Antique Arms & Militaria

A Superb, Victorian, Scottish Lord Lieutenant's Belt Plate and Silver Bullion, Belt and Sword Straps. Queen Victoria's Personal Representative in Scotland When She Was Not Available

Belt. Silver bullion belt backed with morocco leather, silver scrolling thistle pattern to the silver lace brocade belt. Since 1831 this has been analogous to the uniform worn by a General Staff Officer, but with silver lace in place of the gold worn by Regular General officers. The Lord-Lieutenant is the British monarch's personal representative in each county of the United Kingdom. Historically, the Lord-Lieutenant was responsible for organising the county's militia. Lieutenants were first appointed to a number of English counties by King Henry VIII in the 1540s, when the military functions of the sheriff were handed over to him. He raised and was responsible for the efficiency of the local militia units of the county, and afterwards of the yeomanry, and volunteers. He was commander of these forces, whose officers he appointed. These commissions were originally of temporary duration, and only when the situation required the local militia to be specially supervised and well prepared; often where invasion by Scotland or France might be expected.

Lieutenancies soon became more organised, probably in the reign of his successor King Edward VI, their establishment being approved by the English parliament in 1550. However, it was not until the threat of invasion by the forces of Spain in 1585 that lieutenants were appointed to all counties and counties corporate and became in effect permanent. Although some counties were left without lieutenants during the 1590s, following the defeat of the Spanish Armada, the office continued to exist, and was retained by King James I even after the end of the Anglo-Spanish War.

The office was abolished under the Commonwealth, but was re-established following the Restoration under the City of London Militia Act 1662, which declared that:


The King's most Excellent Majesty, his Heirs and Successors, shall and may from Time to Time, as Occasion shall require, issue forth several Commissions of Lieutenancy to such Persons as his Majesty, his Heirs and Successors, shall think fit to be his Majesty's Lieutenants for the several and respective Counties, Cities and Places of England and Dominion of Wales, and Town of Berwick upon Tweed.

Although not explicitly stated, from that date lieutenants were appointed to "counties at large", with their jurisdiction including the counties corporate within the parent county. For example, lieutenants of Devon in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries appointed deputy lieutenants to the City of Exeter, and were sometimes described as the "Lieutenant of Devon and Exeter" The origin of this anomaly may have lain in the former palatine status of Pembrokeshire.

The City of London was uniquely given a commission of lieutenancy, and was exempt from the authority of the lieutenant of Middlesex. The Constable of the Tower of London and the Warden of the Cinque Ports were ex-officio lieutenants for the Tower Hamlets and Cinque Ports respectively, which were treated as counties in legislation regarding lieutenancy and militia affairs.

The official title of the office at this time was His or Her Majesty's "Lieutenant for the county of ..", but as almost all office-holders were Peers of the realm, they were referred to as "Lord-Lieutenant".  read more

Code: 21339

An Exception Adams Pattern Antique 120 Bore Double Bullet Mould

A singularly fine piece in stunning original patina and it's original bluing to the steel sprue-cutter. This would be absolutely perfect for a cased 120 bore Adams revolver lacking it's mould. Also superb piece for collectors of fine English antique revolver accessories. You simply couldn't find a better example.  read more

Code: 17390

A Good Original Antique Nickel G &JW Hawksley Gun Case Oil Bottle

19th century Ideal for all kinds of cased pistols or long guns. Excellent condition. 3cm across [at widest] 5.5cm inches high  read more

Code: 17402

A Beautiful Antique African Tribal Art Carved Paddle-Spear Possiblt From The Itsekiri PeopleOr Even Benin

In carved native wood with geometric carving and piercing. This is a dance paddle of the kind used in ceremonies by the Itsekiri people of the Niger delta. The river was at the centre of tribal society and economy – it provided food and transport for the communities who lived in the area. Canoes were an extremely important part of traditional society and so the paddle was an important symbol for prosperity. Local people relied on the river for their quality of life and believed in water spirits. This paddle is decorated with intricate carving and may have been used in ceremonial dances. Alternatively, it may have been made for trading with Europeans as ethnic objects became fashionable possessions. Although African, like Oceanic art it is often infused with ancestral spirits, as well as spirits of water, air and land. These spirits are contacted in ceremonies to ensure fertility, or invoke protection from famine, disease or enemies.

Sometimes these invocations serve extremely practical purposes. There was a ceremony in Papua New Guinea where ancestral spirits were activated in a carved wooden crocodile. Men carrying the crocodile were then led, like people holding a divining rod are led, to the home of a local murderer.
African and Oceanic art is not only made for decoration. It is made to be used as a tool in the culture. In the 20th century, Cubist painters, and especially Surrealists, were moved by the power of Oceanic abstractions, as they were by traditional African art. This wonderful piece would make a stunning additional display of object d’art in any setting, albeit traditional or contemporary  read more

Code: 17934

3 Neolithic Stone Age 'Scraper' Flints around 5000 Years Old

3 Parts of Stone Age Scraper Group. Hand knapped by a Stone Age person in Britain around 5000 years ago, from whole flints to create three scraping tools.
Neolithic, 3rd millennium BC. From the Arthur Halcrow Versage collection, Reigate, Surrey, UK; discovered from Hallard’s Fen, Burwell, Cambridgeshire, in 1969. In the Neolithic period (later stone age) people started to settle down and start farming. At places such as Springfield Lyons, these early settlements have been identified. It was also at this time when stone tools, which up until this point had been purely functional, started to take on a more symbolic meaning. Polished stone axes and other tools that were never used have been found across the county, showing changes in social hierarchy and possibly even the development of religion. The Neolithic also known as the "New Stone Age", the final division of the Stone Age, began about 12,000 years ago when the first development of farming appeared in the Epipalaeolithic Near East, and later in other parts of the world. The division lasted until the transitional period of the Chalcolithic from about 6,500 years ago (4500 BC), marked by the development of metallurgy, leading up to the Bronze Age and Iron Age. In Northern Europe, the Neolithic lasted until about 1700 BC, while in China it extended until 1200 BC. Other parts of the world (the New World) remained in the Neolithic stage of development until European contact.

The Neolithic comprises a progression of behavioral and cultural characteristics and changes, including the use of wild and domestic crops and of domesticated animals.

The term Neolithic derives from the Greek neos and lithos "New Stone Age". The term was coined by Sir John Lubbock in 1865 as a refinement of the three-age system..
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Code: 23773

A Super, Antique Bronze Equestrian ' Horse Racing' Collectable

Ideal for the gentleman or lady with a passion for horse racing, horses or equine collectibles. In fine cast bronze, in the form of chamber stick. With a finely detailed relief design of a horse race, showing two race horses side by side with jockeys. With a mount for a matchbox, and a rear finger loop for holding and carrying.  read more

Code: 12519

An 18th Century Hallmarked Solid Silver Butt Cap For A Gentleman's Musket

Heavy guage, cast, King George IIIrd London silver, dated either 1769 or 1789 [difficult to tell exactly]. This would enhance a musket or fowling piece up to a whole new level, either as a replacement for a plain brass type, or to replace a missing example. 147.5 grams weight, butt 50mm x 124mm, butt tang 105mm  read more

Code: 17249

Every Original Purchase Comes With Our Unique Certificate of Authenticity

It will certify every piece as genuine, and further detail its area and era of use in its history, any conflicts and campaigns within which it may have been used, and all and any of its personal provenance if known.  read more

Code: 18577

A Rare 1696 Austrian States Hungarian Holy Roman Emperor Leopold Ist Silver 1/4 Thaler

Leopold I 1657-1705 1/4 thaler 1696
Description: Ag 1/4 thaler 1696
Obverse: Laureate bust of Leopold I right, all in
rhombus.
Reverse: Crowned double-headed eagle holding
sword and scepter, coat of arms on chest, in rhombus. KB Hogsmouth 1/4 Silver Thaler. Leopold I Hungary mounted in a silver collar brooch. Leopold I (full name: Leopold Ignaz Joseph Balthasar Felician; Hungarian: I. Lipót; 9 June 1640 – 5 May 1705) was Holy Roman Emperor, King of Hungary, Croatia, and Bohemia. The second son of Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor, by his first wife, Maria Anna of Spain, Leopold became heir apparent in 1654 by the death of his elder brother Ferdinand IV. Elected in 1658, Leopold ruled the Holy Roman Empire until his death in 1705, becoming the longest-ruling Habsburg emperor (46 years and 9 months).

Leopold's reign is known for conflicts with the Ottoman Empire in the Great Turkish War (1683-1699) and rivalry with Louis XIV, a contemporary and first cousin, in the west. After more than a decade of warfare, Leopold emerged victorious in the east thanks to the military talents of Prince Eugene of Savoy. By the Treaty of Karlowitz, Leopold recovered almost all of the Kingdom of Hungary, which had fallen under Turkish power in the years after the 1526 Battle of Mohács.

Leopold fought three wars against France: the Franco-Dutch War, the Nine Years' War, and the War of the Spanish Succession. In this last, Leopold sought to give his younger son Charles the entire Spanish inheritance, disregarding the will of the late Charles II. Leopold started a war that soon engulfed much of Europe. The early years of the war went fairly well for Austria, with victories at Schellenberg and Blenheim, but the war would drag on until 1714, nine years after Leopold's death, which barely had an effect on the warring nations. When peace returned with the Treaty of Rastatt, Austria could not be said to have emerged as triumphant as it had from the war against the Turks  read more

Code: 23615

A King George IIIrd Late 18th Century English Fowling Musket By Smith

For the exponent of gentlemanly pursuits. Fine walnut stock, percussion action converted from flintlock in the 1840's, steel furniture with pineapple form trigger guard finial and rear scroll. Hook breech quick release barrel with barrel key attachment. Good condition for age, fine working action. Small very old pitting area on barrel near breech, very slight scuff mark on stock at reverse of lock plate area. Throughout much of its history, hunting in England was an activity of the upper class. Legally, only land owners could hunt in England and the vast majority of the land was in large estates owned by the wealthy. To reduce poaching, the right of a person to own a gun was greatly restricted unless he was a landowner. Thus, ownership of a gun was not even a choice for the average British citizens. Moreover, deer hunting was further restricted to the royalty and generally carried out on horseback with dogs.

The wealthy British sportsmen of the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries were primarily interested in hunting various types of birds. Most of their arms were designed for wing shooting. Rifles were considered an oddity. In the book titled British Field Sports; William Henry Scott (1818) the author described rifle shooting as a ?nice and curious branch of gunnery.? Scott goes on to state that "Rifles ? were little known among us, in the first American War, when people were amused on this side of the water by the story of an American woodsman, who had actually shot an eagle with his rifle, when it was?out of sight, a thing by no means impossible."
Colonel Peter Hawker, one of the most prolific British hunters of the early nineteenth century, maintained detailed diaries relating to his hunting activities. Over the course of many seasons, Hawker shot more than ten thousand birds and other small game. Over the same period of time, Hawker harvested only three deer. Colonel Hawker records that the first time he ever fired a rifle was in June of 1813 (at the age of 27) in anticipation of shooting a deer which had been causing crop damage. (Colonel Hawker's Diary at page 74). As with all our antique guns no license is required as they are all unrestricted antique collectables  read more

Code: 20483