity was between mid 17th and late 18th century, and continued as de rigueur as the full court dress sword, when in the presence of the monarch, even to this day at the court of St. James. It is thought to have appeared in France and spread quickly across the rest of Europe. The small sword was the immediate predecessor of the French duelling sword (from which the epee developed) and its method of use as typified in the works of such authors as Sieur de Liancour, Domenico Angelo, Monsieur J. Olivier, and Monsieur L'Abbat developed into the techniques of the French classical school of fencing. Small swords were also used as status symbols and fashion accessories; for most of the 18th century anyone, civilian or military, with pretensions to gentlemanly status would have worn a small sword on a daily basis.
The small sword could be a highly effective duelling weapon, and some systems for the use of the bayonet were developed using the method of the small sword as their foundation; Alfred Hutton, an English officer of the King's Dragoon Guards, wrote extensively on self-defence techniques based on the short sword-bayonet. The very height of the small sword's widespread popularity was (as mentioned above) between the middle of the 17th and the late 18th century, when it was considered fashionable by aristocrats ("no gentleman was dressed without his sword" .
The Small sword was a thrusting-only weapon developed in France in the second half of the 17th century. The hilt consisted of a small shell- or disc-shaped guard much smaller than the hilt of the Renaissance rapier, and blade was relatively short and light, usually triangular or diamond-section, although double-edged flat small sword blades continued to be popular well into the 18th century. Old surface pitting to the blade, the hilt is blemish free.

Code: 21716

545.00 GBP

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A Fine and Elegant Georgian, Original Regency Period Small Sword Rapier In Bright Cut Steel

Napoleonic Wars Circa 1805. Fine cut steel hilt with a very fine quality and highly complex and stunning multi patterned spiral wrap grip, in alternating copper and steel wires and bands. Oval disc guard with scalloped inner edge and cut steel twin headed nail head rivets. The triple edged blade is beautifully fine line engraved with scrolling designs. And it has a cut diamond patterned star engraved ovoid pommel. A most elegant sword of the Napoleonic to Regency period. The English small sword is a light one-handed sword designed for thrusting which evolved out of the longer and heavier rapier of the late Renaissance. The height of the small sword's popularity was between mid 17th and late 18th century. It is thought to have appeared in France and spread quickly across the rest of Europe. The small sword was the immediate predecessor of the French duelling sword (from which the epee developed) and its method of use as typified in the works of such authors as Sieur de Liancour, Domenico Angelo, Monsieur J. Olivier, and Monsieur L'Abbat developed into the techniques of the French classical school of fencing. Small swords were also used as status symbols and fashion accessories; for most of the 18th century anyone, civilian or military, with pretensions to gentlemanly status would have worn a small sword on a daily basis.
The small sword could be a highly effective duelling weapon, and some systems for the use of the bayonet were developed using the method of the smallsword as their foundation; Alfred Hutton, an English officer of the King's Dragoon Guards, wrote extensively on self-defence techniques based on the short sword-bayonet.

The Small sword was a thrusting-only weapon developed in France in the second half of the 17th century. The hilt consisted of a small shell- or disc-shaped guard much smaller than the hilt of the Renaissance rapier, and blade was relatively short and light, usually triangular or diamond-section, although double-edged flat small sword blades continued to be popular well into the 18th century.

Code: 22589

1295.00 GBP

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A Beautiful Koto Period Tanto With Original Edo Period Fittings

Isime stone finish lacquer saya with sinchu kozuka, black silk tsukaito, ovoid iron tsuba inliad with silver dots around the rim. Very interesting mounts in sinchu including the fuchi that has a takebori carved bat in flight. Funa gata boat shaped tang. Sinchu in Japan was an alloy of brass, that in certain periods valued as much as gold in Japan. The tanto is commonly referred to as a knife or dagger. The blade can be single or double edged with a length between 15 and 30 cm (6-12 inches, in Japanese 1 shaku). The tanto was designed primarily as a stabbing weapon, but the edge can be used for slashing as well. Tanto are generally forged in hira-zukuri style (without ridgeline), meaning that their sides have no ridge line and are nearly flat, unlike the shinogi-zukuri structure of a katana. Some tanto have particularly thick cross-sections for armour-piercing duty, and are called yoroi toshi. Small foil area of the habaki lacking. The old lacquer on the saya has old comtemporary wear marks etc. Overall 18 inches long, blade around 13 inches long

Code: 23393

2995.00 GBP

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An Original, Roman Republic & Empire Period Bronze Dagger Pommel Ist Cent BC

A super, small collection of original, historical, Imperial Roman and Crusader's artefacts has just been acquired by us and will be added over the next week or so.
Made for, and used by, either a Roman noble, senator or gladiator. It may well even be the same form of dagger [a pugio] that was used to assassinate Julius Caesar on the Ides of March. The blade grip and scabbard have not survived as is more than usual. A superb Roman dagger mount from the historical time of Julius Caesar, the first Emperor, Augustus, Mark Anthony and Cleopatra, and last, but not least, Jesus of Nazareth. The Ides of March comes from the ides, a term the Romans used to note the middle of a month. Every month has an ides around the middle (as well as a calends at the beginning of the month and nones eight days before the ides). The Ides of March feels special for a couple of reasons: it's the day Caesar was murdered, and it's the subject of a soothsayer's spooky prophecy in William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar. Before Caesar, Roman nobility and military were free to plunder the provinces they ruled. But under Caesar, Rome controlled the process and sent inspectors to check up on everything, so they could only exploit their provinces under Caesar's supervision.

That slight was compounded by Caesar's rebranding of political real estate in his name ? he built statues in his image and renamed monuments for himself. He brought power to his family by giving them political appointments and honorifics, and drew allies outside the charmed circle of Roman nobility, like his soldiers and leaders in the provinces. As far as epic betrayals go, we tend to imagine Brutus in the same league as Judas. In reality, that infamy should be reserved for someone called Decimus.

Caesar trusted Decimus much more than he trusted Brutus ? and that made his betrayal more shocking. Misspelled in Shakespeare's Julius Caesar as "Decius," Decimus was much more important than most of us realize. "There were three leaders of the assassins' conspiracy, Brutus, Cassius, and Decimus." Decimus dined with Caesar the night before his assassination and convinced Caesar to leave his house the next morning (he was staying home because his wife, Calpurnia, was worried). Decimus' betrayal followed an adult life spent at Caesar's side. Brutus, however, had often fought against Caesar, like when he took Pompey's side against Caesar in the Civil War that lasted from 49 to 45 BC. He only came over to Caesar's side after a handsome cash award and profitable political appointment. When he was stabbed, most of the sources say he tried to get up and escape. Unfortunately for Caesar, the conspirators were trained soldiers, so they'd formed a tight perimeter. "They knew how you carry out an ambush,and some of the senators were assigned the job of crowd control."

As far as what Caesar said when he died, "Et tu, Brute" is a Renaissance invention. But Caesar did perform a few resonant gestures. He tried to escape, like any soldier would, but when death was near, he covered his face before he died. It may have been an attempt to preserve his dignity. Bibilography; Professor Strauss, Cornell, Classics and History. As with all our items it comes complete with our certificate of authenticity.

Code: 22392

275.00 GBP

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A Wonderful, Original, Historical, Byzantine Christian Cross In Bronze 7th to 10th Century

A super, small collection of original, historical, Imperial Roman and Crusader's artefacts has just been acquired by us and will be added over the next week or so. This Bronze Cross was hand forged during the Middle Ages in the cradle of Christianity, the Byzantine Empire. In AD 324, the first Christian Roman Emperor Constantine the Great transferred the Eastern Roman Empire capital to Byzantium, which became Constantinople, known as ''New Rome''. The Byzantine Empire became centred on the capital of Constantinople and was ruled by Emperors in direct succession to the ancient Roman Emperors. With the eventual decline of Rome, the Church of Constantinople became the richest and most influential center of the Christian world.
The reign of Justinian the Great in 527-565 marked a blossoming of Byzantine culture with a building program that yielded such masterpieces as the Cathedral Church of the Holy Wisdom of God, Hagia Sophia. Justinian, who is considered a Saint in the Eastern Orthodox Church, created the authority of this Church, which firmly established Christianity throughout the Empire. This Byzantine Empire would exist for more than a thousand years until 1453 and was one of the most powerful economic, cultural, and military forces in Europe and Asia Minor. This superb cross was most certainly worn by a Byzantine citizen as a statement of faith during this amazing age of early Christendom. Picture in the gallery of an 8th century painting 'Christ is the Crucified, and a King'. The details of the painting are, they say; 'He is robed in majesty; He is fastened to the Cross. He wears the royal purple robes with which His scorners intended to mock Him, but He, Alpha and Omega, the first and last Word, the Primogenitor of those who are being saved, confers His own divine dignity onto the very idea of kingship. He wears the glory that inspired the good thief to plead for his salvation, with the confidence of the One whose Sonship makes that salvation possible'.

Code: 23253

275.00 GBP

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