Antique Arms & Militaria

A 19th Century Napoleonic Pattern, Spanish Dragoons, Heavy Cavalry of the Line Sword

In the Napoleonic wars the Spanish heavy line cavalry troopers were equipped with this pattern of sword, based on the French cuirassiers sword, having a hilt of the French heavy cavalry Cuirassiers, An XI pattern, in brass, with knuckle-bow, three curved quillons and pommel. Later this was regularised to create the model 1832 pattern. This sword's blade is maker marked, Toledo 1863. This sword has certainly seen service and evidence of combat use. This is a big, scarce Napoleonic pattern Cuirassier battle sword, and a most impressive and fascinating example, and the first of it's kind we have seen in nearly 10 years, These huge and impressive original 19th century Spanish heavy cavalry swords are very rarely seen to survive and this is a very impressive piece. The Cavalry Regiment El Rey (Spanish: Regimiento de Caballera El Rey is the oldest cavalry regiment in the Spanish Army, distinguishing itself on several occasions during the Peninsular War. They are known bestn for there charge at the Battle of Talavera where they dealt the decissive blow against General Jean Francois Leval's German Division. The Cavalry Regiment El Rey is Spain's oldest cavalry regiment, founded in 1538 under the reign of King Charles I of Spain, and as such bore the title The King's in the Spanish Army. During the Napoleonic era it was considered as one of the best Spanish regiments and it distinguished itself during the Spanish War of Independence, frequently being commented as performing very well in those years. In 1807 the regiment was assigned to Marques de la Romana's Division of the North. In 1808 it joined the fight against France after evacuating from Denmark.

Upon arrival in Cantabria the cavalrymen marched to Extremadura where they were to collect horses, thus avoiding the defeat that fell upon Romana's division at Espinosa de los Monteros. In 1809 the regiment would see much action while serving in Gregorio Garcia de la Cuesta y Fernandez de Celis' Army of Extremadura, as part of General Jose de Henestrosa's 1st Cavalry Division. It would fight at the Battle of Talavera, where they captured four French cannons and would be highly praised in Cuesta's report. During the Spanish War of Independence the unit wore a blue coat with scarlet cuffs, collar, lapels, turnbacks, gold piping and buff breeches. Like all regiments at the start of the Peninsular War they wore a red plume on their hat to show their loyalty to the Bourbon monarch, Ferdinand VII of Spain, instead of the "hated foreigner" Joseph Bonaparte. In 1870 the regiment wore a blue coatee with scarlet cuffs, collar and lapels, white turnbacks, and yellow piping and had brass buttons, they also wore blue breeches. The troopers wore a black bi-corn hat with gold lace and a red cockade with a gold cockade loop.

In 1898 the regiment had a uniform of a light blue dolman with black Austrian loops and white metal buttons; red collar and cuffs, and red trousers with a light blue stripe. They had also, after the Napoleonic Wars adopted the use of a cuirass and helmet, of steel with brass ornamentation. However, in the colonies of Cuba, Puerto Rico, Guam, the Las Carolinas Islands and the Philippines they wore the Rayadillo colonial uniform with red collar and cuffs and Leopoldina shakos with the Spanish red and yellow cockade 95 cm blade  read more

Code: 22097

A Wonderful, Napoleonic Wars Period Museum Piece, A Highest Ranking British Officer's Sword Bespoke Commisioned For The Highest Ranking Officers of Both The Navy or Army, A 1790's Admiral of the Fleet or Field Marshal's Sword In Fabulous Condition

A near identical sword was carried by Admiral of the Fleet Sir Peter Parker (1721 – 21 December 1811), and The Iron Duke, The Duke of Wellington.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

Admirals of the Fleet

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

Excellent condition overall , no scabbard.  read more

Code: 24953

⚔️Original 19th Century Carved Blonde Rhino Horn Hilted Emperor Menelik IInd Ethiopian Shotel With Deeply Curved Fully Etched Blade With Scrolling, Amharic Script & a 1780 Silver Austro Hungarian Thaler Pommel. & Used Into Reign of Emperor Haile Selassie

Bearing an exotic carved rhino horn hilt, of with fine blonde colouration, indicates this was the sword of the highest rank within the guard of the last Ethiopian Emperors.
Curved blade fully etched in its tooled brown leather scabbard. These very unusual swords with very curved blades come from the "Horn of Africa," which includes Abyssinia, which we now know as Ethiopia. Made famous just before WWII by the Italian Invasion of that Country, and the appeal by it's Emperor Haile Selassie to the League of Nations, which the Western Powers basically ignored. It's Capital is Addis Ababa, a city dating back some 2,000 years and more. A country much in the news but also a land largely still in the middle ages in some respects.
The sword, oft described as a shotel but actually it is a gorade, with its very characteristic curved blade. The swords dates back to the reign of Amda Seyon the 1st, known as "the Pillar of Zion" who was Emperor from 1314 - 1344. Called shotel, while technically the proper term locally for sabre was 'gorade'. Shotel which is not an Amharic word, Amharic for sword is gorade .The blade is etched with the profile of Emperor Menelik II, and also the symbol of the emperor, the Lion of Judah. The rest of the blade is etched with fancy scrolls. Menelik II baptised as Sahle Maryam (17 August 1844 – 12 December 1913) was Emperor of Ethiopia from 1889 to his death in 1913 and King of Shewa from 1866 to 1889. At the height of his internal power and external prestige, the process of territorial expansion and creation of the modern empire-state was completed by 1898. He is widely honoured by many Ethiopians and commemorated during the celebration of the Battle of Adwa, which is celebrated on March 1 or 2 across Ethiopia and in the diaspora. Many Pan-Africans regard him as an advocate for African independence against European powers during the Scramble for Africa.
Emperor Haile Selassie was one of the most famous leaders in Ethiopian history. As the emperor, he was exiled during the Italian occupation of Ethiopia due to the status he held. Selassie would go onto return to Ethiopia and help in taking back control of the country from Italy. On April 2, 1930, Ras Tafari Makonnen became Emperor Haile Selassie. Selassie was the last reigning monarch of Ethiopia’s Solomonic Dynasty. The Solomonic Dynasty traces its ancient ancestry to King Solomon of Israel and the Queen of Sheba, biblical figures who may have lived during the 10th century BCE.

Ethiopia is often acknowledged as the only nation in Africa never to have been colonized, and Selassie emerged as a powerful international figure as other African countries sought independence in the 20th century. His long reign and enduring policies (such as support for African unity and the abolition of slavery in Ethiopia) earned him a privileged position at international summits. For instance, Selassie was one of the highest-ranking diplomats at the funeral of U.S. President John Kennedy.

Emperor Selassie’s greatest impact may have been on the island of Jamaica. Jamaican religious leaders adopted a version of his birth name, Tafari (Ras was an official title) and Rastafarians regard Selassie as a god. (Selassie himself remained a Christian throughout his life.). Photo in the gallery of Emperor Hallie Selassie in full dress uniform. The Maria Theresa taler is a silver bullion coin and a type of Conventionstaler, first minted in 1741. The official weight is 28.0668 grams (0.99003 oz) and contains 23.386 grams (0.752 troy ounces) of fine silver. It has a silver content of .833 and a copper content of .166 of its total millesimal fineness. In 1751 this new standard Conventionstaler was effectively adopted across the German-speaking world when it was accepted formally in the Bavarian monetary convention. This new, post-1751 thaler has continued as a trade coin ever since. The last year of minting was in 1780, the year in which Maria Theresia died. As this coin type was very popular they continued the production, always been dated 1780. The Maria Theresia taler quickly became a standard trade coin and several nations began striking Maria Theresa talers. The following mints have struck Maria Theresia talers: Birmingham, Bombay, Brussels, London, Paris, Rome and Utrecht, in addition to the Habsburg mints in Günzburg, Hall, Karlsburg, Kremnica, Milan, Venice Prague, and Vienna. The Maria Theresa talers could also be found throughout the Arab world, especially in Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and Muscat and Oman, in Africa, especially in Somalia, Ethiopia, Kenya.

Overall in very nice condition, small edge nibbling to the hilt.  read more

Code: 23600

An 19th Century 1842 Pattern Lancer Officer's Percussion Pistol. From a Super Original Crimean War Collection.

Made by William Peacock of London. An officer's version of the type 1842 lancer's pistol, used in the Crimean war by officers such as were in the Charge of the Light Brigade. With traditional lancer's flat butt stock, and lancers captive ramrod and percussion action. Good tight working action. Pineapple engraved finial trigger guard, acanthus leaf scroll engraved butt plate.

The maker, William Peacock of Grosvenor sq. London is engraved on the lock face with scroll engraving and sliding safety, and his gold scroll address {London} engraved on the barrel flat, but some of the gold inlay is lacking so it is difficult to read. The barrel of .65 inch bore also has an inlaid partial gold line at the breech.

Charge of the Light Brigade
In response to their orders, the Light Brigade began their charge, but at the wrong gun batteries. They galloped through Russian artillery fire from three sides and on into the ‘Valley of Death’ suffering heavy losses in the process.

Some of the horsemen succeeded in reaching the Russian guns at the end of the valley, and even drove the men operating them into retreat before charging the Russian cavalry beyond.

We advanced down a gradual descent of more than three-quarters of a mile, with the batteries vomiting forth upon us shells and shot, round and grape, with one battery on our right flank and another on the left, and all the intermediate ground covered with the Russian riflemen.’
Lord Cardigan, recounting the Charge of the Light Brigade to Parliament, 1855.

After intense fighting, the remnants of the Light Brigade were forced to retreat from the guns. They made their way back through the ‘Valley of Death’ before reaching safety. Fortunately, their return was ensured by the French cavalry, who cleared the Russians from the north side of the valley.

Although the reinforcements from Sevastopol had now deployed and were ready to begin an assault on the heights, no further action was taken.

The battle ended in strategic stalemate, with the Russians controlling the heights and the road, but Balaklava still in Allied hands. Unfortunately, Russian possession of the road made supplying the forces besieging Sevastopol during a terrible winter much harder.

Lock with areas of old light pitting, usual signs of age an use commensurate to the service life and purpose of this scarce lancer officer’s pistol  read more

Code: 24900

French Cavalry-of-the-Line Flintlock Pistol M1816 for Cuirassiers, Dragoons and Lancers, Ordnance Converted to Percussion in 1822 . From a Super Original Crimean War Collection.

It has all its complete and original parts completely conserved, serviced, and cleaned by hand. Including a walnut half-stock, iron and brass mounts, ramrod lacking, and butt-cap, the lock inscribed for the French arsenal manufacture, 'M.re Rle de M? {possibly Manufacture Royale de Mutzig}. French Royal restoration period, with numerous inspector's stamps throughout all parts.

Used by the French line regiments of the cuirassiers, dragoons, or lancers from 1816 up to and including the Crimean war.

Good tight action, sound barrel. Many pistols of this type were also imported to the USA during the Civil War. At the time of the Crimean War, the army of the Second Empire was a subscripted army, but was also the most proficient army in Europe. One of the more famous groups were the Zouaves. According to Captain George Brinton McClellan, an American Military Observer, the Zouaves were the "most reckless, self-reliant, and complete infantry that Europe can produce. With his graceful dress, soldierly bearing, and vigilant attitude, the Zouave at an outpost is the beau ideal of a soldier."
The French army consisted of the Imperial Guard infantry, the line infantry including the Foreign Legion, cavalry, artillery, and engineer troops. Sources suggest that between 45,000 and 100,000 French forces were involved at one time or the other in the Crimea. Service in the French army was for seven years, with re-enlistments in increments of seven years. The Battle of Eupatoria was the most important military engagement of the Crimean War on the Crimean theatre in 1855 outside Sevastopol.

Ottoman forces were being transferred from the Danube front to the Crimean port of Eupatoria and the town was being fortified. Upon direct orders from the Czar who feared a wide-scale Ottoman offensive on the Russian flank, a Russian expeditionary force was formed under General Stepan Khrulev aiming to storm the base with a force variously estimated between 20,000 to 30,000.

Khrulev hoped to take the Ottoman garrison by surprise on February 17, 1855. His intention failed to materialise, as both the Ottoman garrison and the Allied fleet anticipated the attack.

The Russian artillery and infantry attacks were countered by heavy Allied artillery fire. Failing to make progress after three hours and suffering mounting casualties, Khrulev ordered a retreat.

This reverse led to the dismissal of the Russian Commander-in-Chief Aleksandr Sergeyevich Menshikov and probably hastened the death of Nicholas I of Russia, who died several weeks after the battle.

As for the battle's strategic importance, it confirmed that allied total command of the sea would ensure that the threat to the Russian flank would remain for the duration of hostilities. For the allies, possession of Eupatoria meant that the total investment of Sevastopol remained a viable option. For the Russians, they could not afford to commit unlimited resources from their vast army to the Crimea, for fear of a lightning allied thrust from Eupatoria closing the neck of the peninsula at Perekop.

For the Ottomans, their Army had regained its self-esteem and to some extent its reputation; most French and British realised this, although others including the high command would stubbornly refuse to make further use of their fighting abilities in the Crimean theatre. A very nice example of French cavalry percussion pistol (Ref. "French Military Weapons 1717-1938", by James E. Hicks, pp. 81 and 94).

Hand specialist conservation and preservation of original items is one of our fundamental tenets, it is not unusual for us to expend up to ten times the cost of an item in order to preserve a piece for the future, and to return it to how it once looked for posterity. Of course over restoration can be worse than no restoration at all so every care is made to ensure exactly the right amount of conservation is undertaken by our specialist and highly trained world renown artisans,

Photo in the gallery of the same pistol in the belt of an American Civil War Union trooper  read more

Code: 24803

A Very Good Pair of Early Victorian Crimean War, British Dragoon Tunic Shoulder Scales. From a Super Original Crimean War Collection.

Epaulette is a type of ornamental shoulder piece or decoration used as insignia of rank by armed forces and other organizations. Epaulettes bear some resemblance to the shoulder pteruges of ancient Roman military costumes. However their direct origin lies in the bunches of ribbons worn on the shoulders of military coats at the end of the 17th century, which were partially decorative and partially intended to prevent shoulder belts from slipping. These ribbons were tied into a knot which left the fringed end free. This established the basic design of the epaulette as it evolved through the 18th and 19th centuries.

From the 18th century on, epaulettes were used in the French, British and other armies to indicate rank. The rank of an officer could be determined by whether an epaulette was worn on the left shoulder, the right shoulder or on both. Later a "counter-epaulette" (with no fringe) was worn on the opposite shoulder of those who wore only a single epaulette. Epaulettes were made in silver or gold for officers, and in cloth of various colours for the enlisted men of various arms. By the early eighteenth century, epaulettes became the distinguishing feature of an officer, leading to officers of military units without epaulettes to petition their government for the right to wear epaulettes, to ensure that they would be recognized as officers. Certain cavalry specialties wore flexible metal epaulettes referred to as shoulder scales such as these. During the Napoleonic Wars and subsequently through the 19th century, grenadiers, light infantry, voltigeurs and other specialist categories of infantry in many European armies wore cloth epaulettes with wool fringes in various colours to distinguish them from ordinary line infantry. "Flying artillery" wore "wings", similar to an epaulette but with only a bit of fringe on the outside, which matched the shoulder seam. Heavy artillery wore small balls representing ammunition on their shoulders.  read more

Code: 18972

Caesarian, Original Roman Republic Period Lead Sling-Bullet Glans Plumbea From Julius Caeser's Civil War With Pompey, From the Battle of Munda 45 bc

From a superb collection of Roman antiquities and ancient collectables, that have just arrived, including a very few Caesarian glans from a centuries past 'Grand Tour' collection. Collected from near La Lantejuela, Andulusia

Caesar's civil war (49–45 BC) was one of the last politico-military conflicts of the Roman Republic before its reorganization into the Roman Empire. It began as a series of political and military confrontations between Gaius Julius Caesar and Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus.

Before the war, Caesar had led an invasion of Gaul for almost ten years. A build-up of tensions starting in late 49 BC, with both Caesar and Pompey refusing to back down led, however, to the outbreak of civil war. Eventually, Pompey and his allies induced the Senate to demand Caesar give up his provinces and armies. Caesar refused and instead marched on Rome.

The war was a four-year-long politico-military struggle, fought in Italy, Illyria, Greece, Egypt, Africa, and Hispania. Pompey defeated Caesar in 48 BC at the Battle of Dyrrhachium, but was himself defeated decisively at the Battle of Pharsalus. Many former Pompeians, including Marcus Junius Brutus and Cicero, surrendered after the battle, while others, such as Cato the Younger and Metellus Scipio fought on. Pompey fled to Egypt, where he was assassinated on arrival. Caesar intervened in Africa and Asia Minor before attacking North Africa, where he defeated Scipio in 46 BC at the Battle of Thapsus. Scipio and Cato committed suicide shortly thereafter. The following year, Caesar defeated the last of the Pompeians under his former lieutenant Labienus in the Battle of Munda. The Battle of Munda was the last episode of the war between the Romans. Eventually, Caesar’s absolute domination in Roman politics was established and the anti-Caesarian opposition virtually disappeared. Labienus was killed at Munda, and the wounded Gnaeus Pompey was captured after a few weeks and beheaded. The victorious Caesar was awarded the title of Liberator and Emperor, had a great triumph, and the scope of his power continued to expand.

The Battle of Munda did not immediately foreshadow Caesar’s victory. His soldiers, most of them poorly experienced, initially succumbed to the enemy’s onslaught, which could have ended in defeat. The decisive attitude of the leader, who knew how to react in the threatened section, and the experience of the legions from the right-wing ensured victory for Caesar.
He was made dictator perpetuo (dictator in perpetuity or dictator for life) in 44 BC and, shortly thereafter, assassinated.
See for reference
Cf. DAmato, R. and Sumner, G., Arms and Armour of the Imperial Roman Soldier: From Marius to Commodus, 112 BC-AD 192, London, 2009, fig.32, p.45, for similar glandes from Zaragoza Museum, one with the name of Pompey inscribed also coming from Monda battlefield; Schinco, G., Small, A.M., 'A previously unknown siege of Botromagno/Silvium: the evidence of slingshots from Gravina in Puglia (Provincia di Bari, Puglia)' in Papers of the British School at Rome, 2019, pp.1-52, figs.31, 37.

This is the sling-bullet 'type IIb of the Völling classification'. This one bears a plain surface cast, some found in the region have the abbreviated name of Julius Caesar; it was used in quantity at the Battle of Monda (or Munda) against the last supporters of Pompey, the leaders of the Optimates, on the 17th March 45 BC. Similar shots were used in the civil war among Pompey and Caesar, and in all of Caesar's wars. The funditores of Caesar's age were part of the light infantry. Caesar speaks of his Balearic slingers during the conquest of Gaul. They wore a short tunic, with leather or rope sandals to the feet, and a warm overcoat which could also have been used to store projectiles. They also used a satchel to carry very deadly lead-like stones or bullets.

1 3/4 in. (62. grams, 45 mm).
A biconical facetted lentoid-section lead sling shot (glans)

Every single item from The Lanes Armoury is accompanied by our unique Certificate of Authenticity. Part of our continued dedication to maintain the standards forged by us over the past 100 years of our family’s trading, as Britain’s oldest established, and favourite, armoury and gallery  read more

Code: 24608

An Original, Antique, Small Continental 'Derringer' Back-Action Percussion Lock Pocket Pistol Circa 1840. Fancy Engraved Lock. Blued Steel Finish

This pistol is singularly attractive. It was acquired with a pair of cased, Belgian, percussion 'Barkers' boxlock pistols. This pistol required full servicing, and hand conservation by our artisans, and after three intensive days work it has been completed and looks dramatically improved and very charming indeed. The percussion action has now been hand cleaned and conserved to be as tight and crisp as it was 185 years ago.

This 'Derringer type of pocket pistol was actually made before the Philadelphia, US, Henry Deringer pistol, by varied makers, but the Henry Deringer pistol was made famous, by being used in the notorious assassination of President Abraham Lincoln in 1865.

This is the very same style and form as the Lincoln Deringer pistol, and it is not known if the American, original Henry Deringer pistol example was a design made first, by his company, or other way round.

One of the scarcest and most collectable small pistol of American history, is the original US, Philadelphia manufactured, Henry Deringer's back action lock 'Deringer' pistol. The pistol that was used by Henry Wilkes Booth to assassinate probably the most famous American President to have ever lived, Abraham Lincoln. It was this Deringer gun after which all small pocket pistols have since been named. A pistol and name that shall live on in memory, for as long as American history is recorded.
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In the century and a half since it happened, populist history has largely boiled down the assassination of Abraham Lincoln to the story of a single perpetrator: John Wilkes Booth. Four of the eight convicted for participating in the conspiracy to assassinate Lincoln in April of 1865 died on the gallows three months later.
But in his appearance at the Camden County Historical Society, Lincoln scholar Hugh Boyle made clear that the real story is a sprawling epic. It involves a gang of Confederate operatives and sympathizers that first plotted to kidnap the President and, when that failed, decided to murder not only him, but the Vice President and Secretary of State as well. Their goal was to decapitate and destabilize the federal government in hopes of forcing a settlement to the war that would avoid the South's total defeat. In the end, they managed to kill Lincoln and seriously injure Secretary of State William Seward.

By 1865, the South was a vast swath of utter destruction.
It was a time of massive upheaval, great danger and high emotion for the South, so the idea that someone might be thinking about attacking the President or other high government officials was not a crazy one in the atmosphere of the times."
The frustrations and angst of the Southern cause came to a boil in April of 1865. Its capital, Richmond, Va. -- now a burned out hulk of a city -- was captured and occupied by Ulysses S. Grant's forces on April 3. Six days later, Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia surrendered and was disarmed at Appomattox. Three days after that -- April 11 -- President Lincoln, standing in a second-story window of the White House, spoke to a huge crowd in a city gone wild in celebration of the Appomattox surrender. But among those listening in that crowd were John Wilkes Booth and 21-year-old Lewis Thornton Powell.

John Wilkes Booth, one of America's most famous actors of the time, and Lewis Thornton Powell were enraged by the President's White House speech on April 11. Three days later, Booth killed Lincoln in Ford's Theater while Powell tried to kill Secretary of State William Seward in his home. Booth was one of the country's most famous actors and an ardent supporter of the Confederacy. His young companion, Powell, was a Confederate army veteran and a second cousin of Confederate general John B. Gordon
The gang leader -- 27-year-old John Wilkes Booth -- was tracked down and shot to death by Union soldiers in Virginia. Eight others were convicted of being conspirators with Booth. Four were sentenced to death and hung, including the first woman ever executed by the U.S. government. The other four were sent to a remote prison island off the coast of Florida.
John Wilkes Booth killed President Lincoln with a shot in the back of the head near his left ear. The Henry Deringer pistol was the weapon he used. Manufactured by Henry Derringer. The weapon was found on the floor of the State Box in Ford's Theatre after the assassination, but it located today in the basement of Ford's Theatre.

10.8cm / 4 1/4 inches barrel length, 8 inches / 20cm long overall

Priced once the conservation cost has been calculated  read more

Code: 26091

A Most Rare Early, 14th Century, circa 1340, Medievil Iron Hand Cannon or 'Handgonne' Made in the Period, & Used From the Battle of Crecy and Poitier Era.

An absolutely beauty and an incredibly significant historical piece, effectively the handgonne, was the very first iron hand held powder and ball piece, that began the evolution into the pistol, almost 700 years ago, and around 500 years before Mr Colt developed his first revolver in the 1840's.

From a collection of original rare antiquities collection we acquired, and this is the third extraordinarily rare original handgonne from that collection. We normally find only one or two every ten years or so, or even longer, but to buy all three from the collection was amazing.

The earliest design of conical form. Small enough and light enough to be manoeuvred by hand and thus then loosely fixed, or semi-permanently fixed, in either an L shaped wooden block and used like a mortar, or, onto a length of sturdy wooden haft, from three feet to five foot long to be used almost musket like and bound with wrought iron bands see illustration in the photo gallery of these medievil variations of mounting. The precursor to the modern day pistol and musket from which this form of ancient so called handgonne developed into over the centuries. It is thought that gunpowder was invented in China and found its way to Europe in the 13th Century. In the mid to late 13th Century gunpowder began to be used in cannons and handguns, and by the mid 14th Century they were in relatively frequent use for castle sieges. By the end of the 14th Century both gunpowder, guns and cannon had greatly evolved and were an essential part of fortifications which were being modified to change arrow slits for gun loops. Hand cannon' date of origin ranges around 1350. Hand cannon were inexpensive to manufacture, but not accurate to fire. Nevertheless, they were employed for their shock value. In 1492 Columbus carried one on his discovery exploration to the Americas. Conquistadors Hernando Cortez and Francisco Pizzaro also used them, in 1519 and 1533, during their respective conquests and colonization of Mexico and Peru. Not primary arms of war, hand cannon were adequate tools of protection for fighting men.. Approx, 4 inches long 1 1/2 inch bore, and weighs around 5.1 lbs

See Funcken, L. & Funcken F., Le costume, l'armure et les armes au temps de la chevalerie, de huitieme au quinzieme siecle, Tournai,1977, pp.66-69, for reconstruction of how such hand cannons were used.
At the beginning of the 14th century, among the infantry troops of the Western Middle Ages, developed the use of manual cannons (such as the Italian schioppetti, spingarde, and the German Fusstbusse).  read more

Code: 24816

A Wonderful & Rare Bronze Minoan Era Spear of Pre Ancient Greek Antiquity, Around 4000 Years Old. This Fabulous Antiquity Was Already An Ancient Artefact Even Before Alexander The Great Was Born

Examples similar have been found elsewhere in Cyprus and Crete from the same era. Three similar were discovered some years ago in Vounous, Cyprus dated around 2300-2000 BC from the tomb 78 of the ancient cemetery in Vounous.

These kind of spear heads have a tang, ending in a hook, which was fixed into the wood. The blade was than further secured to the wood shaft by a wrap of laching cord.

Minoan Crete, named after the legendary King Minos, was ruled from great palaces, most of which were founded around 2000 BC. Material from the palace of Knossos is displayed in the British Museum, along with pottery, bronzes and stone vases from elsewhere in Crete, including from tombs and shrines. There is also evidence for writing in the form of the undeciphered Linear A script. The later Greek Bronze Age is named after Mycenae, the capital city of Agamemnon who according to myth led the Greeks at the siege of Troy. Mycenaean culture extended throughout mainland Greece, the Aegean islands and Crete. The Greek language is first recorded in this period in the Linear B script derived from Minoan Crete. Following the collapse of this civilisation in the 12th century BC, Greece entered a period of relative poverty and isolation when writing was forgotten. During this time, stories about the grand lifestyles of Mycenaean rulers continued to be told, influencing later poets such as Homer, whose Iliad and Odyssey were set in what we call the Bronze Age. In the epic poem The Odyssey, the Greek poet Homer praised an island that lies “out in the wine-dark sea . . . a rich and lovely sea-girt land, densely peopled, with 90 cities and several different languages.” This sophisticated place is not just a random spot in the Mediterranean—Homer is describing Crete, southernmost of the Greek islands and home to one of the oldest civilizations in Europe. Located some 400 miles northwest of Alexandria in Egypt, Crete has been inhabited since the Neolithic period, around 7000 B.C. The culture that developed there during the second millennium B.C. spread throughout the entire eastern Mediterranean world. Crete’s command of the seas would allow its stunning art and architecture to deeply influence the Mycenaean Greek civilization that would succeed it. Photo in the gallery of a Bull’s head rhyton ritual pouring vessel from the palace at Knossos, c. 1550-1500 B.C.E., in black steatite, jasper, and mother-of-pearl, 26 cm high (Archaeological Museum of Heraklion, From a private collection formed in the Netherlands before the 1980's .

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20cm long spear head  read more

Code: 23582