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Britain and Scotland
Page 5
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Ultrarare Sword from the East India Company from the Victorian Time of the RAJ (Item ANTWEP 4-11; BRITSCOT 5-1) |
| DESCRIPTION: The British East India Company had grown from a trading concern to be the agency for the British Government in India. Its story is fascinating. It employed native troops and also British and Scottish military and maintained and administered its territory as three residences based in Madras, Bombay, and Bengal. The most-senior officer appointments were always reserved for the British. Much of the history of this incredible military experience can be studied by entering your favorite search engine and typing in “British Army during the Victorian Era.” Besides its governmental and military rule the company rose to account for half the world’s trade, particularly in basic commodities including cotton, silk, indigo dye, salt, tea, and opium. Always it had a firm foothold in India. It was, it can be said, to be the forerunner of “Amazon.com” dealing in practically everything. It became a powerful trade monopoly. Dealing in armaments, it actually maintained a navy having several commercial ships and men-of-war, as well. Its vessels participated in several famous battles. The Sword Several companies whose stock and trade was the manufacture of guns, cannons, swords, and other weaponry were contracted to the East India Company; large firms competed against smaller companies for orders. For them, gunsmiths and sword cutlers would strive to provide the absolute best and most exquisite offerings with precision workmanship. To receive and be authorized and to have the words “Makers to the East India Company” to be used in conjunction with their name was to be the absolute highest achievement that a company could attain and it assured those merchants that the British India Company would continue merchandising those products in the future. The sword we offer is highly unusual in that the swords that the East India Company handled were pretty much of typical British military design, but here we have a puzzling diversion from the rule. This sword when viewed by an experienced sword collector is almost 90 percent Prussian or German right to its “P” guard, wire-wrapped grip over black, patent-leather handle. The lion head is “hands-on” Prussian in every way to include his toothy bite on the top of the red “P” guard. The crossguard also has a typical regal lion on its foremost extension. The large clamshell languet bears crossed sabers that can be seen on German cavalry swords; they are crossed on the wreath of typical laurel leaves (also Germanic). The fantastic blade tells it all!!! First, one must realize that it’s in immaculate condition and has wonderful golden floral designs and is surmounted with a potpourri of flags, and a spiked helmet used in both British and German Victorian designs. The blade has a strong back ridge often called a bone breaker and its steel is bright and the blade ends in the typical style of German Imperial swords. To describe the blade one has to say the word “beautiful,” because no other word would do! So, we have to say that this weapon is absolutely phenomenal! The scabbard is the two-ring type in steel and is in the cavalry style. The sword had to have been made especially for a very tall man as it measures 42 inches long in its scabbard. It is by far the longest sword we have ever offered or even seen. " PRICE: $2,900.00; This is a unique and historically important sword. To call this a bargain is not by any means an overstatement. |
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Early Scottish Officer’s Garrison Belt with Empire Crest (Item BRITSCOT 5-2; WWI 13-17) |
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| DESCRIPTION: Here is a very nice Scottish military-issue belt with buckle adjusted to a 38 waist size (It has easy adjustments for making it smaller, or probably larger, too.). The crest of the British Empire is highly detailed. The belt needs a leather softener applied as the part of the leather that attaches to the buckle has gone a little stiff in many years of storage. The buckle is quite nice with the English Imperial crest attached separately to the face of the all-pure brass buckler. The buckle is large 3 1/2 x 2 1/2 inches and it shows some light, completely cleanable green verdigris here and there. There is a long issue number stamped on the back. The leather belt is in excellent condition except for being a little stiff. It’s very much readily wearable!
PRICE: $185.00 |
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Royal British Letter Opener (Item BRITSCOT 5-3; SPECIAL SALE 4) |
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| DESCRIPTION: Here is a letter opener possibly once owned by a gentleman who had the royal title of esquire and possibly once ennobled with knighthood or the social distinction based upon heredity. Such individuals were represented in the highest echelon of British society; he would be addressed as "Sir" and his wife was always referred to as "Lady." The crown as seen upon this letter opener closely resembles the royal diadem known as St. Edward's Crown, the most sacred and revered of the crown jewels of the United Kingdom. We believe that this was the idea for the theme portrayed by the knife smith who made it. When the craftsman perceived this beautiful desk piece, he purposely made the crown pommel to be heavily silver plated and in great detail. The grip or in this case the handle, is crafted in an early type of celluloid. This material goes as far back as 1856, and was often used in objects that saw much hard and regular usage and where ivory would be considered too fragile and subject to chipping. The blade is a typically strong Sheffield type with a lethal point, and after all these years, it still has a tiny point covering scabbard that we believe was simply a safety measure considering its deadly potential. Again, it is not a dagger so its edges are not and never had been sharpened. The length of this great and fine early 20th century piece is about 11 ˝ inches. If you are the noble knightly individual that we know you to be, then this stately objet d’art surely belongs on your desk, doesn’t it?
$1,200.00, and well worth it, but it is now on Special sale at $850.00 |
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Officer’s Shako Plate of the 17th Regiment of Lancers (Item BRITSCOT 5-4) |
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| DESCRIPTION: This is a rare example of the shako plate used by the famed British 17th Lancers of Charge-of-the-Light-Brigade fame. The unit underwent a series of renumerations since it raising in 1759, and, in 1876, it adopted the title “17th (The Duke of Cambridge's Own) Lancers.” It’s obvious that this plate was never issued as evidenced by the fact that there are no drilled placement holes. The 17th Lancers was remembered for its heroic performance in the Crimean War. The badge shows the Death’s Head used by the 17th as its sacred insignia. Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1809-1892) wrote the poem The Charge of the Light Brigade for its disastrous ride through Russian artillery because two officers—one cavalry and one infantry—got their timing wrong and caused the mishap. The badge portrays pre-WWI battle honors of other engagements by the 17th. It’s to be considered rare in this near-mint condition. The Death’s Head’s portrayal on the helmet shako plate is accompanied by the words “OR GLORY.” This is surrounded by various battle honors of the 17th. They are listed as follows: Alma, Central India, Balaclava, Sevastopol, South Africa 1879, and Inkerman. The 17th was generally referred to as the “Death or Glory Boys!”
From Tennyson’s poem: "Half a league, half a league, Half a league onward, All in the valley of Death Rode the six hundred." $350.00 |
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Named British Royal Scots Guards Major’s Tunic (Item BRITSCOT 5-5) |
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| DESCRIPTION: The Scots Guards (SG) is one of the five Foot Guards regiments of the British Army. Its origins are as the personal bodyguard of King Charles I of England and Scotland. Its lineage can be traced back to 1642, although it was only placed on the English Establishment (thus becoming part of what is now the British Army) in 1686. Early 20th-century British Army officer's dress uniform. It’s named inside to "R. A. Orr-Ewing Esq." Major Sir Ronald Archibald Orr Ewing of Ballikinrain, 5th Baronet, was educated at Eton and the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst. Commissioned into the Scots Guards in 1932, he remained with the regiment for 21 years during which time he saw action in the Second World War in North Africa. Taken prisoner at Tobruk in 1942, he was shipped to a number of POW camps, and finally to Fontanellato in northern Italy. Released when Italy joined the Allies, he had the misfortune to be recaptured by Axis forces, and spent the rest of the war in Germany. Uniform displays rank of major-single crown at the epaulet with two-strand border of bullion embroidery; high-quality red wool shell with thick, quilted lining and white piping; Scots Guards buttons on the chest (one button missing on wearer's left shoulder.); original tailor tag from C.F. Johns & Pegg hand sewn in the nape with an address of 2 Clifford Street, London W.—the major's handwritten name appears here; heavy-sequined brocade and bullion insignia attached at the neck and cuffs; three sewn loops on the wearer's left chest indicating this officer had a rather large array of medals mounted to the coat at one point. Coat shows heavy wear and some light soiling at the neck and back, typical of long-term service wear. Some of the buttons exhibit age and wear, but are otherwise intact apart from the missing shoulder button.
$1,000.00; an extremely reasonable price for a handsome uniform with fabulous background information |
Page Five |
Please refer to item designator in parentheses in all correspondence.
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