Solid Silver Hallmarked L.Z.127 Graf Zeppelin Airship Aerospace Medal 1929 World Flight Issue

FRIEDRICHSHAFEN, STADT Medal 1929 (stamped by Josef Bernhart) on the 1st world flight of the LZ 127 "Graf Zeppelin". Busts of Zeppelin and Eckener l. Rev: Zeppelin. Beautiful patina. 36mm; 25g excellent condition Edge stamped hallmark: PREUSS. STATE COIN. SILVER 900

The around-the-globe flight of the German-built and -operated hydrogen-filled airship began in August 1929 at Lakehurst Naval Air Station in New Jersey, where it ended 21 days, five hours and 31 minutes later after covering some 20,651 miles in four legs.

Sponsored in part by Newspaper baron William Randolph Hearst, one of the worlds most influential newspaper owners and also one of the richest men in the world, in his day. His notoriety was also subject to a biographical movie loosely based on his life, Citizen Kane, directed by Orson Welles. The result of which caused W.R.Hearst to spend many years trying, and in many ways succeeding, to destroy Orson Welles' career.

Costs for the flight were subsidized by the transport of souvenir mail to and from the stops in Lakehurst, Friedrichshafen, Tokyo, and Los Angeles, and these pieces are highly collectible today. 1929. it was originally owned and run by Deutsche Luftschiffahrts-Aktiengesellschaft German Airship Transportation Corporation Ltd But in 1935 Reich Minister of Aviation, Hermann Göring insisted that a new agency be created to extend Party control over LZ Group. A personal rivalry between Göring and Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels also played a role. Deutsche Zeppelin-Reederei was therefore incorporated on 22 March 1935 as a joint venture between Zeppelin Luftschiffbau, the Ministry of Aviation, and Deutsche Lufthansa.

LZ 127 Graf Zeppelin was a German passenger-carrying, hydrogen-filled rigid airship which flew from 1928 to 1937. It was designed and built to show that intercontinental airship travel was practicable. Its operational history included several long flights, such as a polar exploration mission, a round-the-world trip, trips to the Middle East and the Americas (operating five years of regular passenger and mail flights from Germany to Brazil), and latterly being used as a propaganda vehicle for the ruling Nazi Party. The airship was withdrawn from service following the Hindenburg disaster.

Although to most this piece looks like a coin, in Germany and also in France, medals could come in the table medal variety, not ever meant to be worn but for display in a table cabinet or mounted and framed. Awarded for the same reason as a medal made to be only worn on the person, as all British medals are.


Photo in the gallery of the medals with the armband of the Ortsgruppenleiter, from whom the medals came from all sold seperately  read more

Code: 24905

Solid Silver Hallmarked L.Z.127 Graf Zeppelin Airship Aerospace Medal 1928 Issue

Zeppelin Aerospace medal in solid siver.
Silver medal 1928 (J. Bernhart) Airship LZ 127 "Graf Zeppelin". Half-length portraits of Zeppelin and Eckener side by side to the left / Airship over ocean. Edge stamped hallmark: PREUSS. STATE COIN. SILVER 900 FINE. 36 mm, 24.37 g Fine patina,

L.Z.127 Graf Zeppelin airship medals, one awarded in 1928 the other 1929. Sold separately, acquired with the Ortsgruppenleiter's armband taken as war souvenirs in 1945, sadly the name of the NSDAP Ortsgruppenleiter and his medals was not noted at the time.

LZ127 it was originally owned and run by Deutsche Luftschiffahrts-Aktiengesellschaft German Airship Transportation Corporation Ltd But in 1935 Reich Minister of Aviation, Hermann Göring insisted that a new agency be created to extend Party control over LZ Group. A personal rivalry between Göring and Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels also played a role.Deutsche Zeppelin-Reederei was therefore incorporated on 22 March 1935 as a joint venture between Zeppelin Luftschiffbau, the Ministry of Aviation, and Deutsche Luft Hansa.

LZ 127 Graf Zeppelin was a German passenger-carrying, hydrogen-filled rigid airship which flew from 1928 to 1937. It was designed and built to show that intercontinental airship travel was practicable. Its operational history included several long flights, such as a polar exploration mission, a round-the-world trip, trips to the Middle East and the Americas (operating five years of regular passenger and mail flights from Germany to Brazil), and latterly being used as a propaganda vehicle for the ruling Nazi Party. The airship was withdrawn from service following the Hindenburg disaster.

Photo in the gallery of the medals with the armband of the Ortsgruppenleiter, from whom the medals came from all sold seperately

Although to most this piece looks like a coin, in Germany and also in France, medals could come in the table medal variety, not ever meant to be worn but for display in a table cabinet or mounted and framed. Awarded for the same reason as a medal made to be only worn on the person, as all British medals are.  read more

Code: 24904

Original Third Reich NSDAP, German 1930's National Socialist WW2 German Greatcoat or Tunic Armband of an Ortsgruppenleiter, Only 4 ranks Below Hitler In The Order of Seniority & Authority

Thanks to a very similar example, also of another Ortsgruppenleiter, that we had around four months ago, it was viewed and noticed by a regular of ours, we were offered by him this fine example, also with the German NSDAP man's two Zeppelin silver medals, but unfortunately we know not from which region or district in Berlin as Operational Regional Office Leader, who wore this arm band and owned the medals, was in control of. The medals are offered for sale separately.

Our other past example, complete with his collar tabs, was for a Group Leader of Berlin. This piece came with two solid silver L.Z.127 Graf Zeppelin airship medals, one awarded in 1928 the other 1929.

The Zeppelin Airship company was originally owned and run by Deutsche Luftschiffahrts-Aktiengesellschaft the German Airship Transportation Corporation Ltd But in 1935 Reich Minister of Aviation, Hermann Göring insisted that a new agency be created to extend Party control over LZ Group. A personal rivalry between Göring and Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels also played a role.Deutsche Zeppelin-Reederei was therefore incorporated on 22 March 1935 as a joint venture between Zeppelin Luftschiffbau, the Ministry of Aviation, and Deutsche Luft Hansa.

In exceptional almost mint condition. Ortsgruppenleiter (Operational Regional Office Group Leader) was a Nazi Party political rank and title which existed between 1930 and 1945. The term first came into being during the German elections of 1930, and was held by the head Nazi of a town or city, or in larger cities, of a neighbourhood, for the purposes of election district organization. After 1933, through the process of Gleichschaltung, the position of Ortsgruppenleiter evolved into the Nazi leader of a large town or city or of a city district. The rank of Ortsgruppenleiter was originally the fourth tier in the Nazi Party hierarchy after the Führer, Reichsleiter, Gauleiter, and Kriesleiter

As with Gauleiters and Kriesleiter they were appointed by Hitler personally.

The Nazi Party, officially the National Socialist German Workers' Party (German: Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterparte or NSDAP), was an extreme socialist political party in Germany active between 1920 and 1945 that created and supported the ideology of Nazism. Its precursor, the German Workers' Party (Deutsche Arbeiterpartei; DAP), existed from 1919 to 1920. The Nazi Party emerged from the extremist German nationalist, racist and populist Freikorps paramilitary culture, which fought against the communist uprisings in post–World War I Germany. The party was created to draw workers away from communism and into völkisch nationalism. Initially, Nazi political strategy focused on anti–big business, anti-bourgeois, and anti-capitalist rhetoric, which was later downplayed to gain the support of business leaders. By the 1930s, the party's main focus shifted to antisemitic and anti-Marxist themes. The party had little popular support until the Great Depression, where worsening living standards and vast unemployment drove Germans into political extremism.

The NSDAP had supporters and branches throughout other European countries, for example in Ireland They operated like a normal political party, collected subscriptions, kept membership files and reported regularly to party headquarters. The difference with the German Nazi Party (NSDAP) in 1930s Ireland, however, was that its headquarters was not in Dublin but in Berlin. The party’s membership—numbering from 50 to 100, depending on whether visitors are included—owed their loyalty to Adolf Hitler. Their Christmas parties were held at the Gresham Hotel, while other social events took place at the Red Bank restaurant in D’Olier Street and at the Kilmacurragh Park Hotel in County Wicklow.

Fritz Brase, was the first Ortsgruppenleiter of Ireland
But who were these Germans and Austrians who rallied to the Nazi Party colours in pre-war Ireland? The first Ortsgruppenleiter, or branch leader, in Dublin was a Prussian bandsman called Fritz Brase, who in 1923 became director of the new Irish army’s school of music, with the rank of colonel. Brase—who rearranged many traditional Irish jigs and reels to sound like thundering Prussian martial pieces—got into hot water in the early 1930s when he wrote to the army’s chief of staff, Maj.-Gen. Michael Brennan, seeking permission to set up a branch of the Nazi Party in Dublin. Brase was either unaware of or chose to ignore the obvious conflict of interest that his request implied—an Irish army colonel swearing loyalty to the Third Reich—but Brennan got the point. He told the German to choose the party or the army, but Brase wanted the best of both worlds. Records held in Berlin show that he joined the Nazis in April 1932, just a month before his 57th birthday. Brase appears to have tried to keep his party membership a secret from the Irish army, but pressure from the military’s top brass is the most likely reason why he relinquished his post as local Nazi leader in 1934.

The latter report was likely written by the editor of the Irish times, Robert Smylie, a German speaker, also an attendee of the funeral of the German diplomat, Robert Wenzel.

"Christian Sauerzweig, mentioned some of Brase's activities to his superior, who in turn informed the head of Office of the Directorate of Intelligence, than named "G2", that at least twice in early September 1939 Brase burned papers in the boiler house of the school of music, and that, in April 1940, on the occasion of the funeral of the German diplomat, Robert Wenzel, that he and Brase wore their military uniforms and Brase gave the Nazi salute at the graveside. Besides these reports, a military intelligence file was kept on Brase also notes that he sent Adolf Hitler birthday greetings in 1939 by telegraph to the Reich Chancellery

Shown in the gallery a full uniform for illustration and context purposes only, we just offer the armband for sale.  read more

Code: 24903

An 19th Century 1842 Pattern Lancer Officer's Percussion Pistol

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Code: 24900

An Original, Incredibly Rare 'Damascus' Presentation Sword, An Imperial German, Damascus Steel and Gold, Sword Presented by One of Germany’s Most Powerful and Influential Families in 1887

This is a magnificent example of one of the rarest most desirable and valuable German swords made in 200 years. Made by Numan of Berlin, personally, for Baron Von Hammerstein. One of two similar museum grade Imperial German swords we were delighted and privileged to acquire, and certainly one of the very best examples, with the highest of provenanced pedigrees ever to come onto the open market.

The highest grade possible of German military sword to be commissioned during the 19th and 20th centuries, encompassing the Imperial, Weimar and Third Reich eras of Germany.

This fabulous sword was presented by Baron von Hammerstein, one of the great military commanders, from one of the greatest of families of the Imperial German empire, whose influence and power continued through the demise of the empire in 1918, right through the post WW1 Weimar period and into the notorious Third Reich. This sword would have been used by the recipients family’s officers, right through all of those eras, and continually into the end of the WW2, despite the Von Hammerstein family being fervent anti-nazi. Which in of itself shows just how powerful the family once was, to survive, indeed thrive, being such vocal opponents of Hitler, at least, in private.

A 'Grosse Degan', translates to the ‘great size sword’ is around 50% heavier, wider and substantial, and a far superior quality than the regular officer’s sword of the day. Presented in the late 19th century, these significant and important Damascus swords were effectively, the swords of Kings, worn by the highest ranking officers Generals, Field Marshals, Dukes and Kings right through WW1 and also WW2. For example we show in the gallery Field Marshal von Kleist with his identical family sword, that was also an antique Imperial sabre, but worn by him in WW2.

Also, a photograph of His Majesty King George Vth the Queen's grandfather and Kaiser Wilhelm of Prussia King George's cousin in their ceremonial Colonel-in-Chief uniforms. King George Vth is in his full dress ‘honorary’ Imperial German uniform with pickelhaub helmet and also wearing his identical grade of sword to ours. Before WW2 it was common for foreign kings to be made honorary colonels to other countries regiments. For example until WW1 Kaiser Willhelm was an honorary colonel of a British regiment, the Kaiser’s Own.

Superb condition for age, with its original steel scabbard. German Damascus swords, made with the traditional ‘Damascus steel’ method are incredibly scarce and valuable, and from Imperial Germany are the most desirable of all German swords. This superb example was presented by one of the members of the great German noble families, in Cassel, in 1887. It bears a presentation inscription, given by Ernst Baron von Hammerstein to his friend Rudolf Frank. On the obverse, For Service, Cassel 1887. Ernst von Hammerstein attended high school in Hildesheim, Hanover, the Royal Corps of Cadets, the University of Gottingen and the Forest Academy Mariabrunn in Austria. In 1857 he was a lieutenant in the 3rd Hanoverian Infanterie-Regiment Infantry Regiment and in 1858 First Lieutenant. In 1866 he took part in the Battle of Langensalza. He was, until 1871, in the personal service of King George V of Hanover. The Von Hammersteins had a most influencial part in German history from the 1600's. Ernst's later relative was Commander of the German Army until Hitler took power, and was also a fervent anti Nazi, taking part in several conspiricies, but never caught or imprisoned, until his natural death in 1943Born to a noble family in Hinrichshagen, Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Germany in 1878, Baron von Hammerstein-Equord joined the German Army on 15 March 1898. In 1907 Hammerstein married Maria von Luttwitz, the daughter of Walther von Luttwitz. He was attached to the General Staff during World War I and participated in the Battle of Turtucaia. Hammerstein-Equord was loyal to the Weimar Republic, opposing the Kapp-Luttwitz putsch in 1920. He served as Chief of Staff of the 3rd Division from 1924, as Chief of Staff of the I Group Command in 1929, and as Head of Troops in the Office Ministry of War from 1929. A close friend of Kurt von Schleicher, he was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Reichswehr in 1930, replacing General Wilhelm Heye. Another was a U Boat Commander in WWII Adolf-Wilhelm von Hammerstein-Equord joined the Kriegsmmachinearine in 1937. He went through U-boat training from Oct 1940 to April 1941. He went through U-boat familiarization (Baubelehrung from April to May 1941 and then became First Watch officer (1WO) on the new U-402 (Kptlt. Siegfried von Forstner) from May to Oct 1941. He left the boat just prior to its first patrol at the end of Oct 1941 (Busch & R?ll, 1999).

He then became the First Watch officer (1WO) on the U-71 (Kptlt. Walter Flachsenberg) in Oct 1941 and served on the boat until April 1942 (Busch & R?ll, 1999). During this time he went out on 2 war patrols, 92 days at sea, and took part in sinking 5 ships for almost 39,000 tons.

Von Hammerstein-Equord then went through U-boat Commander training with the 24th Flotilla and U-boat Commander sea training on the "duck" U-149 from April to July 1942

Adolf-Wilhelm Baron von Hammerstein-Equord took command of his old boat U-149 on 1 Aug 1942, commanding the boat until 14 May 1944 (Busch & R ll, 1999). The boat was a school boat and von Hammerstein-Equord never went out on patrol with it.
Leaving his boat he joined the Staff of the U-boat Command in Norway and stayed in staff positions there until the end of the war in May 1945  read more

Code: 21918

A Fabulous, Signed, Antique, Samurai O-Tanto, Late Shinto Period. All Original Edo Fittings Goto School.

A wonderful samurai sword, circa 1760. A large tanto almost wakazashi size. With hard organic bound tsuka. Shinto hinto period, signed blade and signed fittings. The signature is in a most unusual form and it's translation, as yet, still eludes us. The fittings are all bronze and hammered with with fine gold and probably by the much sought after Goto school. Superb kozuka with gold foil and carved copper, and a signed blade. Leather covered saya with iron and gold Kojiri. Gold rimmed bronze tsuba with nanako ground and Shishi.

Nanako Ji: "fish roe ground" A surface decoration produced by forming very small raised bosses by a sharply struck punch or burin called 'nanako tagane'. Shakudo is the metal most often used, but copper and gold are quite often employed. The harder metals, shibuichi, silver and iron are rarely decorated in this way. The size of the dots vary from 0.04" to 0.008" (25 to 125 and inch) and the regularity of the work is marvelous as the dots must be spaced entirely by touch. The dots are usually arranged in straight lines or in lines parallel to the edge of the piece being decorated, but sometimes in more elaborate patterns. Used on guards since the Momoyama period although the technique existed since much earlier periods. Usually done by specialist 'nanako-shi', but sometimes done by the maker of the guard himself.

The Gotō School of sword-fittings makers was founded in the fifteenth century by Gotō Yūjō, who is said to have been patronized by the shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa (1435–1490). The work of the Gotō masters is characterized by painterly designs carved in high relief on a ground of shakudō (an alloy of copper and gold chemically treated to turn a rich blue-black), finished in nanako (tiny circles punched regularly over the surface to give it a granular appearance) with colorful accents in gold and silver. The succeeding generations of Gotō masters continued to work in these soft metals and concentrated on the smaller sword fittings, such as kozuka (the handle of the small utility knife fitted into a slot on the back of a sword scabbard), kōgai (a skewer-like hairdressing tool carried in the front of the scabbard), and menuki (a pair of grip ornaments secured by the handle wrappings). The production of the stouter sword guards, or tsuba, was left to other masters. While earlier generations had not signed their work, the Gotō masters in about 1600 began to authenticate the work of their predecessors; the attributions usually were engraved on the backs of the pieces themselves. These attributions bear testimony to the keen interest in early sword fittings as status symbols for high-ranking samurai.
Tanto first began to appear in the Heian period, however these blades lacked artistic qualities and were purely weapons. In the Early Kamakura period high quality tanto with artistic qualities began to appear, and the famous Yoshimitsu (the greatest tanto maker in Japanese history) began his forging. Tanto production increased greatly around the Muromachi period and then dropped off in the Shinto period. Shinto period tanto are quite rare. Tanto were mostly carried by Samurai; commoners did not generally carry them. Women sometimes carried a small tanto called a kaiken in their obi for self defence.It was sometimes worn as the shoto in place of a wakizashi in a daisho, especially on the battlefield. Before the 16th century it was common for a Samurai to carry a tachi and a tanto as opposed to a katana and a wakizashi. Shishi (or Jishi) is translated as lion but it can also refer to a deer or dog with magical properties and the power to repel evil spirits. A pair of shishi traditionally stand guard outside the gates of Japanese Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples, although temples are more often guarded by two Nio protectors. The Shishi (like the Nio) are traditionally depicted in pairs, one with mouth open and one with mouth shut.). Others say the open mouth is to scare off demons, and the closed mouth to shelter and keep in the good spirits. The circular object often shown beneath their feet is the Tama, or sacred Buddhist jewel, a symbol of Buddhist wisdom that brings light to darkness and holds the power to grant wishes. Overall 26.5 inches long, blade 13.75 inches long  read more

Code: 21366

Historian Uncovers Graves of the Knights Templar in Staffordshire, Believed To Be One of the 'Most Nationally Important Discoveries' of its Kind

Graves belonging to members of the Knights Templar - a somewhat mysterious holy militia that sprang up in the 12th century - have been uncovered at an English village church in one of the 'most nationally important discoveries' of its kind.

The medieval order, which had chapters across Europe, including in Britain, were known for their role in the Crusades and as one of the Middle Ages' most powerful and wealthy religious organisations.

Historian Edward Spencer Dyas made the Da Vinci Code-style discovery of eight Knights Templar graves at St Mary's Church in Enville, Staffordshire.

In Dan Brown's novel, The Da Vinci Code, and the film of the same name starring Tom Hanks, Professor Robert Langdon delves beneath Rosslyn Chapel, in Scotland, in the hunt for Knights Templar treasure.

Mr Dyas now believes St Mary's could be one of the most nationally important Templar churches in the country because of its links to 'England's greatest knight' of the Middle Ages.
Mr Dyas' research led him to establish that St Mary's was built by Roger de Bermingham - a priest whose family owned all Enville land including Morfe, a medieval royal forest in neighbouring Shropshire.

Although records are missing it is clear the de Bermingham family built the Norman church at Enville, using Templar financing,' he added.
'Henry de Morfe, who held land owned by the de Berminghams, sold part of Morfe Forest to the Templars at this time, and the de Berminghams instated Roger de Bermingham as the first priest of St Mary's Church, Enville.'

It is for this reason that Mr Dyas believes the church was 'under the patronage of the Templars'.
William Marshal, the 1st Earl of Pembroke, was a jouster, warrior, diplomat and even twice de facto king who was the inspiration for Lancelot in medieval Arthurian tales and also drafted the Magna Carta.

Marshal died aged 73 in 1219 and was buried in Temple Church in London after being invested into the order of the Knights Templar on his deathbed.
But at St Mary's, the stained glass windows depict an array of coats of arms including one that belonged to Hugh Mortimer of Chelmarsh, who married Marshal's granddaughter.

There is little other explanation why there would be so many Templar graves at the quaint village church, although members of the group are believed to have attached themselves to churches dedicated to St Mary the Virgin. The church on the outskirts of the Black Country was built in the early 12th century at a time when the Templars were creating Preceptories - a type of monastery - around Britain.

Each of the graves he has uncovered features a Templar cross within double circles in a standard Templar design. One also includes a Crusader cross, suggesting the knight was both a Templar and a Crusader of the ancient military order.

At the foot of the same grave there's also a Templar Cross - a variation of the Jerusalem Cross - revealing the unknown knight had once been part of the Templar Order at Temple Mount, Jerusalem.

'I believe these discoveries make Enville one of the most nationally important churches in the country,' Mr Dyas said.

'That's due to its close links with William Marshall, who is considered of the greatest warriors England ever produced.
'But there is a mystery of why an European Templar is buried at Enville and why they were secretly so prominent there.'

The Crusades were a series of religious wars fought between 1095 and 1291, in which Christian invaders tried to claim the near East.

It's known that nobility led the Crusades, but historical records lack details of the ordinary soldiers who travelled to, lived and died in the near East.

The Crusades set the stage for several religious knightly military orders, including the Knights Templar, the Teutonic Knights, and the Hospitallers.

These groups defended the Holy Land and protected pilgrims travelling to and from the region.

We have a few original Templar and Templar period artefacts, which we show, and some are only a few hundred pounds. It represents an incredible opportunity to own a spectacular piece of world history.

If you wish to read the full story, the link is below;

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-12408493/The-real-life-Da-Vinci-Code-Historian-uncovers-graves-belonging-members-Knights-Templar-Staffordshire-one-nationally-important-discoveries-kind.html  read more

Code: 24895

A Stunning, Victorian '3 Band' Rifle From the Tower of London Armoury, With Original Bayonet.

Tower of London manufactured and dated 1857, with VR Crown stamp, and the butt has a War Office stamp and date, 1861, possibly when it was further inspected in Birmingham by the War Office inspector, and deemed suitable to export to the US Civil War. The War Office was a department of the British Government responsible for the administration of the British Army from 1857

The 'Enfield 1853' Pattern Rifle-Musket was the mainstay of the British Army and militia during the Crimean War and Indian Mutiny. It was later replaced briefly by the 2 Band, the Snider conversion and ultimately by the Martini Henry 450 577. This example is very attractive with it's original bayonet marked, and ramrod, profusely and fully ordnance marked throughout by the ordnance inspectors, and bears the stock roundel stamp on the butt, although this is very dark and difficult to read.

With war breaking out between the Turks and the Russians, Britain realized that it was only a matter of time before they would be drawn into the conflict. The British Army was in the midst of a significant weapons transformation from smoothbore muskets to rifled muskets. While three of the four divisions of the field army in the Crimea had been supplied with the pattern 1851 Minie rifle-musket, the other regiments of the army around the Empire still carried the 1842 pattern smoothbore musket. By the end of 1853, the Enfield rifle-musket was approved by the War Department for the army and was put into production. The Enfield saw extensive action in the Crimean War, 1854–1856, with the first Enfield rifles being issued to troops from February 1855

It was a rifle that was also used by both the North and the South in the American Civil War, and was the second most widely used infantry weapon in the war, surpassed only by the Springfield Model 1861 Rifled Musket. The Confederates imported more Enfields during the course of the war than any other small arm, buying from private contractors and gun runners when the British government refused to sell them arms after it became obvious that the Confederacy could not win the war. It has been estimated that over 900,000 P53 Enfields were imported to America and saw service in every major engagement from the Battle of Shiloh (April, 1862) and the Siege of Vicksburg (May 1863), to the final battles of 1865. At the Battle of Gettysburg on July 2, 1863, the 20th Maine Volunteer Infantry, led by Colonel Joshua L. Chamberlain, were armed with Enfield 1853 Rifle-Muskets during their famous bayonet charge against a relentless attack by Confederate Forces attempting to destroy the left flank of the Union Army on Little Round Top. Here is an excerpt from Chamberlain's Official Battle Report:

"The intervals of the struggle were seized to remove our wounded (and those of the enemy also), to gather ammunition from the cartridge-boxes of disabled friend or foe on the field, and even to secure better muskets than the Enfields, which we found did not stand service well."

The ferocious charge of the 20th Maine, with bayonets fixed to their Enfield Rifle-Muskets, was victorious against the stunned Confederates, and Colonel Chamberlain received the Medal of Honor for his day on Little Round Top. The P53 Enfields capabilities were largely lost by the lack of marksmanship training by both the Union and Confederacy. Most soldiers were not trained to estimate ranges or to properly adjust their sights to account for the "rainbow-like" trajectory of the large calibre conical projectile. Unlike their British counterparts who attended extensive musketry training, new Civil War soldiers seldom fired a single cartridge until their first engagement. After the end of the war, hundreds of formerly Confederate Enfield 1853 muskets were sold from the American arms market to the Tokugawa shogunate, as well as some prominent Japanese domains including Aizu and Satsuma. These units were later used in the Boshin War, and some remaining in Satsuma were also used by rebelling former samurai in the Satsuma Rebellion about a decade later.

The Enfield Pattern 1853 rifle-musket (also known as the Pattern 1853 Enfield, P53 Enfield, and Enfield rifle-musket) was a .577 calibre Minié-type muzzle-loading rifled musket, used by the British Empire from 1853 to 1867; after which many were replaced in service by the cartridge-loaded Snider–Enfield rifle.

History and development

The parts of the Enfield cartridge, including the papers, the Pritchett bullet, and forming tools
The term "rifle-musket" originally referred to muskets with the smooth-bored barrels replaced with rifled barrels. The length of the barrels were unchanged, allowing the weapons to be fired in ranks, since a long rifle was necessary to enable the muzzles of the second rank of soldiers to project beyond the faces of the men in front. The weapon would also be sufficiently long when fitted with a bayonet to be effective against cavalry. Such weapons manufactured with rifled barrels, muzzle loading, single shot, and utilizing the same firing mechanism, also came to be called rifle-muskets.

Royal Small Arms Factory developed the Pattern 1853 Enfield in the 1850s. The 39 in (99 cm) barrel had three grooves, with a 1:78 rifling twist, and was fastened to the stock with three metal bands, so that the rifle was often called a "three band" model. The rifle's cartridges contained 2+1⁄2 drams, or 68 grains (4.4 g) of gunpowder, and the ball was typically a 530-grain (34 g) Boxer modification of the Pritchett & Metford or a Burton-Minié, which would be driven out at approximately 1,250 feet (380 m) per second.

The original Pritchett design was modified by Col. Boxer, who reduced the diameter to 0.55 after troops found the original 0.568 too hard to load during the Indian Mutiny, changing the mixed beeswax-tallow lubrication to pure beeswax for the same reason, and added a clay plug to the base to facilitate expansion, as the original Pritchett design, which relied only on the explosion of the charge, was found to cause excessive fouling from too slow an expansion, allowing unburnt powder to escape around the bullet. The Enfield's adjustable ladder rear sight had steps for 100 yards (91 m) – the first position – 200 yards (180 m), 300 yards (270 m), and 400 yards (370 m). For distances beyond that, an adjustable flip-up blade sight was graduated (depending on the model and date of manufacture) from 900 yards (820 m) to 1,250 yards (1,140 m). British soldiers were trained to hit a target 6 feet (180 cm) by 2 feet (61 cm) – with a 2 feet (61 cm) diameter bull's eye, counting 2 points – out to 600 yards (550 m). The target used from 650 yards (590 m) to 900 yards (820 m) had a 3 feet (91 cm) bull's eye, with any man scoring 7 points with 20 rounds at that range being designated a marksman


As with all our antique guns no license is required as they are all unrestricted antique collectables.
The external finish is very good with much original varnish to the stock, with signs of use and wear naturally. The action was rather clogged and it is in the gun workshop being serviced, the spring is excellent and action tight as a drum.  read more

Code: 24897

An Original 900 Year Old Templar Crusader Knights era ‘Sword of War’. A Broadsword With Brazil Nut Pommel. From the Period Immediately Following the Norman Conquest & As Used By the Templar Knights

This wonderful antiquity would make a spectacular centrepiece to any new or long established fine collection, or indeed a magnificent solitary work of historical art, for any type of decor both traditional or contemporary and a fabulous original ‘statement piece’ for any home. In the world of collecting there is so little remaining in the world from this highly significant era in European and British history.

Earlier this year we acquired and sold almost immediately a Templar knights sword, actually stamped and forged by a Templar armourer. This sword bears no such extremely rare Templar marking, so, it is thus priced accordingly.

A fine example piece, from the ancient Templar knightly age, from almost a thousand years past. Although this sword is now in an obvious ancient, and historical, russetted condition, with some elements lacking, every item made of iron from this era, such as the rarest of swords and daggers, even in the Royal Collection, are in this very same state of preservation.

Around 900 Years Old. A hand-forged iron knightly sword, the very same as used by the templar Knights of Jerusalem, comprising a narrow two-edged blade with shallow fuller to both faces, short ricasso, slender square-section cross guard tapering slightly, flat tang, brazil-nut pommel. 12th-early 13th century, used in the early Crusades Period by Knights, such as the Knights of Jerusalem the Knights Templar, Knights of St John, made from time of King Stephen, and used into the times of King Henry the IInd, and King Richard the Ist.
Although made for a Knight around the time of the reign of the Norman king, King Stephen, it was likely also used by succeeding knights for the next 300 years or so, as such swords were of immense value at the time and it was likely passed down from father to son or knight to knight, and thus used as a ‘sword of war’ right into the era of the battles of Crecy, Poitiers, and King Henry V’s age defining victory, at Agincourt. *See further reference to this below This assumption is realistically made due to swords at that time being incredibly valuable and most highly prized, and the style and form of swords during that period had only changed cosmetically, and thus ancestral swords, as this would have been in King Henry’s day, still functioned perfectly well, despite being used for the past three centuries. There are records of swords recovered from Agincourt of being knightly ‘ancestral swords’, made and used originally in the Crusades, especially the swords from the hundreds of slain French knights of Agincourt that were descended from crusader knights from the nobility of France.

A Single-Handed, Knights sword, made in the 12th century {circa 1120's} and constantly used in the early Crusades period, by a Knight and hand forged by an armourer, during the time of England's King Henry Ist, and used into the reigns of King Henry the IInd, and King Richard Ist, the Lionheart, and potentially, for the following century or even longer.

The Knights Templar were an elite fighting force of their day, highly trained, well-equipped, and highly motivated; one of the tenets of their religious order was that they were forbidden from retreating in battle, unless outnumbered three to one, and even then only by order of their commander, or if the Templar flag went down. Not all Knights Templar were warriors. The mission of most of the members was one of support – to acquire resources which could be used to fund and equip the small percentage of members who were fighting on the front lines. There were actually three classes within the orders. The highest class was the knight. When a candidate was sworn into the order, they made the knight a monk. They wore white robes. The knights could hold no property and receive no private letters. They could not be married or betrothed and could not have any vow in any other Order. They could not have debt more than they could pay, and no infirmities. The Templar priest class was similar to the modern day military chaplain. Wearing green robes, they conducted religious services, led prayers, and were assigned record keeping and letter writing. They always wore gloves, unless they were giving Holy Communion. The mounted men-at-arms represented the most common class, and they were called "brothers". They were usually assigned two horses each and held many positions, including guard, steward, squire or other support vocations. As the main support staff, they wore black or brown robes and were partially garbed in chain mail or plate mail. The armour was not as complete as the knights. Because of this infrastructure, the warriors were well-trained and very well armed. Even their horses were trained to fight in combat, fully armoured. The combination of soldier and monk was also a powerful one, as to the Templar knights, martyrdom in battle was one of the most glorious ways to die.

The Templars were also shrewd tacticians, following the dream of Saint Bernard who had declared that a small force, under the right conditions, could defeat a much larger enemy. One of the key battles in which this was demonstrated was in 1177, at the Battle of Montgisard. The famous Muslim military leader Saladin was attempting to push toward Jerusalem from the south, with a force of 26,000 soldiers. He had pinned the forces of Jerusalem's King Baldwin IV, about 500 knights and their supporters, near the coast, at Ascalon. Eighty Templar knights and their own entourage attempted to reinforce. They met Saladin's troops at Gaza, but were considered too small a force to be worth fighting, so Saladin turned his back on them and headed with his army towards Jerusalem.

Once Saladin and his army had moved on, the Templars were able to join King Baldwin's forces, and together they proceeded north along the coast. Saladin had made a key mistake at that point – instead of keeping his forces together, he permitted his army to temporarily spread out and pillage various villages on their way to Jerusalem. The Templars took advantage of this low state of readiness to launch a surprise ambush directly against Saladin and his bodyguard, at Montgisard near Ramla. Saladin's army was spread too thin to adequately defend themselves, and he and his forces were forced to fight a losing battle as they retreated back to the south, ending up with only a tenth of their original number. The battle was not the final one with Saladin, but it bought a year of peace for the Kingdom of Jerusalem, and the victory became a heroic legend.

Another key tactic of the Templars was that of the "squadron charge". A small group of knights and their heavily armed warhorses would gather into a tight unit which would gallop full speed at the enemy lines, with a determination and force of will that made it clear that they would rather commit suicide than fall back. This terrifying onslaught would frequently have the desired result of breaking a hole in the enemy lines, thereby giving the other Crusader forces an advantage.

The Templars, though relatively small in number, routinely joined other armies in key battles. They would be the force that would ram through the enemy's front lines at the beginning of a battle, or the fighters that would protect the army from the rear. They fought alongside King Louis VII of France, and King Richard I of England.3 In addition to battles in Palestine, members of the Order also fought in the Spanish and Portuguese Reconquista. It could also be enhanced by affixing to a rectangular bespoke display panel.We will include for the new owner a complimentary wooden display stand, but this amazing ancient artefact of antiquity would also look spectacular mounted within a bespoke case frame, or, on a fine cabinet maker constructed display panel.  read more

Code: 23241

A Stunning Original 11th,12th Century Battle Axe of War, Used From The Time Kings Henry Ist, King Stephen, Queen Matilda and King Henry IInd, During The Early Crusades to the Holy Land. Regarded as the The Weapon of Choice of Kings, and Knights

In the Norman through to the Plantagenet eras, War Axes were often the weapon of choice of Kings of England in battle. Used from the time of Henry Ist of England, King of England from 1100 to 1135. King Stephen and Queen Matilda, in the age of Anarchy, and through to King Henry IInd 5 March 1133 to 6 July 1189.

Henry 1st was the fourth son of William the Conqueror. Considered by contemporaries to be a harsh but effective ruler, Henry skilfully manipulated the barons in England and Normandy. In England, he drew on the existing Anglo-Saxon system of justice, local government and taxation, but also strengthened it with additional institutions, including the royal exchequer and itinerant justices. Normandy was also governed through a growing system of justices and an exchequer. Many of the officials that ran Henry's system were "new men" of obscure backgrounds rather than from families of high status, who rose through the ranks as administrators. Henry encouraged ecclesiastical reform, but became embroiled in a serious dispute in 1101 with Archbishop Anselm of Canterbury, which was resolved through a compromise solution in 1105. He supported the Cluniac order and played a major role in the selection of the senior clergy in England and Normandy. The early years of Stephen's reign were largely successful, despite a series of attacks on his possessions in England and Normandy by David I of Scotland, Welsh rebels, and the Empress Matilda's husband, Geoffrey of Anjou.
In 1138 the Empress's half-brother Robert of Gloucester rebelled against Stephen, threatening civil war. Together with his close advisor, Waleran de Beaumont, Stephen took firm steps to defend his rule, including arresting a powerful family of bishops. When the Empress and Robert invaded in 1139, however, Stephen was unable to crush the revolt rapidly, and it took hold in the south-west of England. Captured at the battle of Lincoln in 1141, Stephen was abandoned by many of his followers and lost control of Normandy. Stephen was freed only after his wife and William of Ypres, one of his military commanders, captured Robert at the Rout of Winchester, but the war dragged on for many years with neither side able to win an advantage. Henry Iind was an energetic and sometimes ruthless ruler, driven by a desire to restore the lands and privileges of his royal grandfather, Henry I. During the early years of the younger Henry's reign he restored the royal administration in England, re-established hegemony over Wales and gained full control over his lands in Anjou, Maine and Touraine. Henry's desire to reform the relationship with the Church led to conflict with his former friend Thomas Becket, the Archbishop of Canterbury. This controversy lasted for much of the 1160s and resulted in Becket's murder in 1170. Henry soon came into conflict with Louis VII and the two rulers fought what has been termed a "cold war" over several decades. Henry expanded his empire, often at Louis' expense, taking Brittany and pushing east into central France and south into Toulouse; despite numerous peace conferences and treaties no lasting agreement was reached. By 1172, he controlled England, large parts of Wales, the eastern half of Ireland and the western half of France, an area that would later come to be called the Angevin Empire.

Normans were very strongly represented in the First Crusade, in 1096–1099. At that time, the Normans were the best fighters, the shock troops, of Western Christendom, and looking for places to fight and rule. Different groups of Normans had recently taken over England, and were in the process of taking over Sicily (plus the southern half of Italy), defeating the last Muslim Emir of Sicily in 1091. Moreover, they were the newly reformed Papacy’s greatest allies and supporters, as ferocious in piety as in war.

Among the Norman leaders of the 1st Crusade were Robert Curthose (first son of William the Conqueror and later Duke of Normandy himself), Bohemond of Taranto, who masterminded the capture of Antioch and became its first crusader Prince, Tancred of Hauteville, who became Prince of Galilee in the new Kingdom of Jerusalem, and Richard of Salerno, who later acted as regent in the crusader County of Edessa.

By the time the Second Crusade took place, in 1147–1150, Norman greatness was already starting to wane. When the last Norman King of England died at that point the Duchy of Normandy lost its independence and ceased to be a major force in French affairs. The most famous of all English crusaders was, of course, Richard I, the “Lionheart,” but we should not forget that his father too had taken a strong interest in the fate of the crusader kingdoms. Two years before the fateful Battle of Hattin in 1187, Henry promised to support 200 knights annually in the Holy Land as part of his penance for the murder of Thomas of Becket. In consequence, 200 “English” knights fought at Hattin, although sources are unclear as to whether these knights were Englishmen, subjects of Henry Plantaget, or simply knights financed by Henry II.

Regardless of their exact nationality, two hundred knights out of a total of 1200 to 1500 is significant. Furthermore, Henry II personally took crusading vows after the fall of Jerusalem to Saladin. Although many question Henry II’s sincerity – and he certainly had good reasons for thinking he should not leave his vast domains unprotected or his unruly vassals without royal oversight for too long – there can be no doubt that he did introduce a “Saladin Tithe.”These revenues were collected directly by the Knights Templar and were certainly employed to help finance the Third Crusade. Thus, while Henry II did not personally take part in a crusade, he provided something arguably more important at this juncture in time – the means to outfit, transport and sustain many other fighting men.

Almost every iron weapon that has survived today from this ancient era is now in a fully russetted condition, as is this one, because only the weapons of kings, that have been preserved in national or royal collections, are today, still in a relatively fair state and condition. Surviving ancient medieval axes, such as we offer here, can be incredibly inexpensive and great value, compared to their combat cousins, the knightly sword. Firstly, because knightly swords cost far more in their day, and were thus rarer, and secondly, when a knightly sword is lost in combat and buried in the ground very few survive, due to the thin iron blade structure, whereas the axe has far more 'meat on the bone' so to speak, and will fare much better from the vagaries and corruption of time. Wooden hafts and sword handles on the other hand never survive
5.5 inch blade's edge  read more

Code: 24515