A Very Fine, Early to Mid 18th Century, Regimental 27th Foot Inniskillings, 1st Land Pattern Brown Bess Musket Bayonet. One of the Most Desirable and Collectable Bayonets, Used By One Of The Most Famous of Regiments

Fine and original Land pattern Brown Bess socket bayonets are now as rare as hen's teeth. The 1st Land pattern Bess is now a very scarce and beautiful gun that can command 5 figure sums to acquire, thus its bayonet, that are just as historical and collectable, are a most affordable option by comparison. From the end of the first quarter to the mid 18th century, a Land Pattern 'Brown Bess' Bayonet. 21.5 inches long, approx. With a 17 inch blade, and a socket of 3.8 inches, thin squared socket rim.
Regimentally marked for The 27th (Inniskilling) Regiment of Foot, and also gun or rack numbered '79'. Partial maker marks visible, T.HA,, Possibly Thomas Hatcher who made several groups of ordnance contract Land Pattern muskets, and was appointed 'Master Furbisher' at the small gun office prior to 1750.

One of the great British Regiments that served in the Jacobite Rebellion, The Seven Years in America against the French and Native Indian forces, The American Revolutionary War, The Flanders Campaign 1793, the Capture of St Lucia from the French in 1796, the Peninsular War, The War in America 1812, and the Battle of Waterloo. This bayonet could easily have been present in many of this extraordinary conflicts covering over half a century. The 27th was an Irish infantry regiment of the British Army, formed in 1689 . The regiment was raised as local militia at Enniskillen by Colonel Zachariah Tiffin in June 1689, to fight against James II in the Williamite war in Ireland. They served successfully, most notably at the Battle of Newtownbutler, and their performance gained them a place on the English establishment in 1690 as a regular infantry regiment, as such they then fought at the Battle of the Boyne.

After peace returned to Ireland, the regiment was stationed around the world over the next half a century; from the Low Countries, West Indies, Minorca and to Spain. It formed part of the Government army sent to defeat the Jacobite Rising of 1745, participating in the Battle of Falkirk and in the Battle of Culloden. At this period they were commonly known as Blakeney's Regiment after the colonel-in-chief. In 1751, they were formally titled the 27th (Enniskillen) Regiment of Foot.

During the Seven Years' War (1756-63) the Regiment fought against the French in North America and the West Indies. In 1778 it returned to North America to take part in the War of Independence, but as the result of the alliance formed by the French with the American colonists, it again found itself involved in numerous expeditions against the French West Indian possessions. The war with France came to an end in 1783 but broke out again ten years later with the French Revolutionary Wars and the regiment took part in the Flanders Campaign of 1793. In 1796 the 27th took St. Lucia from the French, where its regimental colour was displayed on the flagstaff of the captured fortress.

Battle of Castalla, 13 April 1813
The 27th Regiment served throughout the Napoleonic wars including Egypt where it formed part of Sir Ralph Abercromby's force that fought the Battle of Alexandria against the French in 1801, the 2nd Battalion formed part of the garrison of that city after its capture. The 1st Battalion served in the Calabrian campaign and fought at Battle of Maida on 4 July 1806. In this engagement the light company fought in James Kempt's brigade while the one grenadier and eight line companies belonged to Lowry Cole's brigade.

The 1st Battalion entered the Peninsular War in November 1812 and participated in the Battle of Castalla and the Siege of Tarragona, both in 1813. The 2nd Battalion landed in Spain in December 1812 and fought brilliantly at Castalla on 13 April 1813. While formed in a two-deep line, the unit inflicted 369 killed and wounded on the French 121st Line Infantry Regiment in a few minutes. In the same action the entire brigade only lost 70 casualties. On 13 September 1813, the French surprised and cut the 2nd Battalion to pieces at the Battle of Ordal. In this action, the 2nd/27th lost over 360 men killed, wounded, and captured.

The 3rd Battalion disembarked in Lisbon in November 1808. It became part of Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington's army and fought at many of the key battles including Badajoz, Salamanca, Vitoria, the Pyrenees, Nivelle, Orthez, and Toulouse. The 3rd Battalion belonged to Cole's 4th Division throughout the war. At the Battle of Sorauren (Pyrenees), the 3rd/27th lost two officers and 41 men killed, nine officers and 195 men wounded, and seven men taken prisoner. At Toulouse, the unit lost two officers and 23 men killed, and five officers and 76 men wounded.

The 1st Battalion went on to fight at the Battle of Waterloo as part of John Lambert's 10th Brigade in the 6th Division. At about 6:30 PM, the French captured the key strongpoint of La Haye Sainte farm. After this success, they brought up several cannon and took the Anglo-Allied lines under fire at extremely close range. At this period, the 698-strong battalion was deployed in square at the point where the Ohain road crossed the Charleroi to Brussels highway. At a range of 300 yards, the French artillery caused the unit enormous casualties within a short time. At day's end, the 3rd Battalion had lost 105 killed and 373 wounded, a total of 478 casualties. The unit was described as "lying dead in a square". At the time of Waterloo, the soldiers of the 27th were dressed in red, short-tailed jackets, overall trousers, and a high-fronted shako. The facing colour was buff and it was displayed on the collar, cuffs, and shoulder-straps. The lace on the cuffs and jackets had square-ended loops  read more

Code: 18951

A Stunning British Welsh Guards Officer's Dress Tunic. Of Finest Quality Tailoring Fit For The Prince of Wales, Former Colonel of The Regiment of the Welsh Guards, {Now H.M. King Charles IIIrd, Colonel in Chief of the Welsh Guards}

In superb condition for age, finest bespoke tailored during the reign of Her Late Beloved Majesty, Queen Elizabeth IInd.

With full traditional gold bullion. Large size. When this fabulous tunic was originally tailored it was for an officer serving under the present king, when he was Colonel of the Regiment, H.R.H, the Prince of Wales. The Colonel of the regiment is now the current Prince of Wales, H.R.H. Prince William. His wife, H.R.H. Catherine, The Princess of Wales, is now Colonel of the Regiment of the Irish Guards.

Photographed here with associated British officer's full dress scarlet and silver bullion belt, this belt is not included with tunic, it can be sold separately.

The Welsh Guards came into existence on February 26, 1915 by Royal Warrant of His Majesty King George V in order to include Wales in the national component to the Foot Guards, "..though the order to raise the regiment had been given by the King to Earl Kitchener, Secretary of State for War, on February 6 1915." They were the last of the Guards to be created, with the Irish Guards coming into being in 1900. Just two days later, the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards mounted its first King's Guard at Buckingham Palace on 1 March, 1915 - St David's Day.One way to distinguish between the regiments of Foot Guards is the spacing of buttons on the tunic. The Welsh Guards have buttons arranged in groups of five.

On March 17, 1915 the 1st Battalion sailed for France to join the Guards Division to commence its participation in the First World War. Its first battle was some months after its initial arrival, at Loos on September 27, 1915. The regiment's first Victoria Cross came two years later in July 1917 awarded to Sergeant Robert Bye.The regiment was increased to three Battalions during the Second World War. The 1st Battalion fought valiantly in all the campaigns of the North-West European Theatre. The 2nd Battalion fought in Boulogne in 1940 whilst the 1st fought in Belgium as part of the British Expeditionary Force. In May 1940 at the Battle of Arras, the Welsh Guards gained their second Victoria Cross by Lieutenant The Hon. Christopher Furness who was killed in the action. The Welsh Guards were subsequently part of the legendary Evacuation of Dunkirk that saw over 340,000 British and French troops return to the UK against all odds. In 1943 the 3rd Battalion fought throughout the arduous Tunisian North African Campaign and Italian Campaigns.
Welsh Guards in action near Cagny 19 July 1944

While they battled on in those theatres the 1st and 2nd joined the Guards Armoured Division, with the 1st Battalion being infantry and the 2nd armoured. The two battalions worked closely, being the first troops to re-enter Brussels on September 3, 1944 after an advance of 100 miles in one day in what was described as 'an armoured lash unequalled for speed in this or any other war'. Very good condition.


Photo of HRH Prince of Wales by Carfax2 - Own work
Prince Charles in the uniform of Colonel of the Welsh Guard, Trooping the Colour, June 2012
This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.  read more

Code: 19022

A Superb 19th Century Persuader Cosh. A Victorian, City Dwellers Version Of A Royal Navy 'Press-Gang' Cosh

Also a so called, 'life preserver', concealable flexible head cosh that would once have been well concealed about a gentleman's person, within an inside overcoat pocket, or tucked through a waist belt. Based on a press gang club from the Georgian era In the Victorian era, after dark, city thoroughfares abounded with ruffians neer'do wells and garrotters. Police forces, in those days, were in their infancy, and the respectable and well heeled inhabitants, when travelling the streets and lanes of most cities, were understandably paranoid for their safety, so most protection had to be provided for by oneself, and all due precautions and defensive measures explored. This is a wonderful example of a club, known at the time as a life preserverWe detail an article from Punch Magazine, August 18th 1866, regarding a trial of some violent street attackers?.. "No less than six roughs, two of them garrotters, convicted at Manchester Assizes, of robbery with violence, were sentenced the other day by Mr. Justice Lush, to be, in addition to penal servitude, flogged with the cat-o'-nine-tails. ? If there is in his the criminal's nature any degree of latent sympathy, inactive from want of imagination, it can be stimulated to due activity only be a whipping which will give him considerable pain. All that pain is economy of pain; of so much pain as it saves respectable people from suffering by brutal violence. ? Some of the six scoundrels whipped at Manchester, being pachydermatous, made a show of bravado. To preclude this in future, let all such offenders be sentenced to be flogged two or three times."

Punch, August 18, 1866. We show several original Victorian Punch magazine and journal illustrations of several persons being accosted in the city streets by thugs, and a group of ladies and gentlemen walking in the road armed with coshes and clubs for protection for information only.  read more

Code: 21139

A Fine Renaissance Heraldic ‘Grand Tour’ Armour. A Gorget of a Duke. A Last Vestige Of The Of Knightly Armour Worn. When All Form of Steel Armour Was No Longer Used in Combat The Final Representation Of A Chivalrous Knight Was His ‘Gorget’ {Neck Armour}

A fabulous object d’art from the early ‘Grand Tour’ era, when young members of the nobility travelled around Europe and acquired classical art, original antiquities and all form of stunning ‘Grand Tour’ pieces. The were representations ‘after’ the original classical antiques, from Ancient Rome, Greece and the Italian Renaissance

A most beautiful antique ‘Grand Tour’ representational piece of highest status dress armour, in the 16th century style, but likely made in the 18th century or early 19th century, probably in Paris, for such as the younger members of families of a nobility such as earls or dukes, visiting Paris, searching for object d’arte and antiquities, just after the Napoleonic Wars.

It was in this era that great Continental tourists and travellers such as Lord Byron, Percy Bysshe Shelley, his wife, Mary, and John William Polidori, travelled Europe and took up residence in palatial villas on the Swiss and Italian lakes. It was during such a tour, by those just mentioned, who were in their ‘Grand Tour’ years, while in their villa on Lake Geneva, in the Year Without Summer’ in 1816, wrote, one stormy night, The Vampyre {by Polidori} and Frankenstein, The Modern Prometheus, {by Mary Shelley}. Bearing in mind this was merely by means of a distraction from the poor weather. Can you imagine, the stratospheric talent of such like, that two of the greatest origin stories of horror, ever written, and still as read and performed in the performing arts, as much today as they were 200 years ago, were created in the same house, by two English travellers, at the very same time, and as a mere ‘distraction’ due to boredom.

It bears a most fine etched heraldic ducal crest, composed of a pair of cranes bearing a five bar face guarded demi-profile dukes helmet, mounted above a shield with chevron below four ermine panels, with three, four lobed devices about the chevron on both sides. The entire rim bears brass headed steel rivets and two shoulder centred large brass rivets that once held leather straps. We show in the gallery several portraits of Elizabethan nobles all adorned in their armour gorget over fine tunics of velvet or leather. The gorget was the last remaining symbol of knightly armour universally worn either at court or in combat by nobles in the Elizabethan period Although other elements of armour could be worn, such as arm defences, in accompaniment as the wearer saw fit.

In the High Middle Ages, when mail was the primary form of metal body armour used in Western Europe, the chain mail coif protected the neck and lower face. During the 14th century as more plate armour appeared to supplement mail, the Bascinet helmet incorporated a mail curtain called the Aventail which protected the lower face, neck and shoulders. A separate mail collar called a "pisan" or "standard" was sometimes worn under the aventail as additional protection. Towards the end of the 14th century, threats including the increased penetrating power of the lance when paired with a lance rest on the breastplate made more rigid forms of neck protection desirable.
One solution was a standing collar plate worn over the aventail and separate from the helmet, which was wide enough for the helmet to move around in so that the man-at-arms could turn his head. Through the early 15th century, gorget plates were integrated into the helmet itself to form the great bascinet. Other forms of helmet such as the sallet which did not protect the lower face and throat with plate were paired with a separate bevor, and the armet was often fitted with a wrapper that included gorget lames protecting the throat. During this time, the mail standard was still used.

At the beginning of the 16th century, the gorget became fully developed as a component of plate armor in its own right. Unlike previous gorget plates and bevors which sat over the breastplate and required a separate mail collar to fully protect the neck from gaps, the developed gorget was worn under the back and breastplate and was intended to cover a larger area of the neck, nape, shoulders, and upper chest, since the upper edges of the cuirass had become lower than before. The gorget served as an anchor point for the Pauldrons, which either had holes to slide over pins projecting from the gorget, or fastened to the gorget by straps and buckles. The neck was protected by a high collar of articulated lames, and the overall gorget consisted of front and back pieces which were hinged at the side so it could be put on and taken off. Some helmets had additional neck lames which overlapped the gorget, while others fitted tightly to the top of the gorget so that there would be no gap between them.
By the 17th century there appeared a form of gorget with a low, unarticulated collar and larger front and back plates which covered more of the upper chest and back. These were not worn with a breastplate as part of a full harness, but instead were worn over civilian clothing or a Buff coat. Some gorgets of this period were "parade" pieces that were beautifully etched, gilded, engraved, chased, embossed, or enamelled at great expense. Gradually the gorget became smaller and more symbolic, and became a single crescent shape worn on a chain, which suspended the gorget ever lower on the chest so that the gorget no longer protected the throat in normal wear. It is one of the more unusual elements of the arms and armour collecting field that 18th and 19th century fine etched armour, in the earlier styles of the 16th century, can be prized the same, or even more highly than the earlier originals that they were based upon.

In the ‘Grand Tour’ era of 19th century France such pieces of fine art were created for the highly classical ‘after the antique’ market. Such as gilt bronze miniature copies of ‘Napoleons’ column in Place Vendome, and small yellow simulated marble versions of Ancient Greek and Roman columns and arches, and architectural features, and sometimes whole structures, such as Cleopatra’s Needle. Bronzes and marbles ‘after the antique’ of busts of Roman Emperor’s, and elegant statuary. Companies such as Granger of Paris, that worked in the 1840's, created wonderful miniature suits of armour, mounted on horse armour or free standing, and they are of incredibly detailed quality. Such pieces by Granger are in such incredible demand, by collectors or interior decorators, that can they achieve values in the tens of thousands of pounds, even approaching six figures today, and for most that are no more than two feet or around 50 cms high complete. Wondrous full size armour was also created, such as extravagant armour helmets from the Renaissance, the designs made fore the kings of France in the 16th century. Also shields, gauntlets, and gorgets exactly as this fabulous piece. That were ideal for classical art displays and interior décor of the finest Georgian country estates, and the glorious Palladian terraced mansion houses in the cities, such as London, Edinburgh, Bath and Brighton.

Size 14 inches x 12 inches.  read more

Code: 20436

A Fantastic Souviner From One Of The Great Heroic Ships & Crew of WW2. A Battle of the River Plate, HMS Ajax Miniature Wooden Barrel Made From Teak from the Ship

One of the most desirable of the miniature pieces made from salvaged parts from British warships, HMS Ajax is in the premier division of maritime collectables.

A wooden miniature barrel made from wooden, teak parts of HMS Ajax, With a name plate thereon. The Battle of the River Plate.

The battle in 1939 was how 3 battleships, 3 aircraft carriers and 14 cruisers in seven Hunting Groups searched for a German raider that was the the Admiral Graf Spee and how the weakest force of three cruisers found her and the action which led to her destruction.

The Second World War against Nazi Germany had been waged for three months. At sea Britain had lost the passenger liner, Athenia, the armed merchant cruiser, HMS Rawalpindi, the battleship HMS Royal Oak and the aircraft carrier HMS Courageous. There was very little good news for Britain and France.

In the South Atlantic Captain Langsdorff in the German pocket battleship, Admiral Graf Spee had been sinking British merchant ships since September 1939. Commodore Harwood, commanding Royal Navy Hunting Group G, had studied the area and knew the attraction to a German raider of the rich pickings of British merchant ships leaving the River Plate estuary between Argentina and Uruguay in South America. The Germans claimed that their pocket battleships could out-gun any ships faster than them and outrun any ship with heavier armament.

In early December 1939 Harwood received enemy reports from the British freighters Doric Star and Tairoa as they were captured and sunk. He calculated that if the raider chose to head for South America she would probably arrive in the area off the River Plate on the morning of the 13th December. With this in mind, Harwood ordered the cruisers, HMS Ajax, Achilles and Exeter to concentrate there the previous day (12th December). They met at the pre-arranged time and exercised their action plan. On the morning of 13th December HMS Exeter was ordered to investigate smoke that was spotted on the horizon. She soon signaled, “I think it is a pocket battleship”. The three ships had finally met Admiral Graf Spee and at 0617 they went into action, following Harwood’s orders, “Attack at once, by day or night”. At first Graf Spee concentrated her fire on Exeter. Ajax and Achilles then closed on Graf Spee at speed, drawing her fire and causing significant upper deck damage and loss of morale. Graf Spee's Captain Langsdorff later said, “They came at me like destroyers”. At 0636 Graf Spee about-turned to the west, from where she started her retreat. With 66 of her crew killed, Exeter later retired from the battle badly damaged and made for the Falklands.

By 0725 Ajax and Achilles had closed to within 4 miles from Graf Spee. Harwood then decided to open the range and shadow her. However Graf Spee steadied and concentrated her fire again on Ajax and Achilles. Ajax fired a salvo of torpedoes to encourage Graf Spee to maintain her westward course, which she did, but shortly afterwards Graf Spee obtained a hit on Ajax which put her two after-turrets out of action. Achilles also suffered severe damage to her director control tower from a near-miss. This was Graf Spee's chance to turn on the pursuers and regain the initiative but it was not taken. Captain Langsdorff chose to break off the action and head for port in Montevideo, the capital of neutral Uruguay. Whether this was the result of a confused state because of wounds and concussion, a sense of defeat or to preserve the lives of his men we do not know.

On return home the men of HMS Ajax and HMS Exeter were feted in London by King George VI and Winston Churchill (First Lord of the Admiralty at the time). HMS Achilles' crew were similarly feted in their home town of Auckland, New Zealand.  read more

Code: 24923

Original & Rare 19th Century Saxon M.1880 Faschinenmesser Pioneer Artillery Short Sword - Regimentally Marked

Royal Saxon Field Artillery Regiment No.71

Very scarce Saxon sidearm that was only made for one year 1880/1881, in very good condition. Ideal for the collector of rare German swords. No scabbard.

Brass pommel, ribbed grips affixed with three brass rivet insets, steel collar and cross guard, steel single fuller blade, Elmo style blade marked on the ricasso stamped on spine of blade Imperial stamp and Crown A regimentaly stamped


Coloured photograph of the Royal Saxon Field Artillery Regiment 78 in the gallery  read more

Code: 24972

Choose The Ideal New Year Gift From Great Britain's Favourite Armoury Antiques & Collector's Shop. Some of The Best Ideas You Could Imagine, For Both Christmas & New Year, Have Come From The Lanes Armoury’. Our 105th Christmas in Brighton

Now moving on through Christmas this week, and the Christmas festivities. During this Christmas week any UK purchase will then be delivered before the New Year. Likely next Tuesday. After Christmas non UK purchases will be sent on their jolly way early next week .

To one and all, we wish a Very, Merry, Christmas and a Healthy, Happy, and Prosperous New Year.

Feliz Navidad
聖誕快樂
Joyeux Noël
عيد ميلاد مجيد
Frohe Weihnachten
Buon Natale
Prettige Kerstdagen
Feliz Natal
メリー クリスマス

Our closing times over Christmas are just three days;
Christmas Eve,
Christmas Day and
Boxing Day.

We reopen the gallery on Saturday at 11.00 am till 4.30 pm {usual hours}. Although we will still be contactable by telephone or via email all over the Christmas Holiday. Deliveries can still be made to our top floor office, that is manned 24/7 throughout Christmas, in order to maintain our website and process orders. We never open on Sundays.
From within the UK you can call us on
01273 321357 11.00 am till 4.00pm
or 24/7 07721010085
To contact us by telephone outside of the UK call, in office hours, 00 44 1273 321357,
or, if outside of UK and outside of office hours, call 00 44 7721 010085
or, if calling from North America dial 011 44 1273 321357 or 011 44 7721 010085.

This week we sent some magical & fabulous historical gift choices to our clients in USA, Canada, Japan, France, The Netherlands, Singapore, Australia & New Zealand plus of course, dozens in the UK too!
Keep an eye on our site this week for our latest arrivals due to be listed, as usual, fabulous bound volumes, some remarkable pieces from antiquity, more stunning samurai swords, plus a great collection of iconic antique British combat swords from the past two hundred and fifty years. Only the other day we added to our website a masterpiece of the French gunmakers art, possibly presented by the Emperor Napoleon himself. A magical combination of purest gold, finest juglans regia walnut, with masterfully chiselled steel and lustrous silver. A five figure piece that could easily be six figures if it was only known to whom it was presented. A secret lost into the mists of time!

This is our 105th year of family trading this coming Christmas, and the dawn of our 106th year. However, we have actually traded in Brighton for well over 200 years, but until WW1 we were principally involved in the fishing trade, especially seafood. In the early 19th century we used to supply the Brighton Royal Pavilion, the palace of King George IVth {formerly the Prince Regent} with shellfish.

Every year, many, many millions of people visit Brighton, and many hundreds of thousands of them find there way here to us. In fact up to two or three thousand often visit us every opening day.
The world famous New York Times included our gallery in their list as one of the very best places to visit in the UK when travelling to Europe from America. Where else in the UK could you leave a store, after a jolly Christmas holiday visit, with a selection of original WW2 Officer’s uniform buttons for only £1.50p each, or an original solid gold and gemstone intaglio carved seal ring once worn 1700 years ago by an Imperial Roman senator. Where you might rub shoulders with a former American President’s First Lady, a Hollywood superstar, {our latest recent superstar visitor was British actor Tom Hardy, (who returned once again for another visit this weekend) another recent customer, a professor of textiles from America, who very kindly arranged for us to receive some conservation papers from the Met, or a retired Scottish teacher on a regular visit from the Outer Hebrides.

Incredible things seem to happen here every day, for example, just a few weeks ago a very nice gentleman arrived here, after travelling all the way from Hong Kong, just to view and purchase one of our most special Japanese swords we were offering, and just as it was being packed up, after our business together was concluded, for its long journey to his home, another gentleman called on the phone with sincere interest in order to buy that very same sword, just a few minutes after the Hong Kong gentleman bought it, and bearing in mind we have many hundreds of swords on offer, and many thousands of intriguing pieces.
This remarkable occurrence was witnessed by one of our oldest friends and a very special regular customer, who was seated witnessing the whole turn of events, and he was amazed at the incredible coincidence, yet, he exclaimed, that so many hundreds of times he has been here in the past near 20 years, and he has seen, first hand, just how often that happens. We are truly a shop of most remarkably diverse visitors, and extraordinary coincidences.

As a former client, world renowned author, John Osborne, once said to Mark,
“It’s quite extraordinary, you can see just about everyone you could imagine here, and if you haven’t seen them yet, there’re probably on their way!’

Unique, ancient, antique and vintage beautiful items are our specialty, and be sure and certain that anything from us will be the best choice you can make this Christmas time. Recently arrived !
A flintlock pistol the likes of only normally to be seen in the very finest museums, containing the very finest arms presented by Napoleon to Kings and Sultans, a collection of dozens of wonderful British swords from the past 230 years, another huge collection of original samurai swords, from 500 years old to ancestral swords last used in WW2, an incredible ships captain’s spring bayonet mounted cannon barrelled blunderbuss, superb 19th century British and French cavalry helmets, also some stunning cannon balls fired at Waterloo. Plus, our current selection ranges from a collection just acquired of really great and rare bayonets, British German & French, antique WW1 and WW2, from a collector who wanted the very best he could find over the past 40 years. Including rare French examples from the 'Russian contract' during WW1, that were uncovered in Ukraine in the late 90's, and some French Foreign Legion bayonets, acquired from a French Foreign Legion reserve armoury depot clear-out in the 70's. Plus stunning and rare Japanese samurai swords including a beautiful, original 'Tamashigiri Cutting Test' antique samurai katana signed by high rated master smith, Masashige Tegarayama, 手柄山正繁 with a highly rare Tamashigiri Cutting Test, By Gonnosuke Komatsubara, Dated 1799 to some super Ist Edition Charles Dickens novels, and various fabulous, wonderful and utterly beautiful antique Victorian dragoon dress helmets. Also a stunning collection of historical, provenanced original Napoleonic War cannon balls and a huge French Howitzer explosive round { now inert}.

All kinds of other unique and fabulous conversation pieces, including some delightful volumes, have been acquired lately, such as, for example, a 1st edition of The Third Man by Graham Greene, one of David senior’s fellow imbibers at our neighbours ancient establishment, The Cricketers, Brighton’s 500 year old inn.

Another part of our original Japanese katana acquisitions arrived, and as usual many are stunning beauties and A Superb Choice For This Christmas, And a Special Price Too! A Very Good World War II Imperial Japanese Army Officer's Katana with a famous family's silver clan mon

We have had arrive here recently, some more really wonderful, original pieces of history. And as usual, this occurs almost every single day, {except Sunday} sometimes many times in a day if we are fortunate. Being one of all the world’s collectors favourite stores, some incredible artifacts are almost magnetically drawn to our doorstep every opening hour.

Every item, as usual, will be accompanied with our unique, presentation quality, 'Certificate of Authenticity' that will not only fully certify it's genuineness, but it will detail the circumstance of it's origin, and where and when it may have been used in it's specific or generic history.
Where else in Britain could you walk out of the store this Christmas with an original souvenir from Alexander the Great's battle with the Persians in 334 B.C, from only £65, to a fabulous unique handmade gold, diamond and ruby 'Mystery Watch' once owned by movie legend, Elizabeth Taylor, for just under £180,000, or, a 2500 year old ancient Chinese sword that may very likely have once been the sword of a king!, and how about a fabulous 'Shaturnal' a Moghul War-Elephant cannon

We are very proud to offer a superb selection of ancient antiquities, swords, daggers and spears from all the major past empires and civilisations of the world from over the past 3,500 years. In fact many recognise our unique and original selection is likely the best and most comprehensive to be seen, and offered for sale, anywhere in Europe, and possibly even the world over.

This Christmas season we can offer thousands of pieces, including, such as, a fabulous complete set of Charles Dickens novels

"Outside of a dog, man's best friend is a book. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read."

— GROUCHO MARX
{and yes, he was a visiting customer as well, in around March 1965}

And please be further assured, all gift purchases may be changed after Christmas for any form of suitable alternatives.

"Doesn't someone you know deserve something unique from The Lanes Armoury". Just look at a few of our thousands of pages of delectable offerings, that vary from a very rare Rowntree’s WW2 munitions factory Rescue Officer’s helmet, to an Iceni chieftain’s chariot rein mount from the Roman-Celtic war with Queen Boudicca in England 2000 years ago, to very rare Italian Renaissance 16th century prince's dagger, to crossbow bolts recovered from the Battle site of Bannockburn {23–24 June 1314}, to some exceptional swords from the Napoleonic Wars, some belonging to several of Napoleon's generals. One, is a presentational grade sabre, somewhat akin to the fabulous Lloyd’s Patriotic Fund swords awarded to hero’s of the wars with Napoleon {but fortunately, not for the 100,000 pounds plus cost that they can command today}, &, to a superb Gurkha’s WW2 military issue kukri for just a few hundred pounds. Everything is possible through our portals, for all budget ranges, from just a few pounds to six figures.

The Lanes Armoury described by the 'New York Times' as one of the very best stores and destinations to visit when in Europe.
A living, breathing gallery that is a huge walk around ‘Cabinet of Curiosities’, containing thousands of original historical and magical pieces from the ancient long past, to the near recent. In fact, from 300,000 years of human history, and 100 million years of world history.

We are certainly not the biggest premier store in Europe recommended by the New York Times, in fact we are probably the smallest, but what we lack in size, apparently, we more than make up for in amazement, and wonder, and, the family have been trading in antiques in Brighton for over 104 years. Prior to that, we traded in Brighton caught shellfish for the previous 100 plus years, with our licensed shellfish concessions for the entire Brighton coastline.

For example, we added recently items that range from a Samurai Ancestral Sword Around 600 years old {or more}, a WW2 Japanese Officer's Sword With An Ancestral Blade 450 Years Old, an original late Koto to shinto samurai’s daisho, a stunning ‘Agincourt’, hand-and-a-half knights sword, a Seige of Troy era Bronze Age sword, incredibly rare original Viking warriors sword around 1000 years old, a beautiful samurai’s disguised fan dagger, plus, Ancient Roman Gladiator's rings for both for a Gladiator and Gladiatrix, around 1700 years old.

Google just let us know our updated Google entry just past the amazing 1,000,000 { one million } searches in order to find out our location in order to visit us here in Brighton, England.

Twenty Four 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.


In the gallery, the first photo, is a wonderful daybreak photo, taken the at the farm two Christmas seasons ago, December 2023. Showing what some are calling the South of England's 'Sky-on-Fire' Daybreak. You can see in the far distance in his retirement paddock the late Judy Hawkins's beloved former UK 'Supreme Champion' Scottish Highland grey pony, that was a frequent competitor against the late queen's Highlands at Windsor Castle. In his prime, he had his own worldwide fan club, and competition followers. Photo 7 in the gallery is old “Governor’ and his little chum “Roger” waiting for their morning apples at our farm last year, sadly, they are now no longer with us. Photo 8 is a typical example of everyday new arrivals in the gallery. Photo 9 is Judy and Holly, ten years apart, first watching "Governor" in competition, then Holly alone, with her horse, following on in her late devoted grandmother's passion, and, the family tradition. Our family have been entranced by our love of animals since modern memory, but principally dogs and horses, for over 200 years. Of course, in regards to horses, the first 130 years was by necessity, as then you couldn’t get anything done, in both the domestic or business world, at all, without them, but the past 70 years has been for love, pleasure and joy alone.
This year has been a tough one for our equine life. First we lost Governor, then Roger, then just last week, Arrow. But the many decades of joy they brought us all, and hopefully the joyous life they all led with us here, more than makes up for our feelings of loss and sadness.

The last photo in the gallery is an autographed photo, given to Mark personally, by the late, great, 40th President of The United States, Ronald Reagan in the Oval Office of The White House.  read more

Code: 25540

A Waterloo Soldiers Hussif or ‘Housewife’ Thimble. From Our Latest New Additions, Recovered from Waterloo. Whether We Find Private Collectors For our Pieces, or, For Public Museums Such As The Royal Armouries, Every Treasure Will Find A New Home

More photos of the thimble will be added on Saturday 27th. A British soldiers brass thimble from his ‘housewife’ pouch, recovered with a small collection, from the Waterloo battle site in the 1820’s by the Scottish, Hamilton family members {the 10th Duke of Hamilton} in their years long ‘Grand Tour’ of Europe and the Middle East. During the building of the huge monument, ‘The Lion Mound’, the local work force of hundreds of men were using the battle site excavation to supply thousands of tons of Waterloo battlefield soil. They subsidised their pay by selling to British ‘nobility tourists’ their precious finds, relics of the great battle. Our ‘housewife’ thimbles still show all thir excavation surface condition, completely untouched since then. We price are for each, a single, incredibly fascinating and intriguing thimble.

We are always thrilled to offer ‘re-discovered’ pieces from history, that can be found new owners to love and enjoy them, or museums that can display them for the enjoyment of all. A few years, for example we traced and acquired the second oldest known cannonball fired in combat in England. From the second battle of St Albans in the War of the Roses. That wonderful relic of history now resides in the St Albans museum, and was part of a public exhibition held from March 24, 2023 - June 28, See our re-discovered cannon ball, now on display in the St Albans museum, in the last photo in the gallery. All due thanks to SAHAAS President, Dr. John Morewood. A short while ago we furnished, for the Royal Armouries, Tower of London collection, a ‘Waterloo’ 1796 Heavy Cavalry Trooper’s sword, that was subsequently used in a fascinating documentary, filmed at the armouries, presented by Sean Bean

We have more from our Waterloo recovered souvenirs to add this coming week. Some very small, amazing yet most inexpensive pieces, and a few absolute beauties, shrapnel, cannon balls, some ‘housewife’ thimbles, rings etc, .

In the Napoleonic Wars every soldier was required to keep upon his person, a ‘housewife’, a small kit comprising needle, thread and a half or full thimble. Apparently they are no longer officially called a ‘housewife’ . See photo 7 in the gallery of part of Capt. Newton Chambers, 1st Foot Guards, of Waterloo, ‘houswiff’ {housewife}. Now in the National Army Museum collection in Chelsea, London. An essential museum to visit for amazing Waterloo artifacts.

A “housewife”, was a compact sewing kit that a soldier carried on campaign to mend his uniform. One famous example and survivor of the Napoleonic Wars was one owned by Captain Newton Chambers, who served with the 1st Regiment of Foot Guards. At the Battle of Waterloo he was aide-de-camp to General Sir Thomas Picton and was killed during the battle, as was Picton himself.

His housewife was made of silk pockets containing threads, five buttons and a small pincushion in a card tied with a pink ribbon. It would also have had a brass thimble.
The term housewife referring to a portable sewing kit was used in print for the first time in 1749. Such kits were also known as a “hussif”. In the 18th and 19th centuries it was common for mothers, wives and sweethearts to embroider personalised sewing kits for their menfolk to take to war. The one above is obviously a gift from a woman who was close to Captain Chambers. These sewing kits, or portions thereof are very popular with collectors today.

From the mid 19th century to the mid-20th century a more prosaic khaki roll-up pouch containing thread, buttons, scissors, needles and a thimble became standard army issue. Before the advent of safety pins the housewife was useful for mending uniforms and sewing on buttons, ranks, and awards. The needle could also be used for removing splinters, and on occasion, sewing up a wound. Some soldiers even took up recreational needlework. After the First World War (1914-18), embroidery became a popular therapeutic occupation for wounded soldiers.

We show in the gallery pages from Waterloo Relics, by Gilles Bernard, and Gerard Lachaux, detailing excavated recoveries, identical to ours.

The Cotton Collection, the full weapons, militaria, and recovered artifact display, from the battlefield, housed at the Hotel du Musee at Waterloo, owned first by Edward Cotton, then by his descendant family, was sold by auction in 1909.

The last photo in the gallery shows a photograph of one section of the collection in the museum of Waterloo, taken in around 1900, showing all the weapons of Waterloo en situ, including all the protagonists {British, French, Prussian and Belgian muskets, swords, pistols, armour uniforms, etc}. The museum was founded and owned by a veteran of the 7th Hussars who personally fought at Waterloo. Another photo shows the front page of his collection catalogue

An extract from an 1862 publication;

A VOICE FROM
WATERLOO
A HISTORY OF THE BATTLE
FOUGHT ON THE 18TH JUNE 1815
WITH A SELECTION FROM THE WELLINGTON DISPATCHES, GENERAL ORDERS
AND LETTERS RELATING TO THE BATTLE.
ILLUSTRATED WITH ENGRAVINGS, PORTRAITS AND PLANS.
BY
SERGEANT-MAJOR EDWARD COTTON
(LATE 7TH HUSSARS).
“Facts are stubborn things.”
SIXTH EDITION, REVISED AND ENLARGED.


HOTEL DU MUSÉE,
AT THE FOOT OF THE LION MOUNT.
This Hotel, kept by a niece of the late Sergeant-Major Cotton, is situated in the very centre of the field of Waterloo, and is strongly recommended to visitors on account of its proximity to the scenes of interest connected with the great battle, and also for the excellent accommodation and comfort it offers at moderate charges.—See Bradshaw’s continental Guide.

As with all our items, every piece will be accompanied by our fully detailed Certificate of Authenticity

{Available from the Project Gutenberg.}  read more

Code: 25003

An Original Medieval Caltrop 13th-15th Century, Recovered From the Battle Site of Agincourt. Known to The Ancient Romans As A Tribulus. One of The Oldest Forms of Incredibly Effective Combined Offensive & Defensive Strategies of War

Part of an incredible collection of Roman, Viking, and Medieval antiquities we have just acquired, including these amazingly interesting pieces, a few, original, battlefield recovered caltrops from the Anglo French wars of the 14th and early 15th centuries, all acquired from a ‘Grand Tour’ of 1820, either from the regions surrounding the battle site of Agincourt, . Some were listed specifically as from Agincourt, others as from either the Poitiers or Crecy battle sites. However they were all constructed the same by English blacksmith armourers, between 600 to 700 years ago. As well as historically incredibly interesting it is also an amazing, and especially a somewhat gruesome, conversation piece.

In many respects as equally important to the medieval former King’s armies at the time as the long bow and arrow. Yet they have almost disappeared from the history books as to their incredible significance and highly useful service in all of those battles. For example, by just 50 men casting thousands of these caltrops, across, say, a 25 acre field, it would effectively deny an entire French army the ability to out-flank the British across that particular terrain. Thus, with that ingenious ability, a king could manipulate to a great degree, and with relative ease, an entire defensive or offensive position for an oncoming battle, or even hopefully negate a surprise attack from a particular direction. And to caste them behind the ranks of a retreating army would create a huge advantage potentially for survival against an attack from behind. There is no greater advantage to the discouragement of an enemy French foot soldier to know that he, and up to fifty percent of his pursuing force comrades, might well be crippled for life before even engaging with the enemy English in hand to hand combat. Upon being caste on hard and barren flat ground, in daylight, they would be easy to spot and thus, with relative caution, avoid, but upon grassy ground, or woodland, especially when the ground was wet, they would be near impossible to see.

The caltrop is an ancient anti-personnel weapon made up of forged and very heavy grade sharp nails or spines arranged in a pyramidical manner so that one of them always points upward from a triple spine stable base. In the wars with France they could be issued to English foot soldiers to caste behind if they made a rapid withdrawal and were likely to be pursued. Used thus they would incapacitate, often permanently, an infantryman or foot knight, if trodden upon, and create the same result if trodden upon by a harsh man’s mount. They would also be forged in significant numbers in order to remove or deny an area of a battlefield or defences from the enemy’s access. The prominent spike being of such a height and strength, they would easy penetrate the thickest leather shoe sole, and especially a bare foot or hoof, as many medieval soldiers marched and fought barefooted.
Iron caltrops were used as early as 331 BC at Gaugamela according to Quintus Curtius (IV.13.36). They were known to the Romans as tribulus or sometimes as Murex ferreus, the latter meaning 'jagged iron'.

Richard Lassels, an expatriate Roman Catholic priest, first used the phrase “Grand Tour” in his 1670 book Voyage to Italy, published posthumously in Paris in 1670. In its introduction, Lassels listed four areas in which travel furnished "an accomplished, consummate traveler" with opportunities to experience first hand the intellectual, the social, the ethical, and the political life of the Continent.

The English gentry of the 17th century believed that what a person knew came from the physical stimuli to which he or she has been exposed. Thus, being on-site and seeing famous works of art and history was an all important part of the Grand Tour. So most Grand Tourists spent the majority of their time visiting museums and historic sites.

Once young men began embarking on these journeys, additional guidebooks and tour guides began to appear to meet the needs of the 20-something male and female travelers and their tutors traveling a standard European itinerary. They carried letters of reference and introduction with them as they departed from southern England, enabling them to access money and invitations along the way.

With nearly unlimited funds, aristocratic connections and months or years to roam, these wealthy young tourists commissioned paintings, perfected their language skills and mingled with the upper crust of the Continent.

The wealthy believed the primary value of the Grand Tour lay in the exposure both to classical antiquity and the Renaissance, and to the aristocratic and fashionably polite society of the European continent. In addition, it provided the only opportunity to view specific works of art, and possibly the only chance to hear certain music. A Grand Tour could last from several months to several years. The youthful Grand Tourists usually traveled in the company of a Cicerone, a knowledgeable guide or tutor.

The ‘Grand Tour’ era of classical acquisitions from history existed up to around the 1850’s, and extended around the whole of Europe, Egypt, the Ottoman Empire, and the Holy Land.

Caltrops, known as tribulus to Romans, were recorded as used as such in the Battle of Carrhae in 51 BC.
The late Roman writer Vegetius, referring in his work De Re Militari to scythed chariots, wrote:

The armed chariots used in war by Antiochus and Mithridates at first terrified the Romans, but they afterwards made a jest of them. As a chariot of this sort does not always meet with plain and level ground, the least obstruction stops it. And if one of the horses be either killed or wounded, it falls into the enemy's hands. The Roman soldiers rendered them useless chiefly by the following contrivance: at the instant the engagement began, they strewed the field of battle with caltrops, and the horses that drew the chariots, running full speed on them, were infallibly destroyed. A caltrop is a device composed of four spikes or points arranged so that in whatever manner it is thrown on the ground, it rests on three and presents the fourth upright. Undoubtedly the most unusual weapon or military device surviving from seventeenth-century Virginia in America was a caltrop, a single example of which has been found at Jamestown. In fact their importance of use in close combat warfare was so important they were still in use by the British and US special services of the SOE & the OSS, as anti tyred vehicle sabotage devices, caste upon roads and lanes to incapacitate German trucks and staff cars.
Although by then, hand forging was fortunately redundant, as modern manufacturing methods could easily create pointed hollow steel tubed versions to ensure an immediate deflation of tyres.

The Battle of Agincourt;
After several decades of relative peace, the English had renewed their war effort in 1415 amid the failure of negotiations with the French. In the ensuing campaign, many soldiers perished due to disease and the English numbers dwindled, but as they tried to withdraw to English-held Calais they found their path blocked by a considerably larger French army. Despite the disadvantage, the following battle ended in an overwhelming tactical victory for the English.

King Henry V of England led his troops into battle and participated in hand-to-hand fighting. The French king of the time, Charles VI, did not command the French army himself, as he suffered from severe psychotic illnesses with moderate mental incapacitation. Instead, the French were commanded by Constable Charles d'Albret and various prominent French noblemen of the Armagnac party.

This battle is notable for the use of the English longbow in very large numbers, with the English and Welsh archers forming up to 80 percent of Henry's army. The decimation of the French cavalry at their hands is regarded as an indicator of the decline of cavalry and the beginning of the dominance of ranged weapons on the battlefield.

Agincourt is one of England's most celebrated victories. The battle is the centrepiece of the play Henry V by Shakespeare. Juliet Barker in her book Agincourt: The King, the Campaign, the Battle ( published in 2005) argues the English and Welsh were outnumbered "at least four to one and possibly as much as six to one". She suggests figures of about 6,000 for the English and 36,000 for the French, based on the Gesta Henrici's figures of 5,000 archers and 900 men-at-arms for the English, and Jean de Wavrin's statement "that the French were six times more numerous than the English". The 2009 Encyclopædia Britannica uses the figures of about 6,000 for the English and 20,000 to 30,000 for the French.

Generic photos are used here in the photo gallery as they are all taken from of our small collection are extremely similar looking examples of rare, finely handcrafted, original, medieval hammer forged workmanship, recovered from ancient battle sites. Their three dimensional proportions shows they all, approximately, occupy same size {though not shape of course} as an English cricket ball. And they are all now superbly conserved for another millennium, for the enjoyment of future generations for fascinating historic interest.  read more

Code: 23981