Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland Prize Medal 1892
A seated female figure upon a dais, places laurel wreaths upon the heads of two standing agricultural workers. Rev. Inscription around a wreath with attribution text within. Andrew Hart for Chemistry, Veterinary College Glasgow . Size 45mm. Nice tone/colour

Code: 17232Price: 55.00 GBP

A Beautiful Early Showa Tachi By Kaneyoshi

Code: 17231Price: On Request

A Superb Early 20th Century Airship Enamel and Silver Gilt Demitasse Spoon
Decorated with an airship in the bowl, and Graf Von Zeppelin on the handle. In polychrome enamel excellent condition. Hallmarked 800.

Code: 17230Price: 275.00 GBP

An Edwardian Antique Royal Artillery Officer's Helmet Plate In Gilt. 1902-8
With Kings Crown, but the rare type, without the Ubique battle honour scroll showing, but the a laurel scroll pinned and overlaid on top of standard Ubique motto scroll. Gilt in near mint condition , 3 rear fixing loops. Quo Fas Et Gloria Ducunt motto (Where Right And Glory Lead) .and Honi Soit Qui Mal Y Pense within garter. With artillery cannon, pierced wheel. A super officers helmet plate in great order. A beauty!

Code: 17229Price: 145.00 GBP

A Superb, Solingen Made Vintage Royal Swedish Air Force Officer's Dagger
A most interesting dagger, [pattern name, M30-52] in that it was initially designed for the Royal Swedish Air force, but the design pattern was almost identically copied to create the very rare Hitler Youth Leader's dagger of WW2, that was issued from 1937. Why the Third Reich copied the Swedish dagger is a mystery but was most deliberate. The Swedish dagger was designed and made from 1930 and adapted in '52 to add an extra hanging loop. This dagger was made in Solingen by WKC, and the original hilt and scabbard gilt, and the blade polish, are simply superb. This is a stunning dagger for collectors of, rarely seen in England, European daggers, that were originally designed during the pre-war period. Sweden was Neutral at the beginning of the war but, unlike Norway, Belgium, Luxembourg and The Netherlands, their neutrality was observed by Hitler and they were not subsequently invaded. During the German invasion of the Soviet Union, Sweden allowed the Wehrmacht to use Swedish railways to transport (June–July 1941) the German 163rd Infantry Division along with howitzers, tanks and anti-aircraft weapons and associated ammunition, from Norway to Finland. German soldiers traveling on leave between Norway and Germany were allowed passage through Sweden — the so-called permittenttrafik. Iron ore was sold to Germany throughout the war. And for the Allies, Sweden shared military intelligence and helped to train soldiers made up of refugees from Denmark and Norway, to be used in the liberation of their home countries. It also allowed the Allies to use Swedish airbases between 1944 and 1945.

Code: 17228Price: 525.00 GBP

A Pair Of WW2 RAF Pilot's Wings. Battle of France. AASF
Once worn by the a pilot of 142 Squadron. We are selling his medals seperately. The 12 and 142 Squadron Fairey Battle crews of the Advanced Air Striking Force (AASF) who along with their fellow RAF daylight bomber squadrons fought valiantly and heroically to try and stem the onslaught of the wehrmacht and luftwaffe invasion of France, Belgium and Holland 10 - 14 May 1940. In the early months of the Second World War it served with the Advanced Air Striking Force in France and on 10th May 1940, the day the Germans invaded the Low Countries, it gained the distinction of being the first AASF unit to bomb the advancing enemy. Later that month No. 142 was one of the Fairey Battle squadrons which attacked the Meuse bridges in a further attempt to stem the German advance. The squadron was withdrawn to England in June 1940, and by the end of the year was converting to Wellingtons prior to engaging in the strategic night-bombing offensive.

Code: 17227Price: 95.00 GBP

An Original FS Commando Knife By Nowill of Sheffield, 3rd Pat.
The cross keys are the makers mark of John Nowill & Sons, Sheffield. The 'D' marking is a mould number for the handle. Some original blueing to the blade, with signs of combat use at the tip section. The British Fairbairn Sykes dagger officially made, issued service dagger, was created for the newly formed 'Special Forces' commandos. The story about the Fairbairn Sykes Fighting knife starts in England 1940.
In 1940 the British formed special commandos to carry out raids. The initiative came from Winston Churchill in 1940. On the 8 June 1940, Section M09 of the War Office was brought into being. The name commando was taken from small effective mobile Boer units during the war in South Africa 1899-1902.

Two of the first instructors were Captain William Ewart Fairbairn (b. 28 February 1885, d. 20 June 1960) and Captain Eric Anthony Sykes (b. 5 February 1883, d. 12 May 1945). These middle aged gentlemen trained the young soldiers in a new and difficult mode of close-combat fighting at the Commando Basic Training Centre, Achnacarry, Scotland. Churchill described the commandos as 'a steel hand from the sea'

The need for a proper fighting knife, for these commandos, was apparent from the first few weeks of training specialized personnel. As Fairbairn later wrote, "...the authorities did not recognize a fighting knife as part of the equipment of the fighting services. In fact, such a thing as a fighting knife could not be purchased anywhere in Great Britain."

Until now, there had never been an official knife for the British armed services, although many types of knife had been authorised for use in the past. Bowie style knives were carried by some of the Imperial Yeomantry during the South African War of 1900-1901, and in World War I cut-down bayonets, privately purchased hunting knives, or captured German issue folding knives were extensively utilised.

In November 1940 there was a meeting between W. E. Fairbairn, E. A. Sykes and Robert Wilkinson Latham at Wilkinson Sword Company.

Fairbairn and Sykes described the type of knife they envisioned and the purpose for which it was intended. As discussion continued, preliminary sketches were drawn up and modified time and time again. As Robert Wilkinson Latham tells it: 'In order to explain exactly their point, the two men rose to their feet and one, it was Fairbairn my grandfather mentioned, grabbed the wood ruler from his desk and the two men danced around the office in mock combat'. W. E. Fairbairn had also brought with him an example of a suitable fighting knife.


The system they devised utilised techniques drawn from Jiu Jitsu, Gatka, Kung Fu and 'Gutter Fighting'. It proved extremely effective. They were natural choices for the job. Both had served in the Shanghai Municipal Police Force, facing death daily in the dark, narrow streets and alleys of the city against armed thugs and organised gangs. In Shanghai they had made some fighting knives out of bayonets. The meeting resulted in the Fairbairn Sykes Fighting knife that was manufactured by Wilkinson Sword Co. They eventually changed the design a number of times to evolve into the current 3rd pattern. The 1st pattern is by far the rarest, and the fewest types of FS ever made, as the second pattern, and the other variant's were produced fairly quickly after the first pattern's original order from the British Government, issued on the 14th November 1940, was fulfilled by January 1941. No scabbard

Code: 17226Price: 265.00 GBP

The Complete Lewis Gunner Instruction Manual
WW2 1942 Issue for Capt Devos. First published in WW1.

Code: 17225Price: 30.00 GBP

A Big, Beautiful, and Impressive Katana Bearing A Very Desirable Name
***Re-polished blade measuring a huge 31.5 inches from Tsuba to Tip. Signed Osaka-ju Gassan Unryûshi Minamoto Sadakazu. With wave design fushi kashira highlighted with gilt, gilded menuki of gourds. Original Edo lacquer saya. A very nice Koto sukashi tsuba, probably Choshu school, with a russetted surface. As a sword bearing the name of one of the great 19th century Gassan smiths, that ideally [but of course not essentially] could be presented to shinsa in Japan for official appraisal, as this Gassan smith was a copied, great master. Due to this, we price it for it's own merits and beauty, as if unsigned, but, with possibilities. A few swords, bearing his name, have appeared in the past decade and sold in the best London auction rooms, but similarly without any guarantee at all as to authenticity of signature, yet have still sold for respectable five figure sums without authentication. It has now been polished and absolutely fabulous as the hamon looks tremendously vibrant and impressive, with yakideshi. It does have a few pitting marks at the kissaki and on the blade but nothing at all to effect it's use. This beauty has lain untouched as a sleeper for nigh on 100 years or more. Please note we cannot authenticate the signature, but we most happily authenticate this sword as an original antique samurai sword, bearing the Gassan name. Gassan Sadakazu was born in 1836 in Sugoshi Village in Omi Province. . He was the son of Tsukamoto Shichirobei. When he was a young boy, he was adopted into the family of the famous sword maker Gassan Sadayoshi who's only living heir died prematurely.
Gassan Sadayoshi was the founder of the Osaka Gassan school of sword making. He studied under Suishinshi Masahide until Masahide's death in 1825. At that time he moved to Osaka and started the revived the Gassan school of sword making which had died out in the early Edo period.

Sadakazu started studying the art of sword making at about age 11. He made his first sword at age 14 and by age 20 was recognized as a top quality swordsmith and horimono carver.
In the early 1860's when his teacher passed the age of 60, he assumed the role of Daisaku and made swords in his father's name. About this time he produced a number of swords in the Bizen or Yamato style in addition to the main Ayasugi tradition. His blade structure featured a modest curvature and a pronounced large boshi with only a slightly rounded edge (fukura-kareru), which were also characteristic of Sadayoshi's work.
Work stopped for Sadakazu from 1876 when the wearing of swords was abolished until around 1887 when Japan went to war with China and the demand for swords resumed.
He died in 1918 after a long and very distinguished career as one of the premier sword makers of the 19th and 20th centuries. Part of an article above by Fred Weissberg on the Gassan School

Code: 17224Price: 6250.00 GBP

A WWI 'Doughboy' Canvas Webbing Grenade Vest Pack Dated 1918
Made by the Troy Carriage Sunshade Co. May 1918. 11 flap pockets in excellent condition. US inspector stamped

Code: 17220Price: 95.00 GBP