Roman Iron Gladius

With 19.5cm (8¾") octagonal rifled barrels of 36 bore (marked to front of frame), solid Adams patent frames with foliate engraving marked 'ADAMS PATENT ' and serial numbers 20,368Y and 20,832Y with plain loading lever pins to left side, Tranter double trigger (providing single and double action), London proof marks to 5-shot cylinders and barrels, blued finish; in wood case with two hook latches and lock (no key) with accessories including loading lever (stamped 'TRANTERS PATENT 36), wood cleaning rod with extractor screw and two brass cleaning tips), wood handled turnscrew and nipple key, pewter oil bottle, steel wad cutter (marked CAST STEEL), brass-handled double bullet mould (stamped 'TRANTERS PATENT 36); Dixon powder flask, tin of Eley's Superior caps, tin of Tranter's Lubricating Composition, turned bone container with four spare nipples and three pre-made bullets with felt wads. 5.10 kg total, case 43 x 24 cm



Acquired Brighton dealer, 2020. Property of a Kent collector. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.204131.

The Tranter revolvers based on the Adams solid frame were numbered from 20,000 and have the Y suffix. 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.

Triangular with thick rectangular-section midrib, rounded shoulders, narrow tip, short tang with inserted fixing pin for the organic grip. 472 grams, 42.2 cm



Ex German collection, Cologne, 1980-1990s.

This tanged bronze blade from Luristan belongs to a category of Luristan swords still in use in Achaemenid Period, as proved from a blade with a perished handle (probably bone or wood) of the same type, in the National Museum of Iran (2694/15633). Examples without inscriptions like our model have been classified by Grotkamp-Schepers in the Solingen Museum as pieces from Luristan.

By Rodgers, with finely shaped 15cm stiletto blade with traces of original black finish tapering to a steel oval guard and fitted with a brass 'beaded and ringed' shaped hilt secured by a copper pommel nut; the hilt bearing the War Department 'broad arrow' and '2' marks near to the guard; with the original leather scabbard fitted with brass rivets and chape, pierced for belt wear and with the side flaps for sewing cut away as commonly seen when belt worn; the dagger showing wear with minor chipping to the blade. 254 grams, 33 cm overall



Property of a Luton, UK gentleman, by inheritance.

In the autumn of 1942, the Rodgers firm produced what many consider to be the best of all the wartime Fairbairn-Sykes knives: the 'Beads and Ridges' model (or 'Beaded and Ringed'); so-called for its distinctive grip pattern to the brass hilt of single rings of tiny beads, interspersed between sections of four to seven plain rings. The blade is delicate and uniform, and the weapon, though light, is well balanced. The blade finish was black (as this example) or nickel. All of this type are considered to be at least scarce. According to both Fredrick Stephens and Leroy Thompson the type was a commercial variant for private purchase; however, there are some rare cases of this type which were officially issued with the War Department broad arrow and number marks, as with this example.