An Excellent Signed WW2 Japanese Officer's Sword with Beautiful Hamon & Very Fine Condition Mounts, Signed Ikeda Kanetsuna Saku, Resident of Seki

A good example, in very nice condition. Saya with leather combat cover. Signed blade. Typical Pattern 1936 officers mounts, circa 1935 flower pattern brass tsuba. Directly from the officer captured as a war trophy by an officer of the 1st 3rd Queen Alexandra's Ghurkas, 17th Indian Div. 'God Almighty's Own' who saw heroic service in Burma in WW2.

The Gurkha Museum, Winchester, confirms that 18 Military Crosses were awarded during the Second World War to officers of the 1st Battalion 3rd Gurkha Rifles: It was originally a Gurkha regiment of the British Indian Army formed in 1815. They were present at a number of actions and wars including the Siege of Delhi in 1857 to the First and Second World Wars. Victoria Cross or VC is the UK's highest award for bravery by a military person in the presence of the enemy. It is the most honored, prestigious award and the senior most decoration for valour and heroism in the line of duty awarded by the British Government. It takes precedence above all other medals and orders, including the “George Cross”. Twenty-Six, Victoria Crosses have been won by Gurkha Regiments, including two to the 3rd Gurkha Rifles. The gentleman, from whom this sword came was scholar of the old Varndean College for Boys in Brighton. In 20 years we have had three swords from old Vardenians.
He volunteered for service, and was requested to transfer to one of the British Indian Army Gurkha regiments, which he eagerly was pleased to do. Serving his whole war fighting the Japanese, in regular and guerrilla warfare, we quote personal reflections on experiances of serving with the Gurkhas;

"there was barely a day went by when my lovely boys didn't fight with acts of combat heroism worthy of a Victoria Cross, but we had no time for medals, we were too busy fighting for our lives"
A true officer and gentleman in every sense of the word.  read more

Code: 24951

A Good, and Most Attractive Victorian, Dress Hidden Sword Cane, With Beautiful Art Deco Silver Hilt

Dark hardwood cane with lacquer surface, silver repousse cane top decorated with art nouveau flowers and a shelld bearing a gentleman's monograme. Fine and strong full length blade, triple edged with a central fuller, with two narrow side fullers, and graduating to a point.

A sound and effective concealed personal protection sword that was highly popular during the Georgian to Victorian era. London, like many cities around the world at that time, could be a most treacherous place at night, and every gentleman, would carry a weapon for close quarter personal protection or deterrence. The early London Police force recruits 'Bobbies' or 'Peelers' named after Sir Robert Peel their founder were initially poorly selected {plus ca change!.}
Of the first 2,800 new policemen, only 600 kept their jobs, and the very first policeman, given the number 1, was sacked after only four hours service! Eventually, however, the impact upon crime, particularly organised crime led to an acceptance, and approval of the Bobbies.

Meanwhile, as the early police officers were so initially unpopular, and as the public of London had little or no confidence in them, armed personal protection was considered essential. Many would carry a small box-lock pistol or two, others might effect a sword stick. Things changed somewhat over the centuries, at least until the turn of the 21st century, before then, there were police patrols, and they were called, in those days, and 'a constables beat' was where one or two Bobbies, smartly attired in blue uniforms, and high helmet, actually used to patrol the streets, believe it or not, from the length and breadth of the entire country, often in pairs, maintaining law and order 24 hours of the day.
It was a system of public protection and confidence in the British police service that was immensely successful, and ran for for over one hundred & fifty years, in fact it was so successful it was, naturally, phased out, and duly replaced with something considered to be an radical improvement, declared as is so often these days, as, ‘for the benefit of the public’, and the new system was, and is still,...nothing whatsoever. And today's politicians, of all colours, are simply mystified as to why violent street crime is now all but endemic throughout all Britain.

The first sword canes were made for nobility by leading sword cutlers. Sixteenth century sword canes were often bequeathed in wills. Sword canes became more popular as the streets became less safe. Society dictated it mandatory that gentlemen of the 18th and especially 19th centuries would wear a cane when out and about, and it was common for the well-dressed gentleman to own and sport canes in a variety of styles, including a good and sound sword cane. Although Byron was proficient in the use of pistols, his lameness and his need to defend himself in some potentially dangerous situations made a swordstick doubly useful to him. He received lessons in London from the fencing master Henry Angelo and owned a number of swordsticks, some of which were supplied by his boxing instructor Gentleman John Jackson.

On Byron’s sword cane was the name NOEL BYRON, upon the ferrule of his one indicated that it was used after 1822, when Byron added the surname Noel after the death of his mother-in-law.

There are several references to sword sticks in the correspondence of Byron and his circle. Byron wrote to Hobhouse from Switzerland on 23 June 1816 asking him to Bring with you also for me some bottles of Calcined Magnesia a new Sword cane procured by Jackson he alone knows the sort (my last tumbled into this lake ) some of Waite's red tooth-powder & tooth-brushes a Taylor's Pawrsanias Pausanias and I forget the other things. Hobhouse responded on 9 July: Your commissions shall be punctually fulfilled whether as to muniments for the mind or body pistol brushes, cundums, potash Prafsanias Pausanias tooth powder and sword stick.

In the entry for 22 September 1816 in Byron's Alpine Journal he describes how, at the foot of the Jungfrau,
"Storm came on , thunder, lightning, hail, all in perfection and beautiful, I was on horseback the Guide wanted to carry my cane I was going to give it him when I recollected it was a Sword stick and I thought that the lightning might be attracted towards him kept it myself a good deal encumbered with it & my cloak as it was too heavy for a whip and the horse was stupid & stood still every other peal."

In a letter to Maria Gisborne of 6-10 April 1822, Mary Shelley described the "Pisan affray" of 24 March, in which Sergeant-Major Masi was pitch-forked by one of Byron's servants. She recounted how Byron rode to his own house, and got a sword stick from one of his servants.

Sword sticks came in all qualities, and for numerous purposes, from the simplest bamboo sword cane personal defender to stout customs officer’s ‘prod’, to offensive close quarter stiletto dagger canes and even to the other side of the world in the form of Japanese samurai’s shikome-sue, hidden swords.

We show two famous sword sticks in the gallery, one that belonged to Lord Byron, and another in a Presidential Centre Library collection, a historic sword stick is part of the Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Centre Library collection in Fremont, Ohio from the Waggoner family, the sword-cane was said to have been presented to Mr Waggoner by General George Washington in honour of Waggoner's service in Washington's Life Guard during the American Revolutionary War

The blade is in excellent condition and fits very snugly into aperture to enable its 100% concealment. the silver top is good but with a small rim loss to the base of one side. the cane has usual natural age wear and patination.  read more

Code: 24944

Superb US Civil War Cavalry Sabre By Roby, Chelmsford Mass. Dated 1864 Identical to General George Armstrong Custer's Cavalry Sabre, An 1864 Roby Contract, Inspected by AGM For Custer's Wolverines Sabres. Possibly Made For The Michigan Brigade Contract

The Model 1860 Light Cavalry Sabre. Traditional three bar brass hilt, cushion pommel and ribbed wooden grip. Made by the same maker in the same year and even inspected by the very same man A.G.Manning as Custer's and his Wolverine's sabres. Made by C.Roby of Chelmsford Mass. Civil War Union Government inspectors initials stamped at blade forte 'A.G.M'. One of the US Army sword inspectors, Alfred G. Munnings. This is the very same sword pattern, year, and maker, as was used by Col.George Armstrong Custer, that was also inspected by Alfred Munnings.

Custer's sword was late of the Charles A.Custer's family collection, and it's maker, date and inspector's initial stamp AGM are well documented. Custer is shown wearing his sabre in a photo in the gallery for information only not included with sword. This sabre was obviously made, and part of, the same Union cavalry contract as the swords supplied to Col. Custer, and 'Custer's Wolverines, the Michigan Brigade'. This sword is a Union contract purchased sword, with the sword's blade maker marked by C.Roby of Chelmsford, Mass. American government contract inspector stamped, AGM Alfred G. Manning, and dated 1864. The Michigan Brigade, sometimes called the Wolverines, the Michigan Cavalry Brigade or Custer's Brigade, was a brigade of cavalry in the volunteer Union Army during the latter half of the American Civil War. Composed primarily of the 1st Michigan Cavalry, 5th Michigan Cavalry, 6th Michigan Cavalry and 7th Michigan Cavalry, the Michigan Brigade fought in every major campaign of the Army of the Potomac from the Battle of Gettysburg in July 1863 to the Confederate surrender at Appomattox Court House in April 1865.

The brigade first gained fame during the Gettysburg Campaign under the command of youthful Brigadier General George Armstrong Custer. After the war, several men associated with the brigade joined the 7th U.S. Cavalry Regiment and later fought again under Custer in the Old West frontier.

In the first half of the war, the Confederates enjoyed the advantage in cavalry, as southern men were more accustomed to the riding and shooting life, and most of the experienced cavalry officers from the regular army had chosen to side with the Confederacy . A notable example was Bedford Forrest, who effectively dominated Tennessee & northern Mississippi until the end of the war.

By the second half, from 1863 onward, the Union Army had gained an equal cavalry capability, through Benjamin Grierson’s brilliant deception tactics in the Mississippi valley, and Philip Sheridan’s aggressive movements, while in command of the Army of the Shenandoah at the end of the war in Virginia.

Cavalry units proved highly expensive to maintain, and unscrupulous agents would often exploit shortages by supplying defective animals at exorbitant prices. Offensive actions were certainly not unknown, however, but they were more frequently employed against enemy cavalry than against infantry. Examples of offensive actions include the Battle of Brandy Station and the Battle of Yellow Tavern; cavalry versus cavalry examples include the First Battle of Bull Run and Elon J. Farnsworth's ill-fated charge on the third day of the Battle of Gettysburg.

Reconnaissance was the key to effective cavalry, as it remains today in modern armies (although modern cavalrymen use light armored vehicles or helicopters instead of horses). The cavalry serves as the "eyes" of the army. Reconnaissance was a crucial component in the Gettysburg Campaign, where cavalry under Union General Alfred Pleasonton attempted to find the wide-ranging Army of Northern Virginia on its invasion of the North, and Confederate cavalry under J.E.B. Stuart effectively employed counter-reconnaissance to screen passes in the Blue Ridge Mountains and hide Robert E. Lee's movements.

Long-distance raids were the most desirable mission for cavalrymen, primarily because of the fame that successful raids would bring, but they were often of little practical strategic value. Jeb Stuart became famous for two audacious raids on the Union Army of the Potomac in 1862; in his third such attempt, during the Gettysburg Campaign, he squandered much of the cavalry forces of the Army of Northern Virginia and deprived Robert E. Lee of adequate reconnaissance at the beginning of the Battle of Gettysburg, one of the principal reasons for the Confederate defeat there. Union attempts at strategic raids had mixed success. George Stoneman's raid in the Battle of Chancellorsville was a failure; Benjamin Grierson's raid in the Vicksburg Campaign was a strategic masterpiece that diverted critical Confederate forces away from Ulysses S. Grant's army; James H. Wilson's massive 1865 raid in Alabama foreshadowed the armored warfare maneuvers of World War II. In general, strategic raids were used more effectively in the Western Theater of the war.

Defensive actions by the cavalry were critical in the retreat from Gettysburg. Pursuit and harassment of enemy forces were often neglected (particularly by the Union after Gettysburg and Antietam), but can be seen in their finest form in the pursuit of Robert E. Lee during the Appomattox Campaign. It has a later replaced scabbard, it likely lost its original scabbard in combat during the Civil War. this sword has just returned from days of hand conservation and hand polishing in our workshop.  read more

Code: 24938

A Most Attractive and Scarce Piece of WW1 Trench Art, a Dolls House Chair Made From a Spent Shell Case, A One Pounder Maxim Pom Pom Shell

Carved from a spent shell case into the form of a dolls house chair, and lined in grey velvet cloth as cushions.

A charming and very scarce piece of WW1 trench art, in that we cant recall ever seeing quite its like before.

This Great War souvenir probably made a daughter's day when the gift was received

Photo in the gallery from WW1 of a German Maxim one pounder anti aircraft machine gun from whence this shell likely came  read more

Code: 24928

ALSO NOW SOLD Superb & Stunning, Napoleonic War French 'Prisoner-of-War' Cigar Case, Circa 1800

We bought a very small collection of original, Napoleonic French Prisoners of War work, including two cigar or cheroot cases. The first we sold last Saturday within a hour of it being listed on our site, they were two of the most beautiful examples we have ever seen, the vibrancy of the colours is extraordinary, and the technical detail of the minute inlay is extraordinary. This example has a very small amount of surface age wear and tiny losses.

It is incredibly similar workmanship, and colour based on Egyptian sarcophagus art. We believe this may strongly indicate the pow sailors were involved in the Battle of the Nile and admired the Ancient Egyptian mummies. Napoleon was notoriously well known as a looter of great art from the countries he invaded, and his ships may well have contained such sarcophagus for the French matelots to admire, and thus were strongly influenced by the stunning geometric artistry and contrasting colour combinations from ancient Egypt.
{see photo in the gallery no 10 of the incredible similarity to an Egyptian sarcophagus artistry of strong colour combinations and geometry, and the compared prisoner-of-war cheroot case}.

In wood covered in straw-work parquetry crafted by a French prisoner of war during the 1793 - 1815 War between Napoleon's French Navy and the Naval forces of King George III of England. This piece was hand crafted by a captive, French, master artisan who created this unbelievably detailed cheroot case with nothing but coloured pieces of straw, paper and scraps of wood, {often taken from their bunks} for a frame, and assembled using boiled glue. This piece would have taken weeks to hand create, and the tiny pieces of straw are somehow cut into thousands of minuscule pieces and assembled in tiny multicoloured geometric patterns. A very similar quality piece of prisoner of war work to a piece that is on display in the Burghley House Collection.

Made by the captured Napoleonic and French wars French Prisoners-of-War in the early 1800's in order to subsidise their meagre prison rations, and this fine piece is straw-work is pristine condition in colour and near unfaded showing wonderful contrasts.

Great Britain was at war with France continuously from 1793 to 1802. Hostilities ceased briefly in 1802, but conflict soon recommenced. The Napoleonic Wars continued until 1815, when Napoleon?s forces were finally defeated at Waterloo.

For example,iIn 1796 the first prison to house French prisoners was built at Norman Cross, some 5 miles north of Peterborough. Conditions must have been both harsh and crowded; disease killed more that 1,700 inmates between 1797 and 1814.

To supplement their rations and to provide small income, some prisoners made ornaments, models and toys, which they were allowed to sell. The materials used included straw, wood, bone and even human hair. Many of the items made were extraordinary in their complexity and design and were always very desirable to collectors. The proximity of Burghley House to the camp meant that members of the Cecil family acquired many fine examples.

Those displayed at Burghley include a number of containers made of wood with applied decoration of coloured straw, a stationery box, a set of bone spillikins in a pocket case, a framed straw-work picture of the house built for Napoleon Bonaparte on St Helena, to where he was exiled, a bone set of dominoes and playing cards and a detailed model of an 80-gun ship-of-the-line with hair rigging..

Two photos in the gallery are of New Cross market for the French POWs to sell their wears and hand made pieces to the locals and nobility who used to travel to such markets to buy these pieces that were incredibly popular with members of the aristocracy and high society. a a painting of a prison hulk in Sheerness, often made from the hulks of a scrapped old British man o'war, or a captured, damaged French or Spanish frigate,

In the gallery we show the base and lid of an anthropoid inner coffin of Seshepenmehyt, made in circa 600 bc, of sycamore fig wood, with elaborate polychrome painted and inlaid decoration. The coffin is a well-proportioned and fully three-dimensional image of a mummified entity standing upon a plinth and supported at the back by a pillar. The face is painted green. Below the collar the goddess Nut spreads her wings over Seshepenmehyt, and the scene of judgement and presentation to the gods is on the breast. In a small panel below, the Ba of the deceased is shown returning to the mummy, laid on its bier within the tomb, with canopic jars below. Otherwise the exterior of the coffin is dominated by blocks of inscriptions running vertically and laterally. These texts are written on backgrounds coloured alternately red and pale yellow. The insides of the inner coffin are also decorated, but in a simple style, with 'hotep-di-nesu' formula and figures of Nut drawn in black line on a white ground. This may exactly the type of looted Egyptian piece seen, admired and copied by the french sailors.

4 inches long when fully closed  read more

Code: 24933

A Super British Gentleman's Original Antique, Victorian, Hidden 'Rural' Sword Stick Collector’s Item Made of Hazel or Briarwood With a Fine Wilkinson Sword Blade

An absolute beauty. The blade is fully original mirror polish etched with all its original frosted ground intact, maker marked by Wilkinson Sword, probably the most famous sword making name in the world.

Henry Nock was one of the greatest names is English gun making history. When Henry Nock died in 1804, he left the company to his foreman and adopted son-in-law, James Wilkinson. When James's son Henry Wilkinson joined the company it was renamed James Wilkinson & Son (also known as simply Wilkinson & Son). It became incorporated as the Wilkinson Sword Company in 1891

A sound and effective concealed personal protection sword that was highly popular during the Georgian to Victorian era. London, like many cities around the world at that time, could be a most treacherous place at night, and every gentleman, would carry a weapon for close quarter personal protection or deterrence. The early London Police force recruits 'Bobbies' or 'Peelers' named after Sir Robert Peel their founder were initially poorly selected {plus ca change!.}
Of the first 2,800 new policemen, only 600 kept their jobs, and the very first policeman, given the number 1, was sacked after only four hours service! Eventually, however, the impact upon crime, particularly organised crime led to an acceptance, and approval of the Bobbies.

Meanwhile, as the early police officers were so initially unpopular, and as the public of London had little or no confidence in them, armed personal protection was considered essential. Many would carry a small box-lock pistol or two, others might effect a sword stick. Things changed somewhat over the centuries, at least until the turn of the 21st century, before then, there were police patrols, and they were called, in those days, and 'a constables beat' was where one or two Bobbies, smartly attired in blue uniforms, and high helmet, actually used to patrol the streets, believe it or not, from the length and breadth of the entire country, often in pairs, maintaining law and order 24 hours of the day.
It was a system of public protection and confidence in the British police service that was immensely successful, and ran for for over one hundred & fifty years, in fact it was so successful it was, naturally, phased out, and duly replaced with something considered to be an radical improvement, declared as is so often these days, as, ‘for the benefit of the public!’, and the new system was,...nothing whatsoever.  read more

Code: 24931

NOW SOLD A Superb & Stunning, Napoleonic War French 'Prisoner-of-War' Cigar Case, Circa 1800

One of the best condition examples we have ever seen, the vibrancy of the colours is extraordinary, and the technical detail of the minute inlay is extraordinary.

It is incredibly similar workmanship, and colour based on Egyptian sarcophagus art. We believe this may strongly indicate the pow sailors were involved in the Battle of the Nile and admired the Ancient Egyptian mummies. Napoleon was notoriously well known as a looter of great art from the countries he invaded, and his ships may well have contained such sarcophagus for the French matelots to admire, and thus were strongly influenced by the stunning geometric artistry and contrasting colour combinations from ancient Egypt.
{see photo in the gallery no 10 of the incredible similarity to an Egyptian sarcophagus artistry of strong colour combinations and geometry, and the compared prisoner-of-war cheroot case}.

In wood covered in straw-work parquetry crafted by a French prisoner of war during the 1793 - 1815 War between Napoleon's French Navy and the Naval forces of King George III of England. This piece was hand crafted by a captive, French, master artisan who created this unbelievably detailed cheroot case with nothing but coloured pieces of straw, paper and scraps of wood, {often taken from their bunks} for a frame, and assembled using boiled glue. This piece would have taken weeks to hand create, and the tiny pieces of straw are somehow cut into thousands of minuscule pieces and assembled in tiny multicoloured geometric patterns. A very similar quality piece of prisoner of war work to a piece that is on display in the Burghley House Collection.

Made by the captured Napoleonic and French wars French Prisoners-of-War in the early 1800's in order to subsidise their meagre prison rations, and this fine piece is straw-work is pristine condition in colour and near unfaded showing wonderful contrasts.

Great Britain was at war with France continuously from 1793 to 1802. Hostilities ceased briefly in 1802, but conflict soon recommenced. The Napoleonic Wars continued until 1815, when Napoleon?s forces were finally defeated at Waterloo.

For example,iIn 1796 the first prison to house French prisoners was built at Norman Cross, some 5 miles north of Peterborough. Conditions must have been both harsh and crowded; disease killed more that 1,700 inmates between 1797 and 1814.

To supplement their rations and to provide small income, some prisoners made ornaments, models and toys, which they were allowed to sell. The materials used included straw, wood, bone and even human hair. Many of the items made were extraordinary in their complexity and design and were always very desirable to collectors. The proximity of Burghley House to the camp meant that members of the Cecil family acquired many fine examples.

Those displayed at Burghley include a number of containers made of wood with applied decoration of coloured straw, a stationery box, a set of bone spillikins in a pocket case, a framed straw-work picture of the house built for Napoleon Bonaparte on St Helena, to where he was exiled, a bone set of dominoes and playing cards and a detailed model of an 80-gun ship-of-the-line with hair rigging..

Two photos in the gallery are of New Cross market for the French POWs to sell their wears and hand made pieces to the locals and nobility who used to travel to such markets to buy these pieces that were incredibly popular with members of the aristocracy and high society. a a painting of a prison hulk in Sheerness, often made from the hulks of a scrapped old British man o'war, or a captured, damaged French or Spanish frigate,

In the gallery we show the base and lid of an anthropoid inner coffin of Seshepenmehyt, made in circa 600 bc, of sycamore fig wood, with elaborate polychrome painted and inlaid decoration. The coffin is a well-proportioned and fully three-dimensional image of a mummified entity standing upon a plinth and supported at the back by a pillar. The face is painted green. Below the collar the goddess Nut spreads her wings over Seshepenmehyt, and the scene of judgement and presentation to the gods is on the breast. In a small panel below, the Ba of the deceased is shown returning to the mummy, laid on its bier within the tomb, with canopic jars below. Otherwise the exterior of the coffin is dominated by blocks of inscriptions running vertically and laterally. These texts are written on backgrounds coloured alternately red and pale yellow. The insides of the inner coffin are also decorated, but in a simple style, with 'hotep-di-nesu' formula and figures of Nut drawn in black line on a white ground. This may exactly the type of looted Egyptian piece seen, admired and copied by the french sailors.

4.25 inches long when fully closed  read more

Code: 24930

Original, Antique, Wild West Remington Double Barrel Derringer, Model Number 1

Nickle plated finish, American Elliot’s 1865 Patent Remington .41 Rim Fire Obsolete Calibre Double Barrelled Derringer With Antique Ivory Grips. Sn 2611

In a complimentary, but much later made, gambler's walnut case, with inlaid brass three aces upon the lid.


The design of the Remington double derringer was little changed by Remington during a production run of nearly 70 years. This is an excellent, original, fully functioning very early example. The pistol has two 3" barrels and measures 5" overall making it easy to conceal and therefore popular with period Wild West Gamblers. The top of the barrel rib is stamped 'E. REMINGTON & SONS. ILION N.Y.' & 'ELLIOTS PATENT DEC 12 1865'. The underside of the bottom barrel is stamped '. It has a sheathed trigger & period Ivory grips which have a few, fine, old, stable cracks. The pistol retains its original factory nickel plated finish. The barrels rifled bores are clean and its loading cocking and firing actions work crisply. Often the hinges on these derringers are found with cracks, our examples’ hinge has no cracks. The price for this iconic piece of American Wild West history includes UK delivery. NB As an antique obsolete calibre weapon no licence is required to own this item in the UK if retained as part of a collection or display. Sn 2611 (Antique Ivory Content Comprises Less Than 10% Volume & Weight).

“We pack six-shooters and derringers for fear of the knave,” wrote 1860s Nevada miner and hay rancher George A. Whitney when describing life in the West to his brother. Although frontiersmen of the mid to late 19th century generally favoured big, large-caliber revolvers, and often ridiculed the tiny pocket pistols of the day, many carried them in hopes of that extra margin of protection.

The Glenwood Springs Historical Society pulled the trigger on a move the group hopes will shape its future and promises to boost the town’s reputation as an Old West tourist stop.

The society board authorized in 2017 the $84,000 purchase of Doc Holliday’s Derringer, one of few items believed to have been in the Hotel Glenwood room where he died Nov. 8, 1887. The board voted to buy the Derringer, given to Holliday by his common-law wife, Mary Katherine “Big Nose Kate” Horony-Cummings, a Hungarian-born prostitute. The handle is engraved, “To Doc from Kate.”

The gun is now in a safe-deposit box. The society will plan its exhibition and invite the public to view it as soon as possible.

Colonel Custer is also known on one occasion to have been given a derringer pistol, in case of capture before going into an Native American Indian encampment under a truce. The fear of Native american Indian mutilation whilst an officer was still alive may have made the ‘secret’ carrying of such weapons a common practice. One eyewitness claim about the body of Custer, is that he shot himself in the head with a Derringer type pistol.

The Derringer has passed into history as one of the most famous pistols of the Wild West era. The name gained it's infamy as the make of pistol used to assassinate President Abraham Lincoln, and from then on it was duly associated with the very small high calibre vest, boot or pocket pistols that became a most necessary part of life in the Old West.

The earliest Remington Derringer was in .41 Rimfire caliber and achieved wide popularity. The .41 Rimfire bullet moved very slowly, at about 425 feet per second (a modern .45 ACP travels at 850 feet per second). It could be seen in flight, but at very close range, such as at a casino or saloon card table, it could easily kill. The Remington Derringer was sold from 1866. Derringers sometimes had the dubious reputation of being a favoured tool of assassins.

As an original, antique collectable, no licence is required to buy, own and collect this pistol. The action is in excellent, tight and and crisp condition  read more

Code: 24924

A Good Early Samurai Katana, Koto Era, With Carved Horimono Blade,

The super and beautiful ancient blade is almost 500 years old, hand traditionally made circa 1550, displayed in all its original Edo period mounts and fittings. Overall in beautiful condition for its age.

It is a very long bladed early shibui 'battle sword' katana that has a charming hand carved engraved horimono blade, bearing a carved sankrit Buddhist bonji, and blowing leaves, down the length of the 30" long blade. It has a gentle gunome hamon and it shows very small areas of surface wear due to it's great age.
The tsuka is shibui 'battle wrapped' a somewhat simplified version of traditional re-wrapping that has no menuki. a sword that is called shibui, in Japanese sword tradition which translates to 'quiet' . Entirely unobtrusive with no external frills or decorative features at all, a blade that was made for serious combat and not to simply show the status of the samurai owner.

All the fittings are original Edo, the hilt has a plain russet iron fushi, carved buffalo horn kashira pommel. The saya is completely original Edo period with fine black ishime stone lacquer. The 17th century iron tsuba bears repeated stamped decoration of stylized bats.
Keiko Osawa: Until the 20th century, bats were very popular in Japanese culture. Under the influence of Chinese culture, the bat was viewed as a good-luck symbol, and its image was often used in pottery, sword fittings and kimonos. In Japanese, the word for bat is Koumori. There are several possible explanations as to why bats were given this name. One explanation is that it originated from the word Kawamori, which means protecting rivers. A second option is that it came from the word Kawahari, which means skin is stretched between bones. But it is also logical to believe that it was derived from Kawahori, which means eating mosquitoes.

No px or layaway applies to special offer items  read more

Code: 24733

A Simply Magnificent and Rare 88mm Round of The German 'King' Tiger II Tank of WW2, Almost Four Feet High

We were delighted to acquire this fabulous example offered here thanks entirely to our last, very rare example, selling recently and its owner asked if we would be interested in his incredible King Tiger shell. He was absolutely right , and naturally, we were thrilled to acquire it.

A wonderful, unique and original souvenir of the greatest tank combat era in history. The WW2 Tiger I tank shells are amazing, but this, the 'King' Tiger II shell is almost beyond belief, and phenomenally rare to survive unfired from WW2.

Likely the only reason it survived was that when repairs were undertaken mid combat the rule was every un-fired shell must be removed from the tank and placed outside of the tank, whereupon once repairs finished they were replaced, but occasionally it is believed some were in the fields undergrowth and were forgotten. Such as in June and July during the post D.day invasion of France.

This one has all its original third reich waffen amt stamps, maker codes, issue date and King Tiger II cannon's issue stamps KWK 43 the code for the KWK 43 88mm gun fitted to 'King' Tiger II. The shell’s head still has its really rare base fuse plug see photos which was designed so there was no means that it could be disarmed by bomb disposal technicians, removal meant detonation with no means to bypass the ignition. The King Tiger is one of the most famous and rarest of the terrifying Panzers. A photo in the gallery is of the German Fuhrer, Adolf Hitler, being shown a demonstration of the King Tiger and a comparison of the size of shells it fired compared to the other battle tanks in production. Of 1500 King Tigers ordered by Hitler only 487 were actually constructed and place into combat service, and this quantity was a tiny amount of tanks produced by Germany in WW2 compared to the numbers of the other standard and various Tiger and Panzer tanks produced. The first use of the Tiger II in combat was in Normandy on 18 July 1944 with the 503rd Heavy Panzer Battalion (schwere Panzerabteilung 503). It was first used on the Eastern Front on 12 August 1944 with schwere PzAbt 501 in the fighting at the Soviets' Baranov bridgehead over the Vistula River. In this action, a single Soviet T-34-85 under the command of Guards Lieutenant Os'kin from the 53rd Guards Tank Brigade knocked out three Tiger Iis by firing at their sides from an ambush position. Later the Tiger II was present at, among others, the Ardennes Offensive, the Soviet offensive into Poland and East Prussia in January 1945, the German offensives in Hungary in 1945, fighting to the east of Berlin at the Seelow Heights in April 1945 and finally within the city of Berlin itself at the very end of the war.
The Sherman-equipped 4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards claim they were the first British regiment to knock out a King Tiger, on 8 August 1944, in France. The upgraded 88mm armament used a simply huge shell, much larger than the standard Tiger's 88, and one of the most impressive and rarest of all the shells ever to be seen. With electric primers specifically used in armoured vehicles we believe only the fifth example we have had in 45 years, and possibly the last we may ever see. The shell is an amazing 44 inches long, x approx. 6 inches wide at the base. With electric primer specifically used in tanks
Nazi Germany's Tiger is arguably the most famous tank of World War II. With its thick armor and devastating 88-millimeter gun, the Mark VI—or Tiger I—soon earned a devastating reputation on the battlefield.

Designed as a breakthrough tank for breaching enemy defenses, and allocated to a handful of special heavy tank battalions, the sixty-ton Tiger I seemed to have it all: firepower, armor and for an early 1940s vehicle that weighed as much as today's M-1 Abrams, it was fairly agile. With its square, castle-like shape and long cannon, the Tiger I even looked deadly. But Hitler's generals and weapons designers were not satisfied. With Teutonic perfectionism, they complained that the Tiger I's KwK 36 gun was not the most powerful version of the 88-millimeter cannon (not that Allied tankers would have noticed the difference). Even before the Tiger I debuted on the battlefield (floundering in the swamps near Leningrad in an ill-advised attack in September 1942), work had begun on a successor.

Enter the Tiger II, or Konigstiger (King Tiger). At seventy-five tons, it was bigger than its predecessor. Its longer-barreled (and thus higher velocity) KwK 43 88-millimeter cannon could penetrate five inches of armor at a range of two kilometers (1.2 miles). With Sherman and T-34 crews having about two inches of frontal armor between them and eternity, no wonder a supersized Tiger must have seemed the devil on treads.

The Tiger II also featured numerous improvements over the Tiger I. The original Tiger had vertical armor, rather than the more effective sloped armor (effectively increasing armor thickness) found on the T-34 and the later German Panther. The King Tiger had well-sloped armor that was six inches thick on the front hull. Its turret could traverse 360 degrees in nineteen seconds, compared to sixty seconds for the Tiger I, which had theoretically allowed a fast-moving Sherman or T-34 to maneuver behind a Tiger I faster than the German tank's gun could track it.


Not suitable for export. Empty inert and completely safe. Sometime since WW2 the steel case has been re-lacquered over the military grey, and it has numerous surface storage markings  read more

Code: 24212