Antique Arms & Militaria

A Superb 'Tower of London' Made Front Line Regimental British Light Dragoon & Hussars Flintlock Pistol Circa 1802 Napoleonic Wars, Peninsular War and Waterloo Service use

Excellent walnut stock with original patina to all parts steel brass and walnut. All fine brass fittings and captive ramrod. In original flintlock, made byThe Tower of London Armoury. GR Crown Tower stamped lock plate. With numerous ordnance inspectors stamps throughout.

This is the pattern of pistol for use by British Light Dragoon & Hussars Cavalry regiments, and called the New Land Pattern, used initially from around 1802, during the Peninsular War, the War of 1812, and the Hundred Days War, culminating at Waterloo.
It is simply a superb Napoleonic wars original collector's item and good condition example. Certainly with usual signs of combat service use but with excellent natural age patina. Excellent perfect crisp action.

Introduced in the 1796 and in production by 1802, the New Land Pattern Cavalry Pistol provided one model of pistol for all of Britain's light cavalry and horse artillery. Another new element was its swivel all steel ramrod, which greatly improved the process of loading the pistol on horseback and ensuring no loss of ramrod due to miss-handling or dropping..
The regiments that used this very pistol under The Duke of Wellington's command were;
Hussars
7th (Queen's Own) Regiment of (Light) Dragoons (Hussars) — white facings, silver lace and buttons, blue and white sash
15th (King's) Regiment of (Light) Dragoons (Hussars) — red facings, silver lace and buttons, red and yellow sash
18th Regiment of (Light) Dragoons (Hussars) — white facings, silver lace and buttons, blue and white sash, grey dolmans
Light Dragoons
8th (King's Royal Irish) Regiment of (Light) Dragoons — red facings, silver lace and buttons, blue and red belt, grey dolmans
9th Regiment of (Light) Dragoons — red facings, gold lace and buttons, blue and yellow belt
10th (Prince of Wales's Own Royal) Regiment of (Light) Dragoons — red facings, silver lace and buttons, red and yellow sash
11th Regiment of (Light) Dragoons — buff facings, silver lace and buttons, blue and buff belt
12th (Prince of Wales's) Regiment of (Light) Dragoons — yellow facings, silver lace and buttons, blue and yellow belt
13th Regiment of (Light) Dragoons — buff facings, gold lace and buttons, blue and buff belt
14th (Duchess of York's Own) Regiment of (Light) Dragoons — orange facings, silver lace and buttons, blue and orange belts
16th (Queen's) Regiment of (Light) Dragoons — red facings, silver lace and buttons, blue and red belt
17th Regiment of (Light) Dragoons — white facings, silver lace and buttons, blue and white belt
19th Regiment of (Light) Dragoons — yellow facings, gold lace and buttons, blue and yellow belt
20th Regiment of (Light) Dragoons — orange facings, gold lace and buttons, blue and orange belt
21st Regiment of (Light) Dragoons — pink facings (black from 1814), gold lace and buttons, blue and pink belt
22nd Regiment of (Light) Dragoons — pink facings, gold lace and buttons, blue and pink belt, grey dolmans
23rd Regiment of (Light) Dragoons — red facings (maybe yellow), silver lace and buttons, blue and red belt
24th Regiment of (Light) Dragoons — grey facings, gold lace and buttons, blue and grey belt
25th Regiment of (Light) Dragoons — grey facings, silver lace and buttons, blue and grey belt, grey dolmans

The division between 'heavy' and light was very marked during Wellington's time: 'heavy' cavalry were huge men on big horses, 'light' cavalry were more agile troopers on smaller mounts who could harass as well as shock.

During the Napoleonic Wars, French cavalry was un-excelled. Later, as casualties and the passage of years took their toll, Napoleon found it difficult to maintain the same high standards of cavalry performance. At the same time, the British and their allies steadily improved on their cavalry, mainly by devoting more attention to its organization and training as well as by copying many of the French tactics, organization and methods. During the Peninsular War, Wellington paid little heed to the employment of cavalry in operations, using it mainly for covering retreats and chasing routed French forces. But by the time of Waterloo it was the English cavalry that smashed the final attack of Napoleon's Old Guard.

We show superb Napoleonic Light Dragoons illustration prints in the gallery by David Higham, that were gifted to us by a grateful client.
These can be bought at the link below, and they are extremely comfortably priced.
https://www.printsforartssake.com/products/7th-queens-own-british-regiment-of-light-dragoons-waterloo-1815.
This is a complimentary recommendation, for which we make no financial gain
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: 25762

A Superb, Original, Long Viking Spear Head 1000 to 1100 Years Old, In Superb Excavated Condition. A True Museum Piece

Overall in superb and well preserved condition. Only deeper pitting on the socket, and small impact damage to one outer edge of the diamond form blade. Remarkably the socket still has it remaining rivet for fixing to the wooden haft at the base on the inside. This almost certainly may be a traditional Viking pattern welded blade, in the traditional 'Wolf's Teeth' form, but the surface is too intact to tell, however its shape is very similar to the most famous recovered 'Wolf's Teeth' Viking spear head in Helsinki Museum see gallery. According to the older parts of the Gulating Law, dating back to before the year 900 AD covering Western Norway, a free man was required to own a sword or ax, spear and shield. It was said that Olaf Tryggvason, King of Norway from 995-1000 AD, could throw two spears at the same time. In chapter 55 of Laxdæla saga, Helgi had a spear with a blade one ell long (about 50cm, or 20in). He thrust the blade through Bolli's shield, and through Bolli. In chapter 8 of Króka-Refs saga, Refur made a spear for himself which could be used for cutting, thrusting, or hewing. Refur split Þorgils in two down to his shoulders with the spear. The spearheads were made of iron, and, like sword blades, were made using pattern welding techniques (described in the article on swords) during the early part of the Viking era . They could be decorated with inlays of precious metals or with scribed geometric patterns
After forming the head, the smith flattened and drew out material to form the socket . This material was formed around a mandrel and usually was welded to form a solid socket. In some cases, the overlapping portions were left unwelded. Spear heads were fixed to wooden shafts using a rivet. The sockets on the surviving spear heads suggest that the shafts were typically round, with a diameter of 2-3cm (about one inch).

However, there is little evidence that tells us the length of the shaft. The archaeological evidence is negligible, and the sagas are, for the most part, silent. Chapter 6 of Gísla saga tells of a spear so long-shafted that a man's outstretched arm could touch the rivet. The language used suggests that such a long shaft was uncommon.

Perhaps the best guess we can make is that the combined length of shaft and head of Viking age spears was 2 to 3m (7-10ft) long, although one can make arguments for the use of spears having both longer and shorter shafts. A strong, straight-grained wood such as ash was used. Many people think of the spear as a throwing weapon. One of the Norse myths tells the story of the first battle in the world, in which Oðin, the highest of the gods, threw a spear over the heads of the opposing combatants as a prelude to the fight. The sagas say that spears were also thrown in this manner when men, rather than gods, fought. At the battle at Geirvör described in chapter 44 of Eyrbyggja saga, the saga author says that Steinþórr threw a spear over the heads of Snorri goði and his men for good luck, according to the old custom. More commonly, the spear was used as a thrusting weapon. The sagas tell us thrusting was the most common attack in melees and one-on-one fighting, and this capability was used to advantage in mass battles. In a mass battle, men lined up, shoulder to shoulder, with shields overlapping. After all the preliminaries, which included rock throwing, name calling, the trading of insults, and shouting a war cry (æpa heróp), the two lines advanced towards each other. When the lines met, the battle was begun. Behind the wall of shields, each line was well protected. Once a line was broken, and one side could pass through the line of the other side, the battle broke down into armed melees between small groups of men.

Before either line broke, while the two lines were going at each other hammer and tongs, the spear offered some real advantages. A fighter in the second rank could use his spear to reach over the heads of his comrades in the first rank and attack the opposing line. Konungs skuggsjá (King’s Mirror), a 13th century Norwegian manual for men of the king, says that in the battle line, a spear is more effective than two swords. In regards to surviving iron artefacts of the past two millennia, if Western ancient edged weapons were either lost, discarded or buried in the ground, and if the ground soil were made up of the right chemical composition, then some may survive exceptionally well. As with all our items it comes complete with our certificate of authenticity 13.5 inches long 350 grams weight.  read more

Code: 23143

Very Rare, Possibly the Oldest Surviving Example in Existence, From The 18th Century, King George IIIrd 'Bow Street Runner's' Thief-Taker's or Beadle's Quarterstaff With Royal Crest From the Century Before the Founding of The Earliest British Police

Bearing the hand painted decoration of a large gilt and coloured crown, and a gilt GR monogram for the monarch, King George IIIrd, a district crest of a quartered circle, and monogram B.B. above the date 1783. This might well be the parish of Bromley-by Bow, now in Tower Hamlets Borough in London, where Bow was located, but this has to be conjecture as we have never seen one as old as this before, in, or out, of a museum collection. The warrant officer's tipstaff is recorded in writing as far back as the 14th century, but no example exists. The parish of Bromley-by-Bow has historic pedigree, appearing in the correspondence of Oliver Cromwell.

As far as we know this may be the oldest surviving law enforcement officer's, staff or trucheon, dated, with the royal crest, certainly in Britain, possibly the world. Incredibly dated from the time of the American Revolutionary War, aka the American War of Independence, when America was a British colony. We can't recall ever seeing even an 18th century crested staff or trucheon in over 50 years. A few years ago one dated 1804 was found, and made a trade magazine headline, as possibly the oldest ever truncheon, and this was made and in service over twenty years before then.

The Bow Street Runners were the law enforcement officers of the Bow Street Magistrates' Court in the City of Westminster. They have been called London's first professional police force. The force originally numbered six men and was founded in 1749 by magistrate Henry Fielding, who was also well known as an author. His assistant, brother, and successor as magistrate, John Fielding, moulded the constables into a professional and effective force. Bow Street Runners was the public's nickname for the officers although the officers did not use the term themselves and considered it derogatory. The group was disbanded in 1839 and its personnel merged with the Metropolitan Police, which had been formed ten years earlier but the London metropolitan detective bureau trace their origins back from there.

Magistrate Henry Fielding decided to regulate, regularise, formalise and legalise the thief-takers' activity due to high rates of corruption and mistaken or malicious arrests, therefore creating the Bow Street Runners. His Runners were not dissimilar to the thief-takers, but differed from them in their formal attachment to the Bow Street magistrates' office and in being paid by the magistrate with funds from central government. They worked out of Fielding's office and court at No. 4 Bow Street, and did not patrol but served writs and arrested offenders on the authority of the magistrates, travelling nationwide to apprehend criminals.

It has a some surface paint wear caused by service use in its working life. Based on the old English quarterstaff a beadle or Bow Street Runner's walking stave that was originally used in the days before a force had been designed for the British service. It was a means of identifying the bearer as to his rank, status and authority as a police constable, yet still a most effective weapon of defence and restraint when required, but they continued in use after uniforms were fully standard, but only for a brief period. Very few of these most unusual original police service artifacts survive today. Stick fighting was prevalent throughout historical European martial arts and indeed worldwide. The oldest systematic descriptions of stick-fighting methods in Europe date to the 15th century. The oldest surviving English work giving technical information on staff combat dates from the 15th century - it is a brief listing of "strokes of the 2-hand staff", which shares terminology with the preceding "strokes of the 2-hand sword" in the same manuscript. George Silver (1599) explains techniques of short staff combat, and states that the use of other polearms and the two-handed sword are based on the same method. Later authors on the subject included Joseph Swetnam, Zachary Wylde, and Donald McBane. Silver, Swetnam, and Wylde all agreed that the staff was among the best, if not the very best, of all hand weapons.

During the 16th century quarterstaves were favoured as weapons by the London Masters of Defence. Richard Peeke, in 1625, and Zachary Wylde, in 1711, refer to the quarterstaff as a national English weapon. By the 18th century the weapon became popularly associated with gladiatorial prize playing. A modified version of quarterstaff fencing, employing bamboo or ash staves and protective equipment adapted from fencing, boxing and cricket was revived as a sport in some London fencing schools and at the Aldershot Military Training School during the later 19th century. Works on this style were published by Thomas McCarthy and by Allanson-Winn and Phillips-Wolley. A superb photo in the gallery of an early 19th century city Beadle with his near identical quarter staff.

68 inches long, in very good condition. The very top and bottom 1/2 inch has traces of old extinct worm.

Ref; picture in the gallery https://collections.britishart.yale.edu/catalog/tms:2605.
Free for all, public domain
UK mainland regular delivery only due to length, export delivery by request  read more

Code: 25761

A Superb Ancient Bronze Age Mace Head 3000 to 4000 Years Old, From The Age Of Rameses The Great, The Greatest Pharaoh of Ancient Egypt.

Ist to 2nd Millennium B.C.Although displayed on a short stand In use it would have slotted onto a wooden haft. For over 100 years we have been delighted to acquire such fabulous historical original Items such as this, originally collected in the 18th and early 19th century by British noblemen and women touring Europe and the Middle East on their personal expeditions known as a ‘Grand Tour’. Originally placed, after being purchased on their journeys, to be placed on display in the family’s classical gallery or 'cabinet of curiosities', within their country house upon their return home.

A popular pastime in the 18th and 19th century, comprised of English ladies and gentlemen travelling for many months, or even years, throughout classical Europe, and the Middle East, and Western Asiatic region, acquiring antiquities and antiques for their private collections. The use of the stone headed mace as a weapon and a symbol od status and ceremony goes back to the Upper Palaeolithic stone age, but an important, later development in mace heads was the use of metal for their composition. With the advent of copper mace heads, they no longer shattered and a better fit could be made to the wooden club by giving the eye of the mace head the shape of a cone and using a tapered handle.

The Shardanas or warriors from Sardinia who fought for Ramses II against the Hittities were armed with maces consisting of wooden sticks with bronze heads. Many bronze statuettes of the times show Sardinian warriors carrying swords, bows and original maces. Persians used a variety of maces and fielded large numbers of heavily armoured and armed cavalry (see cataphracts). For a heavily armed Persian knight, a mace was as effective as a sword or battle axe. In fact, Shahnameh has many references to heavily armoured knights facing each other using maces, axes, and swords. The enchanted talking mace Sharur made its first appearance in Sumerian/Akkadian mythology during the epic of Ninurta. Roman though auxiliaries from Syria Palestina were armed with clubs and maces at the battles of Immae and Emesa in 272 AD. They proved highly effective against the heavily armoured horsemen of Palmyra. Photos in the gallery of original carvings from antiquity in the British Museum etc.; Ashurbanipal at the Battle of Til-Tuba, Assyrian Art / British Museum, London/ 650-620 BC/ Limestone,, An Assyrian soldier waving a mace escorts four prisoners, who carry their possessions in sacks over their shoulders. Their clothes and their turbans, rising to a slight point which flops backwards, are typical of the area; people from the Biblical kingdom of Israel, shown on other sculptures, wear the same dress, on a gypsum wall panel relief, South West Palace, Nimrud, Kalhu Iraq, neo-assyrian, 730BC-727BC.
A recovered tablet from Egypt's Early Dynastic Period (3150-2613 BCE) shows a Pharaoh smiting his foe with a war mace. The mace is complete with its display stand as shown. Part of an original collection we have acquired, of antiquities, Roman, Greek, Middle Eastern, Viking and early British relics of warfare from ancient battle sites recovered up to and around 220 years ago on a Grand Tour.

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.

This wonderful piece would have been made and traded throughout the Western Asiatic region. 10.5 inches high including stand.
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


Picture 10; Étiquette au nom du roi Den, ivoire, British Museum (EA 55586). Le roi Den est représenté debout brandissant une massue et tenant par les cheveux un personnage agenouillé qu'il s'apprête à frapper. {Multi-license with GFDL and Creative Commons CC-BY 2.5}  read more

Code: 23025

A Simply Wondrous, And An Absolute Beauty of a Cased, Double Barrelled Percussion Sporting Gun, Tools, Powder Flask Cleaning Rod, Nipple Key, Ramrod With Multi Heads, Turnscrew Etc. Bespoke Made Circa 1835. Maker to The King. W Parker Master Gunsmith

A magnificent original set, that would cost today, to be bespoke custom hand made, in excess of £125,000. the hand engraving alone is simply breathtaking.

A finest, King William IVth period, original cased English double Damascus barrelled sporting gun by one of England's pre-eminent makers of the 19th century, William Parker of 233 High Holborn, gun maker to Prince Edward, to King William IV (1830-1837) and the Duke of Kent. The whole gun's mounts are hand engraved with superlative skill and expertise, it features, pheasants, a gun dog, dolphin hammers a stunning pineapple finial to the trigger guard and profuse scrolling arabesques. The stock is the finest Juglans Regia walnut and the mahogany case bears its original baize lining and maker label. It is fully fitted throughout with essential equipment and tools including a signed copper powder flask, a shoulder mounted bandolier type shot flask, a percussion cap tin, a gun fitted ram rod, and a separate case ram/cleaning rod, oil bottle, and a most rare shot-pouring funnel, nipple key and screw driver. To replace such a fine hand made gun today, likely only Purdey or Boss of London could have the skills required to replicate it. A fine engraved Purdey side by side, with a pair of Damas barrels, costs today £113,500, with an 18 months to 2 year waiting time, and additional costs for casing and tools. When John Field died in 1791, William Parker went into partnership with his widow (name not known), and they traded as Field & Parker. John Field had been a goldsmith, sword cutler and gun maker at 233 High Holborn from 1783 to 1791, trading under his own name and also as Field & Co and Field & Clarke (William Clarke of Duke Street, Portland Place). In 1793, William Parker bought John Field's widow's share of the partnership. From that date he ceased being a goldsmith. In 1803, on John Brown's bankruptcy, he appears to have bought the rights to Joseph Hall's "New Invented Hammer" patent (No. 2573 of 1802 - waterproof primer and steel)from John Brown, and he used George Dodd's 1805 patented lock. In 1803 he started to supply the London Police Offices with guns. In 1804 William Parker became a Contractor to Ordnance. In 1806 Parker opened additional workshops at 22 Chamber Street, these moved in 1808 to 52 & 31-32 Chamber Street.

In 1814 the firm rented additional production facilities at John Stinton's workshops in Glasshouse Yard. In about 1814 William Parker's daughter, Mary, married John Field Jnr. From 1820 to 1826 William was recorded at 60 Theobalds Road (workshop). In 1829 William Parker started to supply guns to the Metropolitan Police (London Police Offices re-named). At some time William Parker became gun maker to Prince Edward, then to King William IV (1830-1837) and the Duke of Kent. In 1833 William became a contractor to the East India Company, and in 1837 a contractor to the Hudson's Bay Company. The double-barrelled sporting gun was seen as a weapon of prestige and authority, especially in the days of the East India Company and the later Raj in India, where it was known as Dunali (literally "two pipes"). It was especially valued in Bihar, Purvanchal, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab

In 1838 Ordnance contract ended and the firm moved their workshops to 10 Chamber Street. In 1841 William Parker died, aged 68, and John Field Jnr and his sons trading as Parker, Field & Sons took over. This fabulous gun is in overall excellent condition. As with all our antique guns, no license is required as they are all unrestricted antique collectables  read more

Code: 22880

A Superb Boer War Period Royal Artillery Officer's Sable Busby With Near Mint Gilt Grenade Plume Holder With Royal Crested Badge of the Royal Artillery.

It still has the original leather lining with maker name in a gilt and leather seal, that reads; Jones Chalk and Dawson 6 Sackville St. London

The busby retains the original black leather chin strap gilt Royal Artillery coat of arms on gilt grenade helmet plate which is worn over the left ear together with the white horsehair brush plume. Finally the Busby has the rich red "bag" which hangs down the soldier's right side of the helmet. Officer helmets are always in very short supply and are sought for, but Sable helmets in this truly nice condition come along very infrequently.

The Second Boer War saw attempted application of bombardment as an alternative to the use of ground forces. In most battles fought during the conflict this was proved not to be possible. There was competition from the other side's ability to undertake evasive measures. The opponent was able to use cover to protect himself and hide his position. Nonetheless, the tactic of the creeping barrage, used at the Relief of Ladysmith, has been described as "revolutionary"
At the outbreak of the war the British army had some 100 guns available of which only twenty-seven were standard field artillery pieces of a reasonably modern design. The Royal Navy was able to contribute seven 12-pounders carried for use ashore. The rest had to be improvised and, as a result of the resourcefulness of Captain Percy Scott, shipboard 12-pounders, known as Long 12s, and 4.7-inch guns were given emergency carriages or mounts and rushed to the front. The defence of Ladysmith thus became possible. In the course of the war the Royal Field Artillery’s 15-pounders were augmented by another 322 guns, fifty Pom-Poms, eighteen 5-inch breech-loaders, thirty-nine 5-inch howitzers and twelve 6-inch guns. The Royal Horse Artillery brought out seventy-eight 12-pounders. Almost all these were out-ranged by Boer weapons of similar type. Furthermore, the British use of field artillery had to undergo a radical revision from the approved tactics that lost the guns at the Battle of Colenso to the fire-from-concealment approach that proved effective at the Battle of Magersfontein. In addition, new methods of coordinating artillery support and infantry movement had to be developed.

Royal Artillery in the Boer War;

Howitzer Batteries. These guns form part of the siege train sent out to South Africa under command of Lieutenant Colonel Perrott, and are engines of enormous destructive power. The howitzer is an old weapon newly introduced with far higher qualities than it ever possessed before. There are several calibres of the siege howitzer, that depicted being the 6-in. breech-loader, weighing 30-cwt., and when limbered up scaling nearly 4.5 tons in draught. The gun fires lyddite shrapnel, the shell complete weighing nearly 70-lb, and having a range of something like 10 miles. The breech mechanism is analogous to that of the field gun, with am interrupted screw, and buffers are provided to take the recoil. A vast amount of material accompanies a siege battery, ammunition being supplied to the extent of 500 rounds per gun, and the work of transport becomes therefore one of great difficulty. But it is in the hands of officers and men who thoroughly competent to undertake it. a siege train is, of course, the artillery formed for the reduction of fortified places. Such a train has nearly always to be organised specially for its particular purpose, and it rarely has any existence in peace-time. Thus when the war broke out the work of organising the siege train began, and the new siege material supplied was soon afloat, and reached South Africa in charge of a highly-trained force of experienced officers and men.
Siege train officers. In all about 32 officers, and over 1,100 men, drawn chiefly from Portsmouth, Plymouth, Exeter, and Devonport, are with the siege train in South Africa. They know the work thoroughly, and are all under command of Lieutenant-Colonel Perrott, Captain and Adjutant Currie, and Captain De Brett, DSO, Major Allen, Major Nicholls, and Captain Strange. These are the principal officers to whom the highly-important duties of the siege train are assigned, but the full exercise of their activity and experience will come later on in the war, when the time arrives for crushing the final opposition of the Boers. Meanwhile, however, the officers of the siege train have been very well employed.

Ammunition Column. These are representative types of the men who are concerned in the transport and distribution of ammunition. They are the sergeant-major, the gunner, the trumpeter, the sergeant, and the driver, and all are armed with revolvers, and certain of them with swords and rifles. There are two classes of ammunition columns. The first is attached to every division, as well as to the Corps Artillery and to the corps troops attached to the Army Corps, and brings up the ammunition reserve for all arms, the ammunition waggons feeding the batteries, and the small-arm carts supplying the infantry, while there are reserve waggons and carts for both. The other class of ammunition columns forms the ammunition parks, which consist of three sections, and are intended for the supply of the whole Army Corps and the cavalry brigades.

Formerly in the Roy Butler Collection.  read more

Code: 25756

A Most Rare Early, 15th Century Medievil Iron Hand Cannon or 'Handgonne' Made in the Period, & Used From the Battle of Agincourt 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.
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 common 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 3/4 inches long 1 inch bore, and weighs around 3.2 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).

THE HOME OF ORIGINAL AND AFFORDABLE ANCIENT ANTIQUITIES & ANTIQUE COLLECTABLES IN BRITAIN.

The Lanes Armoury, world renown as Britain's favourite specialist collectors shop, and also a font of historical and educational information that is detailed with every single item. We detail each piece alongside its historical context, either generic or specific, for those that may wish to read, learn, or be informed, as opposed to simply acquire collectable items. It is probably one of the oldest companies of our kind in the whole of Europe and we have been established through generations, as specialists in armoury antiques, militaria collectables, and specialist books, since the early 1900’s, and thus we have continued to be one of the largest in the world today. We are also very pleased to know we are also studied and read by academics and students from hundreds of universities around the world, by those that are interested in not only British but worldwide history.
For this reason we also like to be known as a learning and researching website.
Everyday we are contacted by historians that wish to make contributions to our detailed information for our pieces, and to thus add to our constant dedication to impart historical knowledge, that may be unknown to many of our millions of viewers.

Our unique certificate of authenticity is provided with every purchase from The Lanes Armoury, backed up by over 100 years of family trading in military antiques of all eras and all known civilizations  read more

Code: 24768

Superb Antique Indian Tulwar 17th to 18th Century Silver Decor Hilted Sword With Hybrid Wootz Damascus Shamshir Blade. It Has Just Returned From Expert Museum Grade Conservation, Polishing & Etching of The Blade To Reveal Its Stunning Pattern

A superb period sword, with a very good superb hybrid wootz Damascus shamshir steel blade. Hybrid Damascus wootz has a more open wood type running grain with larger patterns than plain wootz that has often small tight curls.
Silver decorated iron Lahore hilt decorated with stunning design with matching lined cap pommel. Strong and powerful blade of substance. There are clear indications that this particular hilt is of Punjab manufacture: the fat vase shape of the grip section, the slightly forward angle of the quillons and the beautiful silver koftgari.

For those familiar with fine Japanese blades, we notice just how incredibly similar hybrid Wootz can appear by comparison to the hamon and hada of some early Japanese tamahagane steel blades. In fact, the similarity is quite remarkable.

A sword as popular within the Sikh Empire as the Mughal Empire.

The hilt also known as tulwar comprises langets with lotus-head outlines, domed quillons, and a centrally swollen grip. A knuckle guard with a terminal that recurves toward the disc-pommel which has been attached with a pointed sunburst plaque, a decorative feature further fitted at its centre with a dome and lotus bud finial.

Persian: شمشیر (type, which refers to a Persian or Iranian sword with a radical curve. The name is derived from the shamshīr, which means “lion’s claw or lions tale” in the Persian language – pointing towards the curve of the blade. These types of blades are normally used for slashing unarmored opponents either on foot or mounted; while the tip could be used for thrusting. In India, the term ‘Goliya’ (meaning circle) was used to describe these types of blades; referring to their curve.

The Tulwar had historically been the quintessential combat sword used by Sikhs as their sacred kirpan due to its superior handling while mounted on horseback. With a curved blade optimized for cutting and slashing with sweeping cuts delivered from the shoulder by a horseman the curved blade of the tulwar could strike repeated blows without the danger of the blade getting stuck in bone or armour. It allowed for fierce slashing on all sides cutting through enemy formations while mounted on horseback.

Emperor Aurangzeb was the last significant Mughal emperor of India. His reign lasted from 1658 to 1707. During this phase, the empire had reached its largest geographical expansion. Nevertheless it was during this time period that the first sign of decline of the great Moghul Empire was noticed. The reasons were many. The bureaucracy became corrupted and the army implemented outdated tactics and obsolete weaponry. The Moghul Empire was descended from Turko-Mongol, Rajputorigins. It reigned a significant part of the subcontinent of Asia from the initial part of the 16th century to the middle of the 19th century. When it was at the peak of its power, around the 18th century, it controlled a major part of the Asian subcontinent and portions of the current Afghanistan. To understand it's wealth and influence, in 1600 the Emperor Akbar had revenues from his empire of £17.5 million pounds per annum, and 200 years later, in 1800, the exchequer of the entire British Empire had revenues of just £16 million pounds. It has been asked, that, although he had the income per annum of around 500 billion pounds a year in today's value,but was he actually happy? Apparently,...yes, he was ecstatic.



31 inch blade measured across the curve. No scabbard  read more

Code: 22647

A Beautiful 17th-18th Century Sikh Tulwar With Gold Inlaid Royal Hilt & Seal Stamped Blade, With Double Crescent Armourer’s Marks. It Has Just Returned From Expert Museum Grade Conservation, Polishing & Etching of The Blade To Reveal Its Stunning Pattern

The tulwar hilt is covered in pure gold Koftgari decoration. superb hybrid wootz Damascus shamshir blade with square seal mark and twin crescent armourer's mark to the blade. It has now returned from a no expense spared museum grade conservation and polish that has revealed its absolutely stunning hybrid wootz Damascus grain. The blade was not removed from the gold hilt, so the blade polishing had started below the hilt, in order to maintain its historical integrity. The beauty of this wonderful historical sword and blade is breathtaking in its combination of opulence and subtlety. The blade has a wondrous and elegant deep curvature, that joined with its material beauty is a joy to behold. It would have been a credit to the former Dr Leo S.Figial Collection that, until it’s auction and dispersal in 1998 at Butterfields Auction, was one of the finest in the world outside of any national museum.

Persian: شمشیر (type, which refers to a Persian or Iranian sword with a radical curve. The name is derived from the shamshīr, which means “lion’s claw or lions tale” in the Persian language – pointing towards the curve of the blade. These types of blades are normally used for slashing unarmored opponents either on foot or mounted; while the tip could be used for thrusting. In India, the term ‘Goliya’ (meaning circle) was used to describe these types of blades; referring to their curve.

The Tulwar had historically been the quintessential combat sword used by Sikhs as their sacred kirpan due to its superior handling while mounted on horseback. With a curved blade optimized for cutting and slashing with sweeping cuts delivered from the shoulder by a horseman the curved blade of the tulwar could strike repeated blows without the danger of the blade getting stuck in bone or armour. It allowed for fierce slashing on all sides cutting through enemy formations while mounted on horseback.

This tulwar has a curved blade of approximately 76cm in length with a graduating blade where it eventually begins its taper to the point. With its curved blade the point of the sword cannot be very effectively used for thrusting and the Tulwars defensive capabilities are limited. In this circumstance defence was taken up by using the shield (Dhal) in tandem with the Tulwar as an integral duo on the battlefield.

The blade was firmly attached to the hilt of the Tulwar commonly using a heated paste of lac or red dye from the papal tree which when it hardened provided a solid and effective adhesive between the two parts of the sword.

The hilt of the Tulwar has a button on top and a circular dished pommel disk featuring the koftgari design patterns of flowers in pure hammered gold. The grip of the Tulwar below the pommel disk narrows at the top and bottom while bulging out in the middle. The crossguard between the grip and the blade features two short but very thick rounded quillions. The index finger could be wrapped around a quillion rather than the grip providing the swordsman with extra maneuverability of the sword. Some Tulwars feature a knuckle guard extending from the quillion to the pommel disk, while others do not, both styles of Tulwars were commonly used by Sikhs.
The pure gold inlay upon the hilt is worn as is often the case due to its great age, but much still remains to show it wondrous quality and former royal status. The blade is now once more in superb condition for its age.

Guru Hargobind, { Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji } the 6th Sikh Guru is said to have always carried two such gold hilted Tulwars, representing his temporal and spiritual authority. They both had gold onlaid hilts just as this sword. It is possible, however slim, this sword may have been even the side arm of a member of the great Sikh Guru’s Darbar {court}. Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji was the first Sikh Guru to engage in warfare.
Guru HarGobind Ji excelled in matters of the state and his Darbar (Court) was noted for its splendor. The arming and training of some of his devoted followers began, and once the Guru came to possess seven hundred horses, his Risaldari (Army) grew to three hundred horsemen and sixty gunners. Additionally, five hundred men from the Majha area of Punjab were recruited as infantry. Guru HarGobind Ji built a fortress at Amritsar called Lohgarh (Fortress of Steel). He had his own flag and a war-drum which was beaten twice a day. Those who had worked to have Guru Arjan destroyed now turned their attention and efforts to convincing Jahangir that the Lohgarh fort, the Akal Takhat, and the growing Risaldari army were all intended to allow Guru HarGobind Ji to one day take revenge for his father's unjust death.  read more

Code: 25574

A Magnificent 18th Century Silver Hilted Small Sword, Dated 1758, with Colichmarde Blade. This Is One Of The Most Beautiful To Be Seen

A combination of the finest 18th century artisan's skill of both a silversmith and bespoke swordsmith. Circa 1758 and IC , probably John Carman of London.

General George Washington, later the first President of the United States, had a very similar sword that he used during his service as commander of the new American Army in the American War of Independance from 1776 onwards

Ideal in its day for duelling or close quarter combat, as well as being a simply fabulous, finest quality sword of immense beauty. Fine cast and chased silver hilt in the elegant rococo style with double shell guard single knucklebow and pas dans. The grip is bound in its original twisted silver wire. The guard has enchanting and highest quality workmanship with a scrolling, pierced, rococo shell pattern with florid embellishments thoughout. Colishmarde blade with bright steel finish. The highly distinctive colishmarde blades appeared in 1680 and were popular during the next 40 years at the royal European courts. The colichemarde bladed swords had a special popularity with the officers of the French and Indian War period. Even George Washington had a very fine one just as this example.

The colichemarde descended from the so-called "transition rapier", which appeared because of a need for a lighter sword, better suited to parrying. It was not so heavy at its point; it was shorter and allowed a limited range of double time moves.The colichemarde in turn appeared as a thrusting blade too and also with a good parrying level, hence the strange, yet successful shape of the blade.

This sword appeared at about the same time as the foil. However the foil was created for practising fencing at court, while the colichemarde was created for dueling. With the appearance of pocket pistols as a self-defense weapon, the colichemardes found an even more extensive use in dueling.
This was achieved thanks to a wide forte (often with several fullers), which then stepped down in width after the fullers ended.The result of this strange shape was a higher maneuverability of the sword: with the weight of the blade concentrated in one's hand it became possible to maneuver the blade at a greater speed and with a higher degree of control, allowing the fencer to place a precise thrust at his/her adversary. This sword is a true work of art, in it's beauty form, quality and balance.

The small sword or smallsword is a light one-handed rapier type sword designed for thrusting which evolved out of the longer and heavier rapier (espada ropera) of the late Renaissance. The height of the small sword's popularity was during the 18th century, when any civilian or military, with pretensions to gentlemanly status would have worn a small sword on a daily basis.

The blade of a small sword is comparatively short at around 0.6 to 0.85 metres (24 to 33 in), though some reach over 1 metre (39 in). It usually tapers to a sharp point but may lack a cutting edge. It is typically triangular in cross-section, although some of the early examples still have the rhombic and spindle-shaped cross-sections inherited from older weapons, like the rapier. This triangular cross-section may be hollow ground for additional lightness. Many small swords of the period between the 17th and 18th centuries were found with colichemarde blades.

It is thought to have appeared in France and spread quickly across the rest of Europe. The small sword was the immediate predecessor of the French duelling sword (from which the épée developed) and its method of use—as typified in the works of such authors as Sieur de Liancour, Domenico Angelo, Monsieur J. Olivier and Monsieur L'Abbat—developed into the techniques of the French classical school of fencing. The small sword was mainly used as a duelling weapon.

Militarily, small swords continued to be used as a standard sidearm for infantry officers.Small swords were used both by the military (where they served more as a sign of a certain rank rather than a real weapon for close combat) and as a dueling weapon. The very height of the small sword's widespread popularity was in the 18th century, when it was considered fashionable by aristocrats ("no gentleman was dressed without his sword" – contemporary idiom of the middle of the 18th century), but it was still used as a duelling weapon

John Carman (II) was indentured to his father on 19 June 1736 at the age of fourteen. He was elected Master of the Cutlers' Company in 1761 and died in 1764 at the age of 41.  read more

Code: 24952