A Rare, Superb and Impressive Original British or American 24-Pounder Naval Cannon Ball Souvenir of the War of 1812. The Round Shot Cannon Ball Is Indistinguishable Between US or British Fired 24 Pounders

This cast iron ball, a battle souvenir from the War of 1812, was a form of ammunition that could wreak havoc when shot from a cannon and blasted across the decks or into the hulls of warships in the late 18th and 19th centuries. And the 24 pounder was the most prolific cannon of the US Navy fleet in the War of 1812, and a main or secondary armament of the Royal Navy, depending on the rating of the vessel. This shot was returned to England and unloaded when the HMS Terror and its sister ship returned from the Fort McHenry bombardment, {part of Admiral Cochrane’s fleet} and they removed their unfired 90 pounder 10 inch mortars.

The solid shot balls were made to fit both Amarican and British 24 pounder cannon, so it may have been an unfired British shot aboard a British ship, or, an American ball that impacted once fired by a 24 pounder from an American frigate. There are numerous accounts of ‘at sea’ ship repairs, after naval engagements, where vessels of both sides removed from their hulls impacted shot that failed to penetrate the thick solid oak .

A brief resume of the War of 1812 at Baltimore;

With Washington in ruins, the British next set their sights on Baltimore, then America’s third-largest city. Moving up the Chesapeake Bay to the mouth of the Patapsco River, they plotted a joint attack on Baltimore by land and water. On the morning of September 12, General Ross’s troops landed at North Point, Maryland, and progressed towards the city. They soon encountered the American forward line, part of an extensive network of defences established around Baltimore in anticipation of the British assault. During the skirmish with American troops, General Ross, so successful in the attack on Washington, was killed by a sharpshooter. Surprised by the strength of the American defences, British forces camped on the battlefield and waited for nightfall on September 13, planning to attempt another attack under cover of darkness.

Meanwhile, Britain’s naval force, buoyed by its earlier successful attack on Alexandria, Virginia, was poised to strike Fort McHenry and enter Baltimore Harbour. At 6:30 AM on September 13, 1814, Admiral Cochrane’s ships began a 25-hour bombardment of the fort. Rockets whistled through the air and burst into flame wherever they struck. Mortars fired 10- and 13-inch bombshells that exploded overhead in showers of fiery shrapnel. It is said many exploded too soon as the fuses were set too short, which created the firework effect. Major Armistead, commander of Fort McHenry and its defending force of one thousand troops, ordered his men to return fire, but their guns couldn’t reach the enemy’s ships. When British ships advanced on the afternoon of the 13th, however, American gunners badly damaged them, forcing them to pull back out of range. All through the night, Armistead’s men continued to hold the fort, refusing to surrender. That night British attempts at a diversionary attack also failed, and by dawn they had given up hope of taking the city. At 7:30 on the morning of September 14, Admiral Cochrane called an end to the bombardment, and the British fleet withdrew. The successful defense of Baltimore marked a turning point in the War of 1812. Three months later, on December 24, 1814, the Treaty of Ghent formally ended the war. "The Star-Spangled Banner" is the national anthem of the United States. The lyrics come from the "Defence of Fort M'Henry", a poem written on September 14, 1814, by 35-year-old lawyer and amateur poet Francis Scott Key after witnessing the bombardment of Fort McHenry by British ships of the Royal Navy in Baltimore Harbour during the Battle of Baltimore in the War of 1812. Key was inspired by the large U.S. flag, with 15 stars and 15 stripes, known as the Star-Spangled Banner, flying triumphantly above the fort during the U.S. victory. During the bombardment, HMS Terror and HMS Meteor provided some of the "bombs bursting in air".

Long guns, so-called because of their longer barrels, loaded with 24-pound balls (or shot) were referred to as “24-pounder long guns.” The weight of the ball combined with the length of the gun was an efficient and effective weapon used by many maritime nations at the time. Larger ships-of-the-line in the Royal Navy carried such guns as their secondary battery, but both British and American large frigates carried the 24-pounders as their primary battery.

A naval 24-pounder, which was the primary gun on board early U.S. Navy vessels during the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812. The U.S.S. Constitution carried thirty 24-pounder guns on her gun deck below the spar deck, which carried twenty-four 32-pounder carronades. Photo 3 in the gallery is from aboard the USS Constitution, where one can see, likely, a 30 pounder ball alongside a 24 pounder. The guns were mounted in naval carriages, which were sometimes painted green, black, red, or brown, but more than likely left in their natural wood, but treated with a protective varnish that had a slight red-brown hue. All 24-pounder cannon made in the United States were cast from iron as tin and copper were not assessable natural resources at the time, so they were painted black to prevent rust. Even the bores were painted black with a scrub brush on a rod. At sea they were cleaned and painted often. Iron 24-pounder guns actually weighed some 300 pounds lighter than their bronze or brass contemporaries. The dimensions for a heavy 24-pounder are: Length: 9 ft. 6 in.; Weight: 5,488 pounds; Calibre of gun: 5.83 in.; Calibre of projectile: 5.54 in.; Weight of charge: 4 to 6 pounds; Types of projectiles: 24 pound round shot, grape shot, chain shot, and case or canister shot; Range: 300 - 400 yards.  read more

Code: 25852

A Superb Vintage, Wartime, British Military Surgeon's Campaign Set, A Nickel Plated Medical Instrument Cylinder, With In-Built High Pressure Sterilizer

With numerous tools, scissors clamps etc., and cases for needles and blades, for principally bullet and shrapnel extractions. One instrument lacking. Superbly engineered, and a beautiful quality piece.

Maker marked by Brown of Leicester. It appears that the case may be designed to be pressure boil sterilized in the field of combat, with a pressure release type system built into the lid. The significance of military medicine for combat strength goes far beyond treatment of battlefield injuries; in every major war fought until the late 19th century disease claimed more soldier casualties than did enemy action. During the American Civil War (1860-65), for example, about twice as many soldiers died of disease as were killed or mortally wounded in combat. The Franco-Prussian War (1870-71) is considered to have been the first conflict in which combat injury exceeded disease, at least in the German coalition army which lost 3.47% of its average headcount to combat and only 1.82% to disease. In new world countries, such as Australia, New Zealand, the United States and Canada, military physicians and surgeons contributed significantly to the development of civilian health care.

Improvements in military medicine have increased the survival rates in successive wars, due to improvements in medical evacuation, battlefield medicine and trauma care. Similar improvements have been seen in the trauma practices during the Iraq war. Some military trauma care practices are disseminated by citizen soldiers who return to civilian practice. One such practice is where major trauma patients are transferred to an operating theater as soon as possible, to stop internal bleeding, increasing the survival rate. Within the United States, the survival rate for gunshot wounds has increased, leading to apparent declines in the gun death rate in states that have stable rates of gunshot hospitalizations  read more

Code: 22685

A Very Rare Fabulous, Original Battle of Waterloo Recovered 12 Pounder Explosive French 'Gribeauval' Cannon Ball. Fired by What Napoleon Called His "Beautiful Daughters" Likely From The Grand Battery Pounding Mont St Jean

Recovered from the time of excavation of the battle field site of Waterloo for the construction of the 'Waterloo Mound' in the 1820's, constructed to hold the massive lion statue, to commemorate the Prince of Orange's contribution to the battle. The mound is frequently believed to be far more impressive than the prince's actual efforts as the commander of his men during the battle.
Obviously a miss-fired explosive French cannon ball that failed to detonate.

At the Battle of Waterloo in 1815, the French army, under Napoleon's command, utilized the 12-pounder Gribeauval cannon. This cannon, which fired a 12-pound round shot, and explosive ball, was a mainstay of the French artillery and a key component of Napoleon's forces. The Gribeauval system, including the 12-pounder, was known for its lighter weight compared to other artillery of the time, contributing to the French army's mobility.

The 12-pounder Gribeauval cannon was a field artillery piece that fired a 12-pound (approximately 5.4 kg) round shot. It was also capable of firing other projectiles like grapeshot, canister shot, explosive Howitzer type, and later, shells.

Napoleon favoured the Gribeauval system, including the 12-pounder, calling it his "beautiful daughters". He valued its lighter weight, which allowed for greater maneuverability on the battlefield.
Waterloo Deployment:
At Waterloo, the French artillery, including the 12-pounders, played a significant role, though the battle's outcome was ultimately determined by other factors. While the exact number of 12-pounders deployed at Waterloo is debated, historical accounts mention batteries of 12-pounders being used to bombard Wellington's lines.
British 12-pounders:
It's also worth noting that the British, under Wellington's command, also used 12-pounder guns, although they were heavier than the French Gribeauval system.

The battle involved a significant amount of artillery fire from both sides. Solid shot, like that fired from the 12-pounders, was a powerful weapon capable of inflicting serious damage on troops and fortifications,

We know from his Memoirs that Napoleon ordered at 11am that the 12-pounder batteries of II and VI Corps would mass with that of the I Corps, that these 24 guns would bombard the troops holding Mont St Jean and that Comte d’Erlon would commence the attack, by first launching his left division, and when necessary, supporting it by the other divisions of the I Corps. Now, this established a battery of 18 x 12 pounders and 6 x 6 inch howitzers to batter Wellington’s line in advance of Mont St Jean.

Empty safe and inert.  read more

Code: 25842

A Most Rare, 'Trench Art', .55 Boys Anti Tank Rifle Round 1942, Converted Into a Soldier's Desert Rat Period Campaign Cigarette Lighter

As you might be aware, being a militaria and specialist bookshop for over 100 years we have had all manner of examples of ‘trench art’. It is known principally for artefacts and souvenirs made by our boys in the trenches of the first world war, and later in the second. Small pieces of military, discharged kit, artillery shell cases, bullet shell cases, and simply pieces of brass metal that were ‘hanging around, could be converted, with a little skill and effort, into useful or decorative items, for the folks back home. The creation all manner of curious pieces were constructed, from paperknives, butter knives, miniature tanks, to planes, miniature hats, dinner gongs, or armoured cars. in fact all manner of souvenirs for their loved ones. A relatively popular item was the petrol cigarette lighter, which was mostly made for their own immediate use, usually created from discharged bullets, or very small shellcases. They were no doubt extremely useful, in fact pretty much vital, especially during the privations of life in the wet and intolerable confines of a trench, in the days where smoking was nigh on compulsory.
Trench art continued to be made into the Second World War, but was not made in the same quantities as it was in WW1. The Second World War war was far more mobile, and not static as it was in the first world war, with little or no ‘down time’, unlike WW1, what with areas of trenches being maintained and occupied by soldiers of both sides, sometimes for months or even years on end.
Over the years we have seen many types of lighter but a Boys tank bullet converted to a lighter has to be one of the rarest we’ve seen, in fact I can’t remember the last one, it has possibly even as long as 40 to 50 years ago.
A .55 Boys Mark 2 Anti-Tank Rifle.55 Boys Mark 2 1942 Dated Anti-Tank Rifle Round, converted to use as a piece of functional, servicemen's, 'trench art', a useful lighter on campaign. The rifle developed by Captain H C Boys, a designer at the Royal Small Arms Factory, Enfield resulting in the .55 Boys anti-tank rifle being adopted in 1937. Although the round was adequate against light tanks in the early part of the war, the Boys was ineffective against heavier armour and was phased out in favour of the PIAT mid-war. During the early campaigns, like Norway and France, the Boys performed adequately against the thinly armored Panzer I, II and IIIs. The first German tanks knocked out by British troops were by a Boys during the Norwegian campaign. Sergeant Major John Sheppard of the 1/5th Battalion, Leicestershire Regiment (TA) was deployed near the village of Tretten to help protect the right flank when three German Panzers approached his position. Taking up the Platoon’s Boys, which he had never used before, Sheppard fired three rounds into each tank, knocking out two of them and making the rest third retreat. For his actions that day, which helped keep the right flank of the British position solid, he was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal.The Boys anti-tank rifle was a bolt action rifle fed from a five-shot magazine, loaded by means of a 5 round stripper clip. The rifle was large, heavy with a bipod at the front and a separate grip below the padded butt. The Boys anti tank gun was also made in Canada and sold to America, we sold it to Russia, and Finland, and many thousands were captured at Dunkirk by the German's and issued by their special anti tank units. See photos in the gallery of the British Desert Rats using in against Rommel in Africa, the Finns using it against the Russians in the Finish Russian Winter War, and by the Germans in WW2. Not suitable top export due to bullet shape.  read more

Code: 24019

German WW2 Combat Engineer's Short Wire Cutter's

Combat Pioneer personnel, (Engineers), were issued assorted specialized equipment designed to meet their needs as the spearhead troops tasked with destroying enemy obstacles and creating forward defensive positions for their own troops in the face of the enemy. Each Division in the German Army and the Waffen-SS, (Armed-SS), had an organic Pionier, (Combat Engineer), battalion that consisted of personnel specially trained in destroying enemy obstacles, creating forward defensive positions, bridging and assault tactics.
As the spearhead troops the Engineers were issued with assorted specialized equipment including assault packs, pick axes, saws, long handle shovels, wire cutters, explosive tool kits and other construction and demolition equipment. The Combat Engineer's equipment also included a wide variety of assorted demolition charges, anti-personnel and anti-vehicles mines along with the appropriate detonators, igniters and timers. The Combat Engineers were utilized two, different models of wire cutters enabling personnel to cut through barbwire entanglements. The wire cutters came in both a short and a long model and both were issue with a specific carrying case that was to be worn on the load carrying waist belt.  read more

Code: 23360

A Superb, Antique, Meteoric Steel Kris With Singularly Beautiful Blade of Meteorite Steel. The Metalurgical Graining in The Blade Is Absolutely Spectacular

Made with laminate steel and pamor and likely with metal from a meteorite. An old, 18th century Bali Keris [or Kris] with a superbly sculpted serpentine seven wave blade bearing pamor wos wutah. The old wrongko is the batun form in the South Bali style, it is made from an outstanding piece of timoho. The old bondolan hilt is from well patterned timoho wood and is fitted with an old wewer set with pastes.
This keris displays impeccable blade quality in a scabbard of beautifully marked timoho wood and is an outstanding example of the Balinese keris. Pamor is the pattern of white lines appearing on the blade. Kris blades are forged by a technique known as pattern welding, one in which layers of different metals are pounded and fused together while red hot, folded or twisted, adding more different metals, pounded more and folded more until the desired number of layers are obtained. The rough blade is then shaped, filed and sometimes polished smooth before finally acid etched to bring out the contrasting colors of the low and high carbon metals. The traditional Indonesian weapon allegedly endowed with religious and mystical powers. With probably a traditional Meteorite laminated iron blade with hammered nickel for the contrasting pattern. Traditionally the pamor material for the kris smiths connected with the courts of Yogyakarta and Surakarta originates from an iron meteorite that fell to earth at the end of 18th century in the neighborhood of the Prambanan temple complex. The meteorite was excavated and transported to the keraton of Surakarta; from that time on the smiths of Vorstenlanden (the Royal territories) used small pieces of meteoric iron to produce pamor patterns in their kris, pikes, and other status weapons. After etching the blade with acidic substances, it is the small percentage of nickel present in meteoric iron that creates the distinctive silvery patterns that faintly light up against the dark background of iron or steel that become darkened by the effect of the acids.  read more

Code: 22611

A King George IVth Police Tipstaff The Very First Truncheon Issued To Metropolitan Police In The Year of Formation in 1829.

With areas of painted finish lacking. Traditional of uppermost cylindrical form with a turned grip.

The 18th century had been a rough and disorderly age, with mob violence, violent crimes, highwaymen, smugglers and the new temptations to disorder brought about by the Industrial Revolution.

Clearly something had to be done.
In 1829 the Metropolitan Police Force, organised by Sir Robert Peel, was established to keep the order in London.
The force, under a Commissioner of the Police with headquarters at Scotland Yard, was essentially a civilian one: its members were armed only with wooden truncheons and at first wore top-hats and blue frock-coats. The "Peelers" or "Bobbies" were greeted largely with derision by Londoners, but they did become accepted fairly quickly. Their primary purpose, in those days, was to prevent crime, and some London criminals left their haunting grounds of London for the larger provincial towns, which in turn established their own forces on the Metropolitan model. The pattern followed through to the small villages and countryside. To secure co-operation between the spreading network and establish further forces,

Parliament passed an act in 1856 to co-ordinate the work of the various forces and gave the Home Secretary the power to inspect them. In the counties, under the Police Act of 1890, the police became the combined responsibility of the local authorities - the County Councils - and the Justice of the Peace, while in London, the Metropolitan Police at Scotland Yard remained under the Commissioner appointed by the Home Office. At the turn of the century, the British police force established a reputation for humane and kindly efficiency.
Their mere existence undoubtedly did a lot to prevent crime, and they built up what was on the whole a highly effective system of investigation and arrest, that lasted for just over 120 years. However, as Heraclitus, a Greek philosopher, expressing the idea of impermanence around 500 BC once remarked
"Nothing is permanent except change".  read more

Code: 16913

South American 19th Century Brazilian ‘Faca De Ponta’ Fighting Knife Rare Antique Brazilian Cangaceiros Faca De Ponta Lampiao Bandit Dagger Knife.

Intersperced discs of carved bone and horn handle. Good maker mark logo of a prancing pony. Although made earlier they are now called after the early 20th century bandit leader. Lampiao became associated with an established bandit leader, Sebastiao Pereira. After only a few months of operating together, in 1922, Pereira decided to retire from banditry; he moved to the State of Goias and lived there peacefully into advanced old age. Lampiao then took over leadership of the remnants of Pereira's band. For the next 16 years, he led his band of cangaceiros, which varied greatly in number from around a dozen to up to a hundred, in a career of large-scale banditry through seven states of the Brazilian Northeast.

Depending on the terrain and other conditions, the bandits operated either on horseback or on foot. They were heavily armed, and wore leather outfits, including hats, jackets, sandals, ammunition belts, and trousers, to protect them from the thorns of the caatinga, the dry shrub and brushwood typical of the dry hinterland of Brazil's Northeast. The police and soldiers stationed in the backlands often dressed in an identical manner; on more than one occasion Lampiao impersonated a police officer, especially when moving into a new area of operations, in order to gain information.

The firearms and ammunition of the cangaceiros were mostly stolen, or acquired by bribery, from the police and paramilitary units and consisted of Mauser military rifles and a variety of small arms including Winchester rifles, revolvers and the prized Luger and Mauser semi-automatic pistols.

A strange and contradictory piety ran through Lampiao's psyche: while robbing and killing people, he also prayed regularly and reverenced the Church and priests. He wore many religious symbols on his person; presumably, he invested them with talismanic qualities. Like many others in the region he particularly revered Padre Cicero, the charismatic priest of Juazeiro. He was noted for his loyalty to those he befriended or to whom he owed a debt of gratitude. He generously rewarded his followers and those of the population who shielded or materially helped him (coiteros), and he was entirely reliable if he gave his word of honour. Lampiao was capable of acts of mercy and even charity, however, he systematically used terror to achieve his own survival. His enmity, once aroused, was implacable and he killed many people merely because they had an association with someone who had displeased him. He is recorded as having said "If you have to kill, kill quickly. But for me killing a thousand is just like killing one". For the cangaceiros murder was not only casual, they took pride in their efficiency in killing. They were excellent shots and were skilled in the use of long, narrow knives (nicknamed peixeiras - "fish-filleters") which could be used to dispatch a man quickly.

Lampiao's band attacked small towns and farms in seven states, took hostages for ransom, extorted money by threats of violence, tortured, fire-branded, and maimed; it has been claimed that they killed over 1,000 people and 5,000 head of cattle and raped over 200 women. The band fought the police over 200 times and Lampiao was wounded six times. 11 inches long overall
No scabbard  read more

Code: 20875

Set of German WW2 Revierforster Rank Collar Tabs

This is a set of third reich period German Revierforster rank shoulder boards in the Forestry Service, a favourite of Reich Marshal Goring. The tabs are constructed forest-green woolen backer. The obverse of the tabs are ordained with extremely fine, high quality, silver aluminum twisted wire in the shape of two vertically positioned oak leaves in the centre of the tab, with a twig of three leafs in the bottom left and right corners. Both tabs are edged on all four sides with fine quality twisted wire fastened to the sides using invisible green threads.  read more

Code: 20884

A ERII Royal Naval Officers Sword & Scabbard. Queen Elizabeth Cypher Blade & Traditional Queen's Crown Fouled Anchor Naval Pattern Hilt

Beatifully etched mirror bright with counter frosted design of ERII cypher, Royal naval devices design of oak leaf with acorn and rope design, fouled anchor. Traditional triple wire bound faux shagreen grip, brass mounted leather scabbard.

Overall in excellent condition. Ideal for a current or future serving Royal naval officer.

The two most frequently encountered designs within the hilt are the St Edward’s Crown and the Tudor Crown. In the former of these, the arches supporting the orb and Cross are depressed towards the centre. This design, often termed a Queen’s Crown by collector, has been used as the regal crown by Queen Elizabeth II, Queen Victoria and the monarchs preceding her. The arches of the Tudor Crown rise towards the centre to support the orb and crown. This design was used by Edward VII, George V, Edward VIII and George VI. Collectors often refer to this as a King’s Crown. The Sovereign chooses the regal crown pattern as it was chosen by Prince Charles on his accession to king.

The sword was possibly retailed by Crisp and Son before their closure around 7 years past  read more

Code: 25851