Part of a Superb WW1 Machine Gunner's Collection, British and German. A Superb & Fabulous Set of POW Medals, Plus, a Letter From the King & Two Photographs. 1 Signed, of a Machine Gunner of the Most Collectable WW1 British Machine Gun Corps

A British Prisoner of War group. A lovely pair of medals from one of the great services of WW1. Would look spectacular fully framed! With two photos of the recipient and a letter of thanks from King George Vth sent to liberated Prisoners of War. Medals in near mint condition small photo a little worn the original period blow up photo [10 x 12 inches] is very good indeed but with smalll scratches.
On 2 September 1915 a definite proposal was made to the War Office for the formation of a single specialist Machine Gun Company per infantry brigade, by withdrawing the guns and gun teams from the battalions. They would be replaced at battalion level by the light Lewis machine guns and thus the firepower of each brigade would be substantially increased. The Machine Gun Corps was created by Royal Warrant on October 14 followed by an Army Order on 22 October 1915. The companies formed in each brigade would transfer to the new Corps. The MGC would eventually consist of infantry Machine Gun Companies, cavalry Machine Gun Squadrons and Motor Machine Gun Batteries. The pace of reorganisation depended largely on the rate of supply of the Lewis guns but it was completed before the Battle of the Somme in 1916. A Base Depot for the Corps was established at Camiers.There are many instances where a single well-placed and protected machine gun cut great swathes in attacking infantry. Nowhere was this demonstrated with more devastating effect than against the British army's attack on the Somme on 1 July 1916 and against the German attack at Arras on 28 March 1918. It followed that multiple machine guns, with interlocking fields of fire, were an incredibly destructive defensive weapon. The German army developed their Hindenburg Line, to which they withdrew in spring 1917, and relied greatly on machine guns for defence. The British copied this. In addition, both offensively and defensively, the MGC began to fire in co-ordinated barrages. The guns of the 2nd and 47th (London) Divisions fired an indirect barrage over the heads of their advancing infantry, and behind the German trenches (in other words, this was an interdiction barrage, to stop enemy attempts to reinforce or re-supply their front), during the Battle of Loos on 25 September 1915. This was possibly the first time an indirect fire tactic was borrowed from the artillery. Later, and certainly by the Battle of Messines in June 1917, machine gunners were also employing creeping barrages, with fire falling ahead of the artillery barrage to catch enemy troops moving to the rear. They would concentrate fire on specific targets, or sweep the enemy ground behind his front and support positions. Machine guns for these tasks were generally placed about 1000 yards behind the advancing infantry and were moved up as soon as the enemy positions were captured. Machinegun tactics had in fact, become more like those of the artillery than of the infantry. Photo of a Machine Gun crew near the Somme in 1916 wearing gas attack masks, and a Lewis gunner using it in it's anti aircraft capacity, and the London memorial for the Machine Gun Corps. Photos for information only not included. The letter text is as follows;
Buckingham Palace

1918

The Queen joins me in welcoming you on your release from the miseries and hardships, which you have endured with so much patience and courage.

During these many months of trail, the early rescue of our gallant officers and men from the cruelties of their captivity has been uppermost in our thoughts.

We are thankful that this longed for day has arrived, and that back in the old Country, you will be able one more to enjoy the happiness of a home and to see good days among those who ansciously look for your return. [signed] GeorgeRI
Written in blue pen on embossed paper, it is considered the first mass communication from a British monarch after it was reproduced and distributed using lithography. The photos of the soldiers in the trenches and the memorial are not included [for information only].  read more

Code: 22858

A Scarce Original Imperial German WW1, Elite 'Guards' Regiment Pickelhaub Helmet Cover, In Khaki. An Ideal Addition For a Collector of The Rare Forms of Guards Infantry Pickelhaub

Imperial Prussian guards issue. Photo in the gallery of Imperial German troops wearing covers on their pickelhaubs, with a captured Russian sign. In 1892, a light brown cloth helmet cover, the M1892 uberzug, became standard issue for all Pickelhauben for manoeuvres and active service. The uberzug was intended to protect the helmet from dirt and reduce its combat visibility, as the brass and silver fittings on the Pickelhaube proved to be highly reflective. Regimental numbers were sewn or stencilled in red (green from August 1914) onto the front of the cover, other than in units of the Prussian Guards, which never carried regimental numbers or other adornments on the uberzug. In October 1916 the colour was changed to be feldgrau (field grey), although by that date the plain metal Stahlhelm was standard issue for most troops. All helmets produced for the infantry before and during 1914 were made of leather. As the war progressed, Germany's leather stockpiles dwindled. After extensive imports from South America, particularly Argentina, the German government began producing ersatz Pickelhauben made of other materials. In 1915, some Pickelhauben began to be made from thin sheet steel. However, the German high command needed to produce an even greater number of helmets, leading to the usage of pressurised felt and even paper to construct Pickelhauben. The Pickelhaube was discontinued in 1916.

During the early months of World War I, it was soon discovered that the Pickelhaube did not measure up to the demanding conditions of trench warfare. The leather helmets offered little protection against shell fragments and shrapnel and the conspicuous spike made its wearer a target. These shortcomings, combined with material shortages, led to the introduction of the simplified model 1915 helmet described above, with a detachable spike. In September 1915 it was ordered that the new helmets were to be worn without spikes when in the front line  read more

Code: 21970

A Very Fine 17th Century Spontoon. Central Double Edge Blade With Side Wings. Used For Over 140 Years in Military Service Including From the English Stuart to Early Hanoverian Reigns, The French-Indian War & Revolutionary War In The Americas

With original long, studded full haft, around 8 foot long, with steel foot. Spontoons (also spelled “espontoons”) appeared later than halberds, coming into use in the late 17th century. The word seems to come from the Italian spuntone, meaning “pointed.” A spontoon’s iron point, sometimes decorated with tassels, was fitted to a sturdy hardwood shaft measuring from six to nine feet in length. The weapon’s distinguishing feature were sidewings sometimes plain and sometimes elaborately ornamental, perpendicular to the main blade.

Spontoons may have evolved from earlier spear-like weapons called pertuisanes or partisans. The partisan had a large blade, sharp on both sides. The blade was wider at the bottom, where twin symmetrical blades of various shapes sprouted from the sides. Rather blurry lines separate the spontoon and a number of other spear-like staff weapons. There were hybrids known as “partisan spontoons,” and some 18th-century European accounts refer to officers’ weapons as partisans rather than spontoons. Other sources refer to spontoons as “half-pikes,” and some simply call them spears.

Although the British serving both in America and Europe, used them in the French Indian War {aka the 7 Years War} quite liberally, we put aside a lot of their use as pole weapons during the Revolutionary War, yet spontoons formed a large part of the equipment of the US Continental Army. Captain Daniel Morgan led a portion of the Continental attack on Quebec on December 30, 1775. His men carried spontoons in addition to rifles and scaling ladders. Attacking a two-gun battery, they drove the defenders into a nearby house. Morgan ordered his men to “fire into the house and follow up with their pikes (for in addition to our rifles, we were also armed with long espontoons), which they did, and drove the guard into the street.”

In several surviving written orders, General George Washington insisted that Continental officers carry spontoons. At Valley Forge on December 22, 1777, Washington directed that each officer “provide himself with a half-pike or spear, as soon as possible.” Washington did not want his officers to carry muskets, which he believed had a way of “drawing their attention too much from the men.” He needed the officers focused on commanding their men, not distracted with loading and firing a musket. Additionally, Washington believed that an officer with neither firearm nor spontoon had “a very awkward and unofficerlike appearance.”

In America, spontoons held on into the early Federal period. A North Carolina militia law of 1787 required infantry officers to carry “side arms or a spontoon.” Because militia officers might well wear civilian clothing, a spontoon or sword served as an indication of superior rank.

The U.S. War Department ordered 120 spontoons for its officers in 1800. Captains Meriwether Lewis and William Clark each carried one during their transcontinental expedition of 1804-1806. Both officers would have reason to be glad they were burdened with these heavy staff weapons. In what is now Montana, on the night of May 26, 1805, Lewis nearly stepped on a rattlesnake. Guided by the sound of the rattles, Lewis stabbed about in the dark with his spontoon until he killed the snake. Three days later, Clark killed a wolf with his spontoon. Lewis’s spontoon would twice more save his life, once in driving away a bear and another time when the captain saved himself from falling 90 feet from a precipice by bracing himself with his weapon’s long staff.

Lewis and Clark may have been the last American military officers to get any real use out of the spontoon. Watchmen and policemen in some cities carried smaller versions of spontoons until about 1860, but by the time of the War of 1812, they had essentially disappeared from military life. However, William T. Sherman, in an 1890 article in the North American Review, pointed out that U.S. militia laws still on the books stated that “each commissioned officer shall be armed with a sword or hanger and spontoon.” So, strictly speaking, all militia officers without spontoons were in violation of Federal statutes until the militia laws were revised in 1903.

The British Monarch's Royal Bodyguard, the Yeoman of the Guard, wearing their scarlet and gold full dress Tudor style uniforms, still carry the traditional spontoon polearms {see photo in the gallery at the Tower of London}. In the gallery is a photograph of spontoons in a Swiss castle museum gallery. This one is polearm type number four on the right.

It has its original studded haft but since it has been in armoury display for likely two centuries all its surface velvet is now gone and overall surface worn.

what is incredibly interesting is the iron foot of the spontoon, it is a 17th century Civil War pike head, that has likely lost its point so the haft has been turned around the spontoon head fitted, and the pike head left in place to be used as its foot.

See photo 10 in the gallery to show exactly how the pike {now an iron foot} would have looked with its point intact, the pike is on display in the Metropolitan Museum in the USA.

Delivery completely assembled with its haft is within the UK mainland only due to length.

Two links to a similar spontoon and a pike in the Metropolitan Museum below, for reference

https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/25095

https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/25847

Every single item from The Lanes Armoury is accompanied by our unique Certificate of Authenticity. Part of our continued dedication to maintain the standards forged by us over the past 100 years of our family’s trading, as Britain’s oldest established, and favourite, armoury and gallery  read more

Code: 25649

Original Ancient Roman ‘Cross-bow” Fibula Bronze Toga Pin Military Issue, Fine Piece For Higher Ranking Figures in the Legion, Such As a Centurion or Tribune. Bow Fibula with a Folded Spring Hinge, Early Imperial - Beginning of Anno Domini 2nd Century.

We acquired a very small collection of different Roman toga pins, A super, small collection of original, historical, Imperial Roman, Viking, and Crusader's artefacts has just been acquired by us.
Shaped in the form of a roman military crossbow fibula, in bronze.
It became the most popular form of closure for Roman fibulae, and is characteristic of the bow brooches from the early imperial times to the beginning of the AD 2nd century. Original Ancient Roman ‘Cross-bow” Fibula Bronze Toga Pin Military Issue, Fine Piece For Higher Ranking Figures in the Legion, Such As a Centurion or Tribune, c. Early Imperial - Beginning of AD 2nd Century.Arguments abound over what shoulder was exposed, but it seems fairly clear that the garment was fastened loosely enough to move around, The paludamentum was a cloak that was specifically associated with warfare. A general donned one for the ceremonial procession leading an army out of the sacred precinct of the city of Rome and was required to remove it before returning to the city…a sign that he was no longer a general, but a common citizen. The paludamentum or sagum purpura (purple cloak) was the iconic red cloak worn by a Roman general (Legatus) and his staff officers. Originally, it’s distinctive red/purple color clearly delineated between these officers and the rest of the army, which sported the sagum gregale (cloak of the flock). Although the sagum gregale, worn by the rank and file, started out the color of the flock (i.e. undyed wool), it seems likely to have transitioned to a coarser version of the sagum purpura by the imperial period (27BC – AD 476). Outfitting the entire army in red garments would have been a mark of the great wealth of Rome – well, that and the fact that the Romans controlled the source of purple dye by then.The pin is now frozen through two millennia in a fixed position.


Richard Lassels, an expatriate Roman Catholic priest, first used the phrase “Grand Tour” in his 1670 book Voyage to Italy, published posthumously in Paris in 1670. In its introduction, Lassels listed four areas in which travel furnished "an accomplished, consummate traveler" with opportunities to experience first hand the intellectual, the social, the ethical, and the political life of the Continent.

The English gentry of the 17th century believed that what a person knew came from the physical stimuli to which he or she has been exposed. Thus, being on-site and seeing famous works of art and history was an all important part of the Grand Tour. So most Grand Tourists spent the majority of their time visiting museums and historic sites.

Once young men began embarking on these journeys, additional guidebooks and tour guides began to appear to meet the needs of the 20-something male and female travelers and their tutors traveling a standard European itinerary. They carried letters of reference and introduction with them as they departed from southern England, enabling them to access money and invitations along the way.

With nearly unlimited funds, aristocratic connections and months or years to roam, these wealthy young tourists commissioned paintings, perfected their language skills and mingled with the upper crust of the Continent.

The wealthy believed the primary value of the Grand Tour lay in the exposure both to classical antiquity and the Renaissance, and to the aristocratic and fashionably polite society of the European continent. In addition, it provided the only opportunity to view specific works of art, and possibly the only chance to hear certain music. A Grand Tour could last from several months to several years. The youthful Grand Tourists usually traveled in the company of a Cicerone, a knowledgeable guide or tutor.

The ‘Grand Tour’ era of classical acquisitions from history existed up to around the 1850’s, and extended around the whole of Europe, Egypt, the Ottoman Empire, and the Holy Land.

Fibula 54mm long

Every single item from The Lanes Armoury is accompanied by our unique Certificate of Authenticity. Part of our continued dedication to maintain the standards forged by us over the past 100 years of our family’s trading, as Britain’s oldest established, and favourite, armoury and gallery  read more

Code: 23986

A Superb Excavated & Fragmented Bronze Age Sword 3200+ Years Old. Seige of Troy Period

A very inexpensive pre-history period antiquity of immense beauty and age. A short sword or long dagger traded between the Eastern Mediterranean Scythians, Persians and Greeks during the the Ist millennium B.C. around 2700 to 3200 years ago. Made in bronze in the Western Asiatic region.

Western Asiatic bronzes refer to items dating from roughly 1500-500 BC that have been excavated since the late 1920's in the Harsin, Khorramabad and Alishtar valleys of the Zagros Mountains especially at the site of Tepe Sialk. Scholars believe they were created by either the Cimmerians or by such related Indo-European peoples as the early Medes and Persians.
Weapons from this region were highly sought after by warriors of many cultures because of their quality, balance and durability. Graduating blade with integral hilt, with open panels for organic inserts of wood, bone, or ivory, fabulous areas of crystallized malachite naturally aged blue/green patination.

The acinaces, also spelled akinakes or akinaka is a type of short sword used mainly in the first millennium BC in the eastern Mediterranean region, especially by the Medes, Scythians and Persians, then by the Greeks.
The akinakes was worn at the hip in an elaborate scabbard. The chape, generally a rounded triangle, could be made of bronze, chased gold or carved ivory, and probably lots of other materials. Just above the chape, a cord was tied around the scabbard, passed around the thigh and then through a slipknot next to the chape. The throat had a large tab, which at its own upper corner was tied through a hole in the weapon belt.

We show another most similar Bronze Age short sword or long dagger, in a similar state, excavated near Stonehenge, in the U.K. now in a museum collection. This piece is 17 1/2 inches long overall.

Every single item from The Lanes Armoury is accompanied by our unique Certificate of Authenticity. Part of our continued dedication to maintain the standards forged by us over the past 100 years of our family’s trading, as Britain’s oldest established, and favourite, armoury and gallery  read more

Code: 23012

A Rare Victorian Bengal Native Light Infantry Badge in Silver

They were a rifles infantry regiment of the Bengal Army, later of the united British Indian Army. They could trace their origins to 1803, when they were the 1st Battalion, 22nd Bengal Native Infantry. Over the years they were known by a number of different names the 43rd Bengal Native Infantry 1824?1842, the 43rd Bengal Native (Light) Infantry 1842?1861, the 6th Bengal Native (Light) Infantry 1861?1897 and finally after the Kitchener reforms of the Indian Army the 6th Jat Bengal (Light) Infantry. The regiment was involved in the First Anglo-Afghan War, the First Anglo-Sikh War, the Second Anglo-Afghan War, the Boxer Rebellion and World War I. After World War I the Indian Government reformed the army moving from single battalion regiments to multi battalion regiments. The 6th Jat Light Infantry became the new 1st Battalion, 9th Jat Regiment. After India gained independence they were one of the regiments allocated to the Indian Army.  read more

Code: 20971

A Delightful Edo Period 1600 Japanese Noh Mask, Possibly Amazakuro Akujo

From the ancient Japanese tradition of mask drama that can trace its origins to the Bugaku Imperial Court dancing of the 9th century. Noh is the classical theatre of Japan which was codified in the 14th century under the father and son actors Kan'ami and Zeami under the patronage of the Shogun (supreme military leader) Ashikaga Yoshimitsu. The performances utilise masks and elaborate costume. This is a substantial though small size mask, robustly carved from a thick piece of hinoki, with the carving confidently executed. The original colour of the mask appears to be of a predominantly a pinkish skin colour over a very thin layer of gofun, with details of the lips painted in red. The whites of the deep-set eyes are with details. The high domed forehead and the raised eyebrows together with the delicately carved wrinkles add to the overall image of a benevolent deity. It is significant that the mask is called Omote, which means the front surface facing the audience. But there is a reverse side, too, called Ura, behind which the actor conceals himself. Unlike the smooth finished outer surface of a Noh mask, the Ura is a roughly finished indented shell with just two tiny holes, more rudimentary than what we might call eyes. By including himself in this primitive space, the Noh actor transforms himself into a person of another world and attempts to draw the audience after him, by radiating a sense of the existence and non existence of an inhabitant of that other world. This mask is of symbolic size, not a wearing type.

The Ayakashi mask expresses god or ghost possessed of mysterious powers. It is also used for a vindictive warrior. Okina (Old man masks) This type of mask originated from sarugaku, the predecessor of noh, in the latter part of the Heian period. This is the oldest type of noh mask.

The surface still has a large proportion of fleshy skin tones remaining, with areas of loses overall. This intriguing piece would make a superb display piece of famous Japanese traditional art.

6 inches x 4.25 inches.  read more

Code: 20901

A Japanese Edo Period Processional or Ceremonial Pole Arm Yari

Set on a very good mother o'pearl decorated haft. With a over lacquered blade cover. A yari on it's pole can range in length from one metre to upwards of six metres (almost 20 feet). The longer hafted versions were called omi no yari while shorter ones were known as mochi yari or tae yari. The longest hafted versions were carried by foot troops (ashigaru), while samurai usually carried a shorter hafted yari. Yari are believed to have been derived from Chinese spears, and while they were present in early Japan's history they did not become popular until the thirteenth century. The original warfare of the bushi was not a thing for "commoners"; it was a ritualized combat usually between two warriors who may challenge each other via horseback archery and sword duels. However, the attempted Mongol invasions of Japan in 1274 and 1281 changed Japanese weaponry and warfare. The Mongol-employed Chinese and Korean footmen wielded long pikes, fought in tight formation, and moved in large units to stave off cavalry. Polearms (including naginata and yari) were of much greater military use than swords, due to their much greater range, their lesser weight per unit length (though overall a polearm would be fairly hefty), and their great piercing ability. Swords in a full battle situation were therefore relegated to emergency sidearm status from the Heian through the Muromachi periods. Ceremonial yari were used for parades of Daimyo travelling through regions or traditional public ceremonies in the Edo era. MOP losses to haft.  read more

Code: 19524

A Stunning Original 11th,12th Century Crusader’s 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 Knight

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

A Beautiful, Victorian, Scottish Artillery Service Helmet of the First Renfrew and Dumbarton Artillery. Blue Cloth with Silver Badge, Fittings, Ball Top, & Rose Head Curb Chain Mounts and Chin Chain

Overall in superb condition, just the usual wear to the blue cloth surface The 1st Renfrew and Dumbarton Artillery Volunteers was a part-time unit of the British Army's Royal Artillery founded in Scotland in 1860.
The Artillery Volunteers were formed in response to perceived threats of invasion, particularly from France during the mid-19th century. By 1881, these units were well established as part of Britain’s auxiliary forces, providing coastal and homeland defense. The First Renfrew and Dumbarton unit operated in Scotland, drawing recruits from these regions, and contributed to local and national defense efforts.

Officers' helmets like this are prized by collectors for their craftsmanship and historical significance, offering a glimpse into the organization, pride, and traditions of Scottish Victorian-era volunteer forces.

The helmet plate is crafted with intricate detailing. Such plates were worn on the helmets of officers as a part of their formal uniform.

Central Emblem: The plate features a central badge, often incorporating a cannon or artillery piece, symbolizing the artillery unit, surrounded by wreaths of laurel and oak to represent victory and strength.

Crown: It is topped by a Victorian Crown (Queen Victoria's reign), indicating the era of service.

Unit Designation: The name "First Renfrew and Dumbarton Artillery Volunteers" is prominently displayed.

The enthusiasm for the Volunteer movement following an invasion scare in 1859 saw the creation of many Rifle and Artillery Volunteer Corps composed of part-time soldiers eager to supplement the Regular British Army in time of need.Three Artillery Volunteer Corps (AVCs) were formed in Renfrewshire and three more in neighbouring Dumbartonshire in 1860, and on 22 August 1863 all six were included in the 1st Administrative Brigade, Renfrewshire Artillery Volunteers, under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel John Scott, with its headquarters (HQ) at Greenock:

1st (Greenock) Renfrewshire AVC formed 20 January 1860, four batteries by 1867
2nd (Greenock) Renfrewshire AVC formed 20 January 1860, absorbed into 1st in 1864
3rd (Greenock) Renfrewshire AVC formed 20 January 1860, absorbed into 1st in 1864
1st (Helensburgh) Dumbartonshire AVC formed 9 February 1860
2nd (Rosneath) Dumbartonshire AVC formed March 1860, moved to Kilcreggan 1866, disbanded in 1872
3rd (Dumbarton) Dumbartonshire AVC formed 24 December 1860, increased to two batteries 22 March 1869
When the AVCs were consolidated in May 1880, the administrative brigade became the 1st Renfrewshire (Renfrew and Dumbarton) Artillery Volunteers, shortly afterwards adopting the title of 1st Renfrew and Dumbarton Artillery Volunteers with the following organisation
HQ, Greenock
Nos 1–4 Batteries, Greenock
No 5 Battery, Helensburgh
No 6–7 Batteries, Dumbarton

In 1882 all the AVCs were affiliated to one of the territorial garrison divisions of the Royal Artillery (RA) and the 1st Renfrew & Dumbarton AV became part of the Scottish Division. In 1889 the structure was altered, and the corps joined the Southern Division. In 1899 the RA was divided into separate field and garrison branches, and the artillery volunteers were all assigned to the Royal Garrison Artillery (RGA). When the divisional structure was abolished their titles were changed, the unit becoming the 1st Renfrew and Dumbarton Royal Garrison Artillery (Volunteers) on 1 January 1902

During the First World War, it served with 51st (Highland) Division at the Battle of the Somme before being broken up. In the Second World War, the regiment saw action in the Battle of France, in the campaigns in North Africa, Sicily, Italy, the Greek Civil War and in North West Europe.  read more

Code: 25641