edged weapons
Here is a selection of militaria from this category: | [ Show all ] |
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Heavy Cavalry officer's dress sword, 1796 pattern - British
This is an Austrian pattern, which was adopted by the British army in 1796 as a dress sword for Heavy Cavalry general officers and militia units. It would have been used throughout the Peninsula War and at Waterloo and beyond until about 1820 or so.
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Brass-hilted sawback hanger - British
This hanger, almost certainly of military or naval origin, is an exceptionally clean example with a 24" sawback blade and a staghorn grip. Typically they would have been used in the Seven Years War, as well as in the US War of Independence. It would have been carried in a brass-mounted leather scabbard, now sadly lacking.
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Silver smallsword, Inspecteur aux Revues - French
This sword, dating from 1805-09, would have been carried by an Inspecteur aux (or 'des') Revues (the equivalent of Commissary in the British Army), responsible for pay, provisions (hence the ears of wheat on the guard and knuckle bow) and the depot system. Before this, they simply carried an ordinary infantry sword. The sword is rare.
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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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Royal Navy fighting dirk - British
This is likely to have been made towards the end of the American Revolutionary War (Peace of Paris, 1783) or during the early part of the Napoleonic Wars (starting 1793). This would have been carried by an RN officer or HEIC naval officer, and this example is interesting in having a particularly long (approx 26") blade.
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