An Original Ancient Briton, Pre-History, Bronze Age Axe Head, Loop and Socket Form, Formerly From the Sir Alfred McAlpine Collection. 3500 to 4,000 Years Old

A bronze age axe head with square, collared socket and rectangular cheeks with flared, D-section cutting edge, small loop to attach the axe head with sinew cord binding to an axe haft.
Likely recovered from a Bronze age barrow many decades past, formerly in the Sir Alfred McAlpine collection.

A Barrow is an ancient mound where treasure and artifacts were buried with warriors as offerings. There are many ancient Iron Age and Bronze age Barrows covering Britain's ancient lands, some are simple mounds other are long or shaped. However, artifacts and treasure from most of these sights are now long since gone, or, possibly, some remain but are too deep to disturb the precious site, so wonderful finds such as this are a rare joy to see and even rarer to own.

We show another similar, earlier bronze age axe head axe found with Otzi the Ice Man, and a recreation of him in the museum holding his similar axe. We show a photo of his original axe.
The Iceman was discovered in the Otztal Alps in the fall of 1991, the location giving him his now famous name: Otzi. His preserved body and equipment have given us a wealth of information about the time in which he lived.

He died and was buried within glacial ice 5,300 years ago, alone and in pain, yet the remains of his body and equipment are teaching us more than any previous discovery about that time in history when our ancestors were moving out of the stone age and into the age of metal.

He was prepared for his trek through the Tyrolean Alps as well as any modern climber, knowing the dangers of sudden snowstorms that can occur in the spring of the year. He did die, but it was not the weather or the mountains that killed him. It was an arrow shot into his left shoulder that shattered his scapula and tore through blood vessels and nerves. Although he escaped his attacker, the combination of blood loss and the immobility of his left arm had doomed his chances of surviving.

His pain must have been great as he kept climbing, finally stopping at an altitude of 10,400 ft. He slipped his quiver over his shoulder and dropped it to the ground. Staggering a few more yards, he removed his pack frame and laid it down against a stone outcropping. Using only his right arm, he carefully removed two birchbark containers from his pack, one he set on top of the rock, the other he kept close to him, a familiar smell momentarily comforting him. He then placed his copper axe and his bow stave with the pack. Clutching his birchbark cylinder, he struggled a few more steps before he stumbled, but even then, twisting to avoid landing on his left side and protecting the treasure in the container. He painfully pulled the birch bark close to his face, inhaled the last vestiges of the smoke from the failing ember inside and died.

The axe head weighs just under 200 grams, around 3 1/2". Fine condition.  read more

Code: 24099

A Very Fine, Early to Mid 18th Century, Regimental 27th Foot Inniskillings, 1st Land Pattern Brown Bess Musket Bayonet. One of the Most Desirable and Collectable Bayonets, Used By One Of The Most Famous of Regiments

Fine and original Land pattern Brown Bess socket bayonets are now as rare as hen's teeth. The 1st Land pattern Bess is now a very scarce and beautiful gun that can command 5 figure sums to acquire, thus its bayonet, that are just as historical and collectable, are a most affordable option by comparison. From the end of the first quarter to the mid 18th century, a Land Pattern 'Brown Bess' Bayonet. 21.5 inches long, approx. With a 17 inch blade, and a socket of 3.8 inches, thin squared socket rim.
Regimentally marked for The 27th (Inniskilling) Regiment of Foot, and also gun or rack numbered '79'. Partial maker marks visible, T.HA,, Possibly Thomas Hatcher who made several groups of ordnance contract Land Pattern muskets, and was appointed 'Master Furbisher' at the small gun office prior to 1750.

One of the great British Regiments that served in the Jacobite Rebellion, The Seven Years in America against the French and Native Indian forces, The American Revolutionary War, The Flanders Campaign 1793, the Capture of St Lucia from the French in 1796, the Peninsular War, The War in America 1812, and the Battle of Waterloo. This bayonet could easily have been present in many of this extraordinary conflicts covering over half a century. The 27th was an Irish infantry regiment of the British Army, formed in 1689 . The regiment was raised as local militia at Enniskillen by Colonel Zachariah Tiffin in June 1689, to fight against James II in the Williamite war in Ireland. They served successfully, most notably at the Battle of Newtownbutler, and their performance gained them a place on the English establishment in 1690 as a regular infantry regiment, as such they then fought at the Battle of the Boyne.

After peace returned to Ireland, the regiment was stationed around the world over the next half a century; from the Low Countries, West Indies, Minorca and to Spain. It formed part of the Government army sent to defeat the Jacobite Rising of 1745, participating in the Battle of Falkirk and in the Battle of Culloden. At this period they were commonly known as Blakeney's Regiment after the colonel-in-chief. In 1751, they were formally titled the 27th (Enniskillen) Regiment of Foot.

During the Seven Years' War (1756-63) the Regiment fought against the French in North America and the West Indies. In 1778 it returned to North America to take part in the War of Independence, but as the result of the alliance formed by the French with the American colonists, it again found itself involved in numerous expeditions against the French West Indian possessions. The war with France came to an end in 1783 but broke out again ten years later with the French Revolutionary Wars and the regiment took part in the Flanders Campaign of 1793. In 1796 the 27th took St. Lucia from the French, where its regimental colour was displayed on the flagstaff of the captured fortress.

Battle of Castalla, 13 April 1813
The 27th Regiment served throughout the Napoleonic wars including Egypt where it formed part of Sir Ralph Abercromby's force that fought the Battle of Alexandria against the French in 1801, the 2nd Battalion formed part of the garrison of that city after its capture. The 1st Battalion served in the Calabrian campaign and fought at Battle of Maida on 4 July 1806. In this engagement the light company fought in James Kempt's brigade while the one grenadier and eight line companies belonged to Lowry Cole's brigade.

The 1st Battalion entered the Peninsular War in November 1812 and participated in the Battle of Castalla and the Siege of Tarragona, both in 1813. The 2nd Battalion landed in Spain in December 1812 and fought brilliantly at Castalla on 13 April 1813. While formed in a two-deep line, the unit inflicted 369 killed and wounded on the French 121st Line Infantry Regiment in a few minutes. In the same action the entire brigade only lost 70 casualties. On 13 September 1813, the French surprised and cut the 2nd Battalion to pieces at the Battle of Ordal. In this action, the 2nd/27th lost over 360 men killed, wounded, and captured.

The 3rd Battalion disembarked in Lisbon in November 1808. It became part of Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington's army and fought at many of the key battles including Badajoz, Salamanca, Vitoria, the Pyrenees, Nivelle, Orthez, and Toulouse. The 3rd Battalion belonged to Cole's 4th Division throughout the war. At the Battle of Sorauren (Pyrenees), the 3rd/27th lost two officers and 41 men killed, nine officers and 195 men wounded, and seven men taken prisoner. At Toulouse, the unit lost two officers and 23 men killed, and five officers and 76 men wounded.

The 1st Battalion went on to fight at the Battle of Waterloo as part of John Lambert's 10th Brigade in the 6th Division. At about 6:30 PM, the French captured the key strongpoint of La Haye Sainte farm. After this success, they brought up several cannon and took the Anglo-Allied lines under fire at extremely close range. At this period, the 698-strong battalion was deployed in square at the point where the Ohain road crossed the Charleroi to Brussels highway. At a range of 300 yards, the French artillery caused the unit enormous casualties within a short time. At day's end, the 3rd Battalion had lost 105 killed and 373 wounded, a total of 478 casualties. The unit was described as "lying dead in a square". At the time of Waterloo, the soldiers of the 27th were dressed in red, short-tailed jackets, overall trousers, and a high-fronted shako. The facing colour was buff and it was displayed on the collar, cuffs, and shoulder-straps. The lace on the cuffs and jackets had square-ended loops  read more

Code: 18951

1917 US Bayonet, The *U.S. Model 1913 ‘1917’ Dated Remington Bayonet and Scabbard.

Excellent plus, and an exceptional example. The American U.S. Model 1913 , 9 1917 Bayonet in leather and steel scabbard with frog button mount. Known as a 'sleeper', in the collecting market, in that it was put into storage in 1946 and hasn't seen the light of day since, we have just acquired a super collection of bayonets all in stored condition since the end of the war.

This is a superb 1913- 1917 pattern bayonet marked to the blade with 1913 and 9 1917 over Remington in a circle on one side and U.S. on the other. These bayonets were originally manufactured by the U.S. in WWI and acquired by the British in WWII for use mainly by the Home Guard.

Pattern 1913/17. In excellent order with frog mount. Made by Remington. The pattern of bayonet that was continually used in WW2 by the British Home Guard. With twin cuts in the wood grip added to differentiate for British forces that it was the American bayonet and not a British 1907 Wilkinson.

Originally the bayonet design was made for the British in September 1917 (the 9 17 mark) by Remington in the US as the 1913 Pattern intended to be issued with the P14 Rifle in .303 inch calibre. However, when America entered the war they changed production of the P14 rifle over to .30 inch calibre, at which point it became their M17 rifle. As the calibre change meant no alteration to the bayonet was required they basically took the unfinished/unshipped bayonets and made them American property by over-stamping the British marks with American marks, thus becoming M1917 bayonets.

We can hand polish this bayonet beautifully for the next owner, or leave just as is.  read more

Code: 25111

A Finest Leather Field Service, .455 Revolver Holster, For WW1 Officers

Excellent condition, WW1 service officer use, for the Webley.455 MK VI revolver. It has a full flap cover with retaining strap and brass stud fastener

The Webley Revolver (also known as the Webley Top-Break Revolver or Webley Self-Extracting Revolver) was, in various designations, a standard issue service revolver for the armed forces of the United Kingdom, and countries of the British Empire and the Commonwealth of Nations, from 1887 to 1970.

The Webley is a top-break revolver and breaking the revolver operates the extractor, which removes cartridges from the cylinder. The Webley Mk I service revolver was adopted in 1887 and the Mk IV rose to prominence during the Boer War of 1899–1902. The Mk VI was introduced in 1915, during wartime, and is the best-known model.

Firing large .455 Webley cartridges, Webley service revolvers are among the most powerful top-break revolvers produced.

The Webley RIC (Royal Irish Constabulary) model was Webley's first double-action revolver, and adopted by the RIC in 1868, hence the name. It was a solid frame, gate-loaded revolver, chambered in .442 Webley. General George Armstrong Custer was known to have owned a pair, which he is believed to have used at the Battle of the Little Bighorn in 1876.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police and Shanghai Municipal Police received Webley Mk VI revolvers during the interwar period.  read more

Code: 25160

Ancient Imperial Roman Discus Form Oil Lamp with Embossed Design Circa 100 AD

Lamps were used throughout antiquity for the principal purpose of lighting in domestic, civic and also religious contexts (funerary or votive) where permanent light was required. The origin of the lamp is not known for certain, but it had become commonplace in Greece by the 4th century BCE, where its use replaced that of the torch known from earlier times. Since the large scale production of olive oil which (amongst other things) was used as lamp fuel and constituted part of a major industry in Ancient Greece it is not surprising that the mass-production of lamps occurred as they were in constant demand. This demand continued well into the Roman period and the subsequent CE era. As the industry continued to grow, so did the varied styles of lamps, that illustrated incredible diversity in their shapes, decorations and materials. Shapes ranged from simple single nozzled ones to others that had 12 or more spouts. Others demonstrated zoomorphic (animal) or anthropomorphic (human) forms, while others had varied decorations confined to the top of the lamp with vegetable or abstract motifs, but also figural scenes (mythological, legendary, gladiatorial, domestic life, erotica etc). Further, while terracotta was the most common material used for the production of these devices, they were also made in stone or metal such as gold or silver, but they were most commonly produced in bronze.  read more

Code: 25119

A Scarce Original WW2 British '37 Pattern Commando Officer's 9mm Browning Hi-power Holster, Ammunition Pouch & Waistbelt 1942/3 in Excellent Plus Condition

This 3 commando holster set was acquired with a German Luftwaffe officers PPK holster but sold seperately. After WW2 the officer kept his Browning and the Walther PPK as souvenirs, but surrendered his Browning and the Walther to the police in the 1960's. We acquired both holsters from his grandson

The 9mm automatic holster was easily identifiable by its level top edge almost all revolver holsters being angled upwards. With top hooks to connect underneath an ammunition pouch as an option. The neat ammunition pouch could accommodate two 12 round packets, a fabric strip went over the brace adaptor and a fabric loop fitted at the bottom accepted the top hook of a holster. dated 42/43.

No. 3 Commando was a battalion-sized Commando unit raised by the British Army during the Second World War. Formed in July 1940 from volunteers for special service, it was the first such unit to carry the title of "Commando". Shortly afterwards the unit was involved in a largely unsuccessful raid upon the German-occupied Channel Island of Guernsey.

In 1941 they were involved in successful raids on the Lofoten Islands and Vaagso, in Norway, before taking part in the costly Dieppe raid in August 1942, where the unit was tasked with knocking out a German coastal artillery battery on the eastern flank of the main landings, although due to a chance encounter in the Channel with a German convoy, a large majority of the unit failed to make it ashore.

In early 1943, the unit was sent to Gibraltar before moving to North Africa in April from where they were involved in the Allied invasion of Sicily and operations in Italy prior to being withdrawn to Britain to prepare for Operation Overlord. On D-Day they went ashore on 6 June 1944 as part of the 1st Special Service Brigade tasked with linking up with the 6th Airborne Division on the eastern flank of Sword before being withdrawn. Later they took part in the Allied counterattack during the Ardennes Offensive in early 1945 before taking part in the advance into Germany as part of Operation Plunder.

Following the end of the war, No. 3 Commando carried out occupation duties in Germany before it was disbanded on 4 January 1946.  read more

Code: 25143

Victorian Silver Very Scarce Canadian Officer's Badge of the 38th Dunfferin Rifles

In superb crisp order. A mighty rare badge. Originated 28 September 1866 in Brantford, Ontario as the 38th "Brant Battalion of Infantry"
Redesignated 30 November 1866 as the 38th "Brant" Battalion of Infantry
Redesignated 24 March 1871 as the 38th "Brant" Battalion of Rifles
Redesignated 3 July 1874 as the 38th "Brant" Battalion or "Dufferin Rifles"
Redesignated 28 September 1883 as the 38th Battalion "Dufferin Rifles of Canada"
Redesignated 8 May 1900 as the 38th Regiment "Dufferin Rifles of Canada"
Redesignated 1 May 1920 as The Dufferin Rifles of Canada
Amalgamated 15 December 1936 with The Haldimand Rifles and C Company of the 3rd Machine Gun Battalion, CMGC
The 125th Battalion (1st Overseas Battalion of 38th Regiment Dufferin Rifles), CEF was a unit in the Canadian Expeditionary Force during the First World War. Based in Brantford, Ontario, the unit began recruiting in late 1915 throughout Brant County. 43mm x 70mm  read more

Code: 18826

Excellent Pre-Contact Example of a Stone Leilira Knife from Central or Northern Australia. A First Nations' Cultural Object

The handle made of Spinifex Resin (plant) and the quartz blade shaped by chipping and shaping with a harder stone. The term Leilira was first coined by Spencer and Gillen circa 1899, and is currently the archaeological term used to describe large blades produced in northern and central Australia."--------2006, Kevin Tibbett, "When East Is Northwest: Expanding The Archaeological Boundary For Leilira Blade Production," Australian Archaeology, p. 26.
"Spencer and Gillian (1899, 1904) coined the term lalira or leilira blades (from the Arrernte alyweke (indigenous Australians), or stone knife)
Ethnographically, these were men's fighting knives and were also mythologically and symbolically linked with subincision On occasions they were used for other purposes such as ritualised fighting, initiation ceremonies etc

The term 'Leilira blade' refers to very long flaked blades made in central and northern Australia that are triangular or trapezoidal in cross section. They are made by 'flaking' - removing a small piece of rock from a large piece, called a core, by striking it with a hammerstone. The core is usually held in the hand or rested in the person's lap or on the ground. Often one or both edges of the blade are retouched to create a dentated or notched edge or a rounded end.

Leilira blades are usually made from quartzite, a hard metamorphic rock that varies in colour from white to dark grey, but slate and other stones are also used. All of the blades shown are quartzite. The middle blade and the one on the far right were made from quartzite extracted from Ngillipidji stone quarry on Elcho Island, a major quarry in the region. Stone from Ngillipdiji quarry and finished blades made from the quarried stone were traded over long distances.

The has a handle or grip made from resin. The resin was heated and moulded around the unpointed end of the blade; when it cooled, it dried hard. paperbark, tied on with string. The plant-fibre scabbard may be pandanus paperleaf or bark.

Many First Nations' cultural objects were collected during the American-Australian Scientific Expedition to Arnhem Land in 1948.

Indigenous Australian's were manufacturing stone tools for more than 40,000 years. The flaked stone tools they left behind are very simple. In fact, most of their hafted knives, spears and fighting picks were made from simple core struck blades that have little or no further modification. Bifacial flaking in Australia is rare compared to other regions of the world. The best examples are reported as large hand axe-like bifaces and small bifacially flaked points. Bifacial reduction is also reported in the manufacture of some ground stone axes. Australia's most famous bifacially flaked artifact is the more recent Kimberly point. The most famous blade knife is the resin hafted leilira knife.  read more

Code: 25140

A 13th Century Iron Head, Crusader Knight's Battle Mace, 800 Years Old, Mounted Upon A Later Museum's Display Haft

Pineapple shaped lobes on circular head with large mounting hole through which the haft slots. it was fitted to a plain wood haft for a museum display, as its original rotted away centuries ago as usual, in order to show how it looked and was used 800 years ago.
This type of mace head were also used as a Flail Mace, by filling out the hollow iron head with lead and a chain mounted hook placed within it, a chain would then be added to the end of a similar but shorter wooden haft. This subsequent mace head weapon could thus then became a flail, often called a scorpion at the time.

This very fine and rare iron mace head has flattened pyramidal protuberances, and is possibly English. Made for a mounted Knight to use as an armour and helmet crusher in hand to hand mortal combat upon his war horse, or then for use dismounted.

It would have been used for several hundred years, up to the 15th to 16th century.
Used as a flail it had the sobriquet of a Scorpion in England or France, or sometimes a Battle-Whip. It was also wryly known as a 'Holy Water Sprinkler'.

King John The Ist of Bohemia used exactly such a weapon, as he was blind, and the act of 'Flailing the Mace' meant lack of site was no huge disadvantage in close combat. Although blind he was a valiant and the bravest of the Warrior Kings, who perished at the Battle of Crecy against the English in 1346. On the day he was slain he instructed his Knights both friends and companions to lead him to the very centre of battle, so he may strike at least one blow against his enemies. His Knights tied their horses to his, so the King would not be separated from them in the press, and they rode together into the thick of battle, where King John managed to strike not one but at least four noble blows. The following day of the battle, the horses and the fallen knights were found all about the body of their most noble King, all still tied to his steed. In fact so noble were his actions regarded, it is said his banner of three erect and standing feathers became the symbol of the then Prince of Wales, Edward, the Black Prince, and as such, is still used by the current Prince of Wales today.

During the Middle Ages metal armour such as mail protected against the blows of edged weapons. Solid metal maces and war hammers proved able to inflict damage on well armoured knights, as the force of a blow from a mace is great enough to cause damage without penetrating the armour. Though iron became increasingly common, copper and bronze were also used, especially in iron-deficient areas.
It is popularly believed that maces were employed by the clergy in warfare to avoid shedding blood (sine effusione sanguinis). The evidence for this is sparse and appears to derive almost entirely from the depiction of Bishop Odo of Bayeux wielding a club-like mace at the Battle of Hastings in the Bayeux Tapestry, the idea being that he did so to avoid either shedding blood or bearing the arms of war. One of the Crusades this type of mace may have been used was the Crusade of 1239, which was in territorial terms the most successful crusade since the First. Called by Pope Gregory IX, the Barons' Crusade broadly spanned from 1234-1241 and embodied the highest point of papal endeavour "to make crusading a universal Christian undertaking." Gregory called for a crusade in France, England, and Hungary with different degrees of success. Although the crusaders did not achieve any glorious military victories, they used diplomacy to successfully play the two warring factions of the Muslim Ayyubid dynasty (As-Salih Ismail in Damascus and As-Salih Ayyub in Egypt) against one another for even more concessions than Frederick II gained during the more well-known Sixth Crusade. For a few years, the Barons' Crusade returned the Kingdom of Jerusalem to its largest size since 1187.
This crusade to the Holy Land is sometimes discussed as two separate crusades: that of King Theobald I of Navarre, which began in 1239; and, the separate host of crusaders under the leadership of Richard of Cornwall, which arrived after Theobald departed in 1240. Additionally, the Barons' Crusade is often described in tandem with Baldwin of Courtenay's concurrent trip to Constantinople and capture of Tzurulum with a separate, smaller force of crusaders. This is because Gregory IX briefly attempted to redirect the target his new crusade from liberating the Holy Land from Muslims to protecting the Latin Empire of Constantinople from heretical Christians.

Despite relatively plentiful primary sources, scholarship until recently has been limited, due at least in part to the lack of major military engagements. Although Gregory IX went further than any other pope to create an ideal of Christian unity in the process of organizing the crusade, in practice the crusade's divided leadership did not reveal a unified Christian action or identity in response to taking a cross. Approx. 2.5 inch wide lobed iron head.

Painting in the gallery by Julian Russel Story of the Black Prince at the battle of Crecy. At his feet lies the body of the dead King John of Bohemia painted in 1888.  read more

Code: 21534

An Edo Period Armourer's Myochin School Chrysanthemum Katana Tsuba

Iron plate tsuba in circular shape with omote and ura surfaces showing multiple hot stamp kiku stamp designs.

Tsuba were made by whole dynasties of craftsmen whose only craft was making tsuba. They were usually lavishly decorated. In addition to being collectors items, they were often used as heirlooms, passed from one generation to the next. Japanese families with samurai roots sometimes have their family crest (mon) crafted onto a tsuba. Tsuba can be found in a variety of metals and alloys, including iron, steel, brass, copper and shakudo. In a duel, two participants may lock their katana together at the point of the tsuba and push, trying to gain a better position from which to strike the other down. This is known as tsubazeriai pushing tsuba against each other.  read more

Code: 20740