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Customer commentswelcome to antique militaria!
I have been a military antiques dealer (based at Grays Antique Market in London's West End until Christmas 2008) for over 45 years: antique swords, weapons, guns, uniforms, helmets, equipment, medals, belt buckles, bayonets and almost all other items of general militaria. British, German, European and worldwide items... I have provided all kinds of arms and armour and military collectibles to both private customers, trade and museum clientele all around the world!
featured antique military items
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Light Cavalry officer's sword, 1796 pattern - British
This Austrian-influenced sabre would have been carried by British horse artillery and Light Dragoons throughout the Peninsula War and, of course, at Waterloo. It is marked 'Osborns Warranted', a renowned Birmingham sword cutler. It has the post-1801 arms and pre-dates the amalgamation of Osborn & Gunby, which took place in 1807.
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Prison Service officer's sword by WKC - German
This is a marked (WKC) Weyersberg & Kirschbaum production from Solingen, which unusually has a solid bronze hilt, rare for the era, as most of these swords had aluminium hilts (gilt for the prison service and a silver finish for the justice administration officials). In 50 years of trading this is the first bronze hilt I have seen.
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Spanish Cross in gold - German
In April 1939, this award was instituted to commemorate the bravery of the German volunteers in the Spanish civil war. 1,126 awards in gold with swords were granted. It is marked L56 on the reverse for the maker Robert Hauschild of Pforzheim.
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NSKK dirk, RZM marked M7/68 - German
This is the SA dirk 1933 pattern, modified with a black finish to the scabbard by order of Korpsfuhrer Huhnlein in 1936. The RZM code stands for the firm Lauterjung & Co of Solingen. The top chape is engraved '15/24547', representing the Standarte number and the owner's personal NSKK number.
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Whitworth bayonet marked for 2nd/60th - British
This is the bayonet for the .451 muzzle-loading Whitworth rifle. In extensive trials these were issued in 1863-67 to infantry units, including various guards and rifle regiments. Some 8,000 bayonets were produced, the general scale of issue being some 68 rifles and bayonets per regiment. The 2nd Battalion 60th were in the Maori Wars 1860-70.
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Model cannon by Marklin - German
This fine model of a German field gun comes complete with a small black powder cartridge with a recess for a primer in its base to enable it to be used as a signalling gun or a rather posh toy.
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a little history on my antiques interest
I have been a collector of military antiques since the age of 12, starting with bayonets and moving gradually on to swords, finally entering the broader military antique dealing arena in about 1970. At that stage, I rapidly started to learn about antique English pistols and revolvers.
In about 1980, I broadened my dealing coverage from mainstream militaria to include English campaign medals. The arrival of powerful auction houses in this field drove me back to my original interest in general militaria (swords, bayonets, dirks, guns, pistols, etc).
However, I still maintain a lively interest in all military objects, especially the rare and exotic, eg Imperial Russian and Austrian.
Throughout my dealing career, I have built up my personal collection of antique military prints and drawings and a substantial selection of early military photographs up to 1945, principally German and English. To aid both my dealing and collecting, I have a huge library covering all military aspects of antiques going back to the Middle Ages, and many aspects of antiques in general, especially early English silver.
