Viking Age Iron Axehead

Composed of a curved blade with broad fuller, facetted steel stirrup hilt and grip retaining its original wire-bound leather; accompanied by the sword's steel scabbard. 1.7 kg, 1.01 m



Acquired from Military Swords Ltd, UK, 2015. The Kusmirek Collection, UK. Accompanied by a copy of the purchase invoice and item details.

Composed of a double-edged tapering blade of Petersen Type T variant, with a slightly rounded point, shallow fullers; boat-shaped cross guard with traces of vertical silver strips, narrow tang; boat-shaped upper guard supporting a five-lobed pommel with traces of silver inlay. 1.05 kg, 89.5 cm

The general blade structure is still homogenous, few delamination traces on the sides, some flaking along the pattern-welds, small corrosion damages along the edge; in general fine condition, an excellent weapon.

Acquired 1971-1972. From the collection of the vendor's father. Property of a London, UK, collector. Accompanied by an academic report by Dr Raffaele D’Amato. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.11755-202775.

Comprising a knife bayonet for use with the Second World War 8 mm Mauser Kar 98k rifle; fitted with resin grip scales and spring release button; scabbard with original throat and chape. 588 grams, 40.5 cm



Property of a Luton, UK gentleman, by inheritance.

The bayonet offered here is an example of the third pattern of bayonet manufactured in 1927-1930 and again in the period 1934-1935, with this specific example having been produced in 1935. In an attempt to keep their identities a secret, the makers of these weapons stamped the blades with a letter/number code, a practice they repeated for the scabbards. This scabbard bears the code for 1943, although it was double struck. Both blade and scabbard in this instance were produced by E. & F. Horster & Co. of Solingen, and the weapon is apparently a pre-war example that was captured and reworked in eastern Europe, likely Yugoslavia. The plastic grips such as those used on our bayonet, and typically found on M1884/98 III bayonets, are made from a phenolic resin. Owing to a shortage of such resin in Germany during WWII a substitute moulding compound known as type 41, which contained a much lower percentage of resin, was adopted in January 1943.