French Lebel 1886 Model 'Rosalie' Epee Bayonet with Scabbard

19TH-20TH CENTURY A.D.

25 5/8 in. (532 grams, 65 cm).

Sword bayonet for use with the 8 mm M1886 Lebel rifle; fitted with 'German silver' grip scales; original scabbard. [No Reserve]

Provenance

Property of a Luton, UK gentleman, by inheritance.

Literature

See Capwell, T., Knives, Daggers and Bayonets, Lorenz, 2009, p.190, for type and details.

Footnotes

Known affectionately as “Rosalie” to French troops, the M1886 was the French mainstay during WWI and many were still in service at the Fall of France in 1940. The Lebel also saw extensive use worldwide by native troops in the French colonies. The M1886 introduced the distinctive cruciform blade, which remained a feature of most French bayonets until 1956. This example was made in 1890 at the Manufacture D'Armes St. Etienne (MAS). The scabbard was made by Manufacture Nationale d'Armes de Châtellerault (MAC). This is an early example that escaped later modifications, retaining its long blade, quillon, and raised round press stud. The silver-alloy grip is removable.

CONDITION

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LOT 1044