British 1796 Pattern Light Cavalry Officer's Sword

Comprising three weapons: a 'ronca contadina' (peasant scythed staff weapon, known as forest bill) made of trunco-conical tubular gorbia with tapering iron shaft, inclined to the right with respect to the axis of the weapon, ending in a bill; an alabarda-sergentina, iron blade halberd with central rib, two axe-heads, one convex one concave; an alghiero, guisarme with tapering pointed iron shaft of rectangular section, furnished with a side-bill; all three mounted upon wooden velvet-covered shafts. 6.3 kg total, 2.26-2.34 m



Ex Christie's, Holland, circa 2010. East Anglian private collection.

Certainly the most interesting of the three weapons is the peasant roncone. The hooked part of the weapon could be used to hook or cut things, but also for severing a horse's hocks causing both horse and rider to fall.

Featuring steel flintlock action and spring-hinged triangular section bayonet with sliding retaining catch; the wood stock fitted with brass butt plate, side plate, trigger guard, ramrod mounts and escutcheon; a wood ramrod with brass ram tip and steel screw extractor fitted to underside of barrel; the barrel numbered 'A098' to right side near lock and the bayonet with number '86' at hinge; traces of original blued finish to lock; the lock and bayonet mechanisms in working order. 2.64 kg, 97 cm overall



Acquired 1960s-1990s. Late Alison Barker collection, a retired London barrister.

Sold as an exempt item under Section 58 (2) of the Firearms Act, 1968, to be held as a curiosity or ornament. No license required but buyer must be over 18 years of age. Overseas bidders should note that, due to UK regulations governing export of all firearms, overseas buyers will need to make arrangements for shipping this lot out of the UK directly, by air freight, with a specialist company or agent.

Composed of a leaf-shaped blade, central slightly raised midrib, separately casted hilt with crescentic guard, rivet hole and lozenge-shaped grip. 147 grams, 26.5 cm



Ex German collection, Cologne, 1980-1990s.

Early bronze daggers from Luristan and Elam had separate casted hilt. Some scholars suggest that arsenic bronze was used in their production, and the handle was separately cast and rivetted to the hilt. Most scholars (Moorey, Mahboubian, Slotta, Vatandust, Khorasani) agree on a 3rd millennium B.C. dating based on the decoration of the hilt.