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 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

An 18th Long, Boot or Cloak Sword

Cast brass hilt with relief figural decoration, and hawthorn wood grip. Steel rapier blade with engraving and deep fuller. Circa 1750. The knuckle bow and guard have been purposefully removed and the hilt re-attached. We had one quite similar, around 20 years ago, which came with an old article from a Connoisseur journal, It described, what was called, a boot or cloak sword. In the days of the threat by highwaymen, when a gentleman may have the need to consistently travel from town to town on horseback, but not by mail coach, a constant traveler might adapt a sword that could be easily slotted into knee high riding boots, or slipped into an especially constructed sleeve inside a riding cloak. For in wet and inclement weather a gentleman's flintlock pistol could not function, so without a sword for protection he was dangerously defenseless. Naturally a standard rapier short sword would be more normal, but on occasion, a gentleman that traveled constantly, or journeyed on perilous pursuits [such as a revenue man] might require a more concealable sword that would be far more easily manageable on both horseback or on foot. It also has the unique advantage of being eminently useable as a short distance spear type weapon, as it's weight balance is now very effective for that alternate purpose. 29.75 inches long overall  read more

Code: 13663

A WW2 German Druck Zunder 35 Fuse

Stamped “dkt 4”. This fuse was used on a variety of German mines including Anti Personnel, Behelfs Brettstckmine, Aluminium AT mines, Haft Hohlladung 3, and several improvised mines and demolition charges, also used as the main igniter in the heavy antitank mine M35610/99. Good condition. This is inert legal and safe to own in the UK. Not suitable for export  read more

Code: 23589

An Officer's Cap Badge of the Northamptonshire Regt. WW2

In silver metal and gilt. With battle honour scrolls of Gibralter and Talavera. Silver coloured metal, not hallmarked English silver.  read more

Code: 10897

A Magnificent Life Size Carving of A Samurai Warrior, by Woodcarver and Artist, Danny Reinhold

We are delighted to show the completed and most remarkable work of art, created and owned by Danny Reinhold of Germany, a most talented young man. We were very happy to assist him in a very small way, and he was very kind to acknowledge our assistance in his video.

His you tube film of making his armour can be watched through this link. Copy and Paste
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zwT6lZZoC0

It took Danny 2500 hours, he constructed it with 12000 pieces, each hand carved and finished by hand, using 23 kinds of wood plus bone.

It is a simply stunning and a remarkable feat, and worthy of the highest praise

Not for sale  read more

Code: 23572

Beautiful European Topographic Watercolour of A Castle on The Rhine 19th C.

In the British romantic landscape style, beautifully executed with fine skill, not far removed in quality by the greatest exponant of the art of watercolours, Joseph Mallord Willam Turner who is said laid the foundation for Impressionism. This is a beautiful Victorian English School watercolour, superbly executed. It is titled but unsigned, possibly by William Callow 1812-1908
Callow was a landscape, architectural and marine artist. He taught in Paris and was appointed drawing master to the family of Louis Phillippe who was King of France between 1830 and 1848. Callow was elected to the Royal Soc. of Painters in Water Colours in 1848. 7 X 9.5 inches, Frame 18.25 x 15.25 inches  read more

Code: 16919

A Koto to Shinto Period Katana Tsuba In Iron Pierced With Stylized Birds

The piercing has been outlined with a borderline of inlaid brass. Circa 1600. Tsuba were made by whole dynasties of craftsmen whose only craft was making tsuba. They were usually lavishly decorated. In addition to being collectors items, they were often used as heirlooms, passed from one generation to the next. Japanese families with samurai roots sometimes have their family crest (mon) crafted onto a tsuba. Tsuba can be found in a variety of metals and alloys, including iron, steel, brass, copper and shakudo. In a duel, two participants may lock their katana together at the point of the tsuba and push, trying to gain a better position from which to strike the other down. This is known as tsubazeriai pushing tsuba against each other.  read more

Code: 20313

Wonderous Pieces Added Every Day & There is Probably Nowhere Else In The World You Can View Such Fabulous Wonders, & Where Everything Is For Sale

Under one roof, from a rare American Civil War Revolver used in the U.S. Navy, and by cavalry of both the North and the South. An Original, Huge, WW2 Shell from A German King Tiger Tank, to an Original Imperial Roman Legionary’s Gladius, to a Museum Quality Samurai Sword by on of the great makers of early Japan. These past three weeks we have added, and are still adding, original, ancient classical edged weapons, from Rome, Carthage, Persia, Greece, and Scandinavia, from fine English collection/s [acquired in the 1990’s or before] including; a 2000 year old gladius from the time of Julius Caesar to Augustus to Nero. A museum grade 1000+ year old Viking chieftain [king] or earl’s [jarl] sword inlaid with knotwork silver inlay. A bronze and iron Archemeanid sword from the time of the Greco-Persian wars of Xerxes the Great against the Spartans at Thermopylae. An Imperial Roman 1st century ring, the type as worn by the Imperial Pretorian Guard with the symbol of a lion, from the time of the Emperors Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius and Nero. A superb 3rd to 4th century BC Falcata sword similar to the Greek Kopis, the sword used by Hannibal’s army in the 2nd Punic War and his invasion of Rome across the Alps, and a 3rd Century Imperial Roman Sword, from the time of Emperor Constantine and the Battle of Cibalae. Plus a remarkable 1066 period Original Norman Iron Four Plate Helmet, [as Seen Depicted in the world famous so-called Bayeux Tapestry] & two early Books, one, an original 5th century Roman treatise on Roman warfare, and 18th Century biography on 18th century Warfare. Plus, as usual, many more pieces of historical interest.  read more

Code: 23533