Antique Arms & Militaria

3 Neolithic Stone Age 'Scraper' Flints around 5000 Years Old

3 Parts of Stone Age Scraper Group. Hand knapped by a Stone Age person in Britain around 5000 years ago, from whole flints to create three scraping tools.
Neolithic, 3rd millennium BC. From the Arthur Halcrow Versage collection, Reigate, Surrey, UK; discovered from Hallard’s Fen, Burwell, Cambridgeshire, in 1969. In the Neolithic period (later stone age) people started to settle down and start farming. At places such as Springfield Lyons, these early settlements have been identified. It was also at this time when stone tools, which up until this point had been purely functional, started to take on a more symbolic meaning. Polished stone axes and other tools that were never used have been found across the county, showing changes in social hierarchy and possibly even the development of religion. The Neolithic also known as the "New Stone Age", the final division of the Stone Age, began about 12,000 years ago when the first development of farming appeared in the Epipalaeolithic Near East, and later in other parts of the world. The division lasted until the transitional period of the Chalcolithic from about 6,500 years ago (4500 BC), marked by the development of metallurgy, leading up to the Bronze Age and Iron Age. In Northern Europe, the Neolithic lasted until about 1700 BC, while in China it extended until 1200 BC. Other parts of the world (the New World) remained in the Neolithic stage of development until European contact.

The Neolithic comprises a progression of behavioral and cultural characteristics and changes, including the use of wild and domestic crops and of domesticated animals.

The term Neolithic derives from the Greek neos and lithos "New Stone Age". The term was coined by Sir John Lubbock in 1865 as a refinement of the three-age system..
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Code: 23773

A Super, Antique Bronze Equestrian ' Horse Racing' Collectable

Ideal for the gentleman or lady with a passion for horse racing, horses or equine collectibles. In fine cast bronze, in the form of chamber stick. With a finely detailed relief design of a horse race, showing two race horses side by side with jockeys. With a mount for a matchbox, and a rear finger loop for holding and carrying.  read more

Code: 12519

An 18th Century Hallmarked Solid Silver Butt Cap For A Gentleman's Musket

Heavy guage, cast, King George IIIrd London silver, dated either 1769 or 1789 [difficult to tell exactly]. This would enhance a musket or fowling piece up to a whole new level, either as a replacement for a plain brass type, or to replace a missing example. 147.5 grams weight, butt 50mm x 124mm, butt tang 105mm  read more

Code: 17249

Every Original Purchase Comes With Our Unique Certificate of Authenticity

It will certify every piece as genuine, and further detail its area and era of use in its history, any conflicts and campaigns within which it may have been used, and all and any of its personal provenance if known.  read more

Code: 18577

A King George IIIrd Late 18th Century English Fowling Musket By Smith

For the exponent of gentlemanly pursuits. Fine walnut stock, percussion action converted from flintlock in the 1840's, steel furniture with pineapple form trigger guard finial and rear scroll. Hook breech quick release barrel with barrel key attachment. Good condition for age, fine working action. Small very old pitting area on barrel near breech, very slight scuff mark on stock at reverse of lock plate area. Throughout much of its history, hunting in England was an activity of the upper class. Legally, only land owners could hunt in England and the vast majority of the land was in large estates owned by the wealthy. To reduce poaching, the right of a person to own a gun was greatly restricted unless he was a landowner. Thus, ownership of a gun was not even a choice for the average British citizens. Moreover, deer hunting was further restricted to the royalty and generally carried out on horseback with dogs.

The wealthy British sportsmen of the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries were primarily interested in hunting various types of birds. Most of their arms were designed for wing shooting. Rifles were considered an oddity. In the book titled British Field Sports; William Henry Scott (1818) the author described rifle shooting as a ?nice and curious branch of gunnery.? Scott goes on to state that "Rifles ? were little known among us, in the first American War, when people were amused on this side of the water by the story of an American woodsman, who had actually shot an eagle with his rifle, when it was?out of sight, a thing by no means impossible."
Colonel Peter Hawker, one of the most prolific British hunters of the early nineteenth century, maintained detailed diaries relating to his hunting activities. Over the course of many seasons, Hawker shot more than ten thousand birds and other small game. Over the same period of time, Hawker harvested only three deer. Colonel Hawker records that the first time he ever fired a rifle was in June of 1813 (at the age of 27) in anticipation of shooting a deer which had been causing crop damage. (Colonel Hawker's Diary at page 74). As with all our antique guns no license is required as they are all unrestricted antique collectables  read more

Code: 20483

An 18th Long, Boot or Cloak Sword

Cast brass hilt with relief figural decoration, and hawthorn wood grip. Steel rapier blade with engraving and deep fuller. Circa 1750. The knuckle bow and guard have been purposefully removed and the hilt re-attached. We had one quite similar, around 20 years ago, which came with an old article from a Connoisseur journal, It described, what was called, a boot or cloak sword. In the days of the threat by highwaymen, when a gentleman may have the need to consistently travel from town to town on horseback, but not by mail coach, a constant traveler might adapt a sword that could be easily slotted into knee high riding boots, or slipped into an especially constructed sleeve inside a riding cloak. For in wet and inclement weather a gentleman's flintlock pistol could not function, so without a sword for protection he was dangerously defenseless. Naturally a standard rapier short sword would be more normal, but on occasion, a gentleman that traveled constantly, or journeyed on perilous pursuits [such as a revenue man] might require a more concealable sword that would be far more easily manageable on both horseback or on foot. It also has the unique advantage of being eminently useable as a short distance spear type weapon, as it's weight balance is now very effective for that alternate purpose. 29.75 inches long overall  read more

Code: 13663

Beautiful European Topographic Watercolour of A Castle on The Rhine 19th C.

In the British romantic landscape style, beautifully executed with fine skill, not far removed in quality by the greatest exponant of the art of watercolours, Joseph Mallord Willam Turner who is said laid the foundation for Impressionism. This is a beautiful Victorian English School watercolour, superbly executed. It is titled but unsigned, possibly by William Callow 1812-1908
Callow was a landscape, architectural and marine artist. He taught in Paris and was appointed drawing master to the family of Louis Phillippe who was King of France between 1830 and 1848. Callow was elected to the Royal Soc. of Painters in Water Colours in 1848. 7 X 9.5 inches, Frame 18.25 x 15.25 inches  read more

Code: 16919

A Superb English Lord-Lieutenant's Silver Belt and Silver Lace Bullion Belt

Victorian. The silver buckle bears a centrally mounted English rose motif with an oakleaf and acorn wreath surrounding. A red Morocco leather lined belt which is covered in pure silver silver lace brocade bullion, in the continued design of the highest rank oak leaf and acorn scrolling vine, representing the monarch's personal representative, the Lord Lieutenant.
The Lord-Lieutenant is the British monarch's personal representative in each county of the United Kingdom. Historically, the Lord-Lieutenant was responsible for organising the county's militia. Lieutenants were first appointed to a number of English counties by King Henry VIII in the 1540s, when the military functions of the sheriff were handed over to him. He raised and was responsible for the efficiency of the local militia units of the county, and afterwards of the yeomanry, and volunteers. He was commander of these forces, whose officers he appointed. These commissions were originally of temporary duration, and only when the situation required the local militia to be specially supervised and well prepared; often where invasion by Scotland or France might be expected.

Lieutenancies soon became more organised, probably in the reign of his successor King Edward VI, their establishment being approved by the English parliament in 1550. However, it was not until the threat of invasion by the forces of Spain in 1585 that lieutenants were appointed to all counties and counties corporate and became in effect permanent. Although some counties were left without lieutenants during the 1590s, following the defeat of the Spanish Armada, the office continued to exist, and was retained by King James I even after the end of the Anglo-Spanish War.

The office was abolished under the Commonwealth, but was re-established following the Restoration under the City of London Militia Act 1662, which declared that:


The King's most Excellent Majesty, his Heirs and Successors, shall and may from Time to Time, as Occasion shall require, issue forth several Commissions of Lieutenancy to such Persons as his Majesty, his Heirs and Successors, shall think fit to be his Majesty's Lieutenants for the several and respective Counties, Cities and Places of England and Dominion of Wales, and Town of Berwick upon Tweed.

Although not explicitly stated, from that date lieutenants were appointed to "counties at large", with their jurisdiction including the counties corporate within the parent county. For example, lieutenants of Devon in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries appointed deputy lieutenants to the City of Exeter, and were sometimes described as the "Lieutenant of Devon and Exeter" The origin of this anomaly may have lain in the former palatine status of Pembrokeshire.

The City of London was uniquely given a commission of lieutenancy, and was exempt from the authority of the lieutenant of Middlesex. The Constable of the Tower of London and the Warden of the Cinque Ports were ex-officio lieutenants for the Tower Hamlets and Cinque Ports respectively, which were treated as counties in legislation regarding lieutenancy and militia affairs.

The official title of the office at this time was His or Her Majesty's "Lieutenant for the county of ..", but as almost all office-holders were Peers of the realm, they were referred to as "Lord-Lieutenant".  read more

Code: 20522

Thousands of Books, 1st Editions & Hardback Books of Military Interest

Our book gallery on this site generally only shows our first additions or books of great rarity by famous 19th or 20th century authors, or of special interest, such incunabula or illuminated manuscripts, as well signed volumes and books bearing autographs of famous military or aeronautical heroes.

However, we also have thousands of books that we never list due to their quantity, based on military history, military biographies, or tomes on combat history of warfare. Our list is far too numerous to mention so please feel free to visit us to view our selection or contact us and we will see if we have a particular volume you are seeking.  read more

Code: 23329

A Late 18th Early 19th Century Horn Hilt 'Tiger's Claw' Blade Jambiya

With a carved solid horn hilt, double edged blade and brass mounted leather scabbard.18th-19th century.. A centrally ribbed wide blade known as the tiger's claw. The blade is a little proud of the scabbard at the base.  read more

Code: 11228