A Most Rare British Empire Raj Period XII Frontier Force Regt. Silver Cap or Turban Badge

Cast low grade silver, for NCO or officer, with needle pin fixing, which often indicates for wear on a puggaree or a turban. The King Emperor crown of King George, and a crossed pair of choora knives or Afghan Khyber knives. So far we can find no other example, and it is the first we have seen. The more commonly known 12th Frontier Force Regiment in the Indian Army was a Light Infantry regiment, with a bugle badge, so we don't know if this was their first and earliest badge, that was potentially replaced around 1922, or, another XIIth Frontier Force regiment altogether. Either way it is a most fine and intriguing authentic British Empire Raj period piece, but, surrounded by an element of mystery to us at least. The armies of the East India Company were recruited primarily from Muslims in the Bengal Presidency, which consisted of Bengal, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, and high caste Hindus recruited primarily from the rural plains of Oudh. Many of these troops took part in the Indian Mutiny, with the aim of reinstating the Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah II at Delhi.

The meaning of the term "Indian Army" has changed over time, initially as an informal collective term for the armies of the three presidencies–the Bengal Army, Madras Army and Bombay Army–between 1858 and 1894. In 1805, the Indian Army began its formal existence and was the "army of the government of India", including British and Indian (sepoy) units; this arrangement lasted until 1902.

Then in 1903, Lord Kitchener became the Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army, his tenure continued until 1909. He instituted large-scale reforms, the greatest of which was the merger of the three armies of the Presidencies into a unified force. He formed higher level formations, eight army divisions, and brigaded Indian and British units. Following Kitchener's reforms, terminology used for military forces in India was altered, with the Indian Army referring to "the force recruited locally and permanently based in India, together with its expatriate British officers." Whereas the British Army in India referred to the British Army units posted to India for a tour of duty, and which would then be posted to other parts of the Empire or back to the UK. Comparatively, the term 'Army of India', meant the combined forces of both the Indian Army and the British Army in India. Militaria from the British Empire Indian Raj period over the past 30 years has become, extremely collectable, highly prized and most valuable. In many cases the rarer the better  read more

Code: 23703

A Superb Original Antique WW1 Leather Machine Gun Company Munition Case. A Very Rare Piece as Most Surviving Cases Were For Cordite For the Artillery, But the Machine Gun Corps Example is Very Rare Indeed

Part of a Superb WW1 Machine Gunner's Collection, British and German.
WW1 issue. Bearing the royal crest of King George Vth and British Army stamped for the 6th, 261 Machine Gun Company 6 261 MGC. Substantially strong and robust hardened buffalo hide. This is a particularly rare type, not the usual Royal Artillery version.
It is of very heavy grade solid leather, that is top, bottom and side, brass seam riveted, and with a wide leather carrying strap at the rear. The more common version used by the British army was a cordite carrier type, that are plain, lightweight and have no rivets, cork lined and are wide rim banded top and bottom. At the outbreak of the First World War in August 1914, the tactical potential of machine guns was not appreciated by the British armed forces. The prevalent attitude of senior ranks at the outbreak of the Great War can be summed up by the opinion of an officer (albeit expressed a decade earlier) that a single battery of machine guns per army corps was a sufficient level of issue.
Despite the evidence of fighting in Manchuria (1905 onwards) the Army therefore went to war with each infantry battalion and cavalry regiment containing a machine gun section of just two guns.
These organic (embedded) units were supplemented in November 1914 by the formation of the Motor Machine Gun Service (MMGS) administered by the Royal Artillery, consisting of motor-cycle mounted machine gun batteries.
A machine gun school was also opened in France.
After a year of warfare on the Western Front it was self-evident that to be fully effective - in the opinion of former sceptics - that machine guns must be used in larger units and some commanders advocated crewing them with specially trained men who not only thoroughly conversant with their weapons but who understood how they should be best deployed for maximum effect. To achieve this, the Machine Gun Corps was formed in October 1915 with Infantry, Cavalry, and Motor branches, followed in 1916 by the Heavy Branch. A depot and training centre was established at Belton Park in Grantham, Lincolnshire, and a base dep?t at Camiers in France.
The Infantry Branch was by far the largest and was formed by the transfer of battalion machine gun sections to the MGC. These sections were grouped into Brigade Machine Gun Companies, three per division. New companies were raised at Grantham. In 1917, a fourth company was added to each division. In February and March 1918, the four companies in each division were formed into a Machine Gun Battalion.
The Guards Division formed its own machine gun support unit, the Guards Machine Gun Regiment.
The Cavalry Branch consisted of Machine Gun Squadrons, one per cavalry brigade.
The Motor Branch was formed by absorbing the MMGS and the armoured car squadrons of the recently disbanded Royal Naval Armoured Car Service. It formed several types of units: motor cycle batteries, light armoured motor batteries (LAMB) and light car patrols. As well as motor cycles, other vehicles used included Rolls-Royce and Ford Model T cars.
The Heavy Section was formed in March 1916, becoming the Heavy Branch in November of that year. Men of this branch crewed the first tanks in action at Flers, during the Battle of the Somme in September 1916. In July 1917, the Heavy Branch separated from the MGC to become the Tank Corps, later called the Royal Tank Regiment.

The MGC saw action in all the main theatres of war, including France, Belgium, Palestine, Mesopotamia, Egypt, Salonika, East Africa and Italy. In its short history, the MGC gained an enviable record for heroism as a front line fighting force. Indeed, in the latter part of the war, as tactics changed to defence in depth, it commonly served well in advance of the front line. It had a less enviable record for its casualty rate, with 62,049 becoming casualties, including 12,498 killed, earning it the nickname 'the Suicide Club'.
A fabulous and beautiful artifact of WW1 Machine Gun Corps history, that is now perfectly useable as a stunning display piece, or stick stand or waste paper basket. Top section of rear leather strap handle is now detached, but it should be easily repairable. 14 inches high x 7.5 inches across  read more

Code: 20353

Two Original Medieval Pages From Sir John Froissart's Chronicles Of France Printed in 1495, of the 14th Century, From The Printing Personally Ordered By King Henry VIIth Of England.

Two original loose pages from the original medieval 1495 printed book, mounted and bound in folio form, within cloth hard back binding with gold titles, 13 x 9 inches. Original medieval pages taken from the book printed in Paris in 1495 by Verrard. This particular printing [that these pages came from] was personally ordered in book form by King Henry VIIth of England from Anthoine Verard in Paris, and his copy now resides in the British Museum. Froissart's Chronicles were initially in manuscript form with fine illustration but were first transformed in to book form in Paris in 1495. Full and complete copies of this book, published by Anthoine Verard in 1495, and as was ordered by King Henry, can now achieve six figure sums. Froissart might be called the great interviewer of the Middle Ages. The newspaper correspondent of modern times has scarcely surpassed this medieval collector of intelligence. He traveled extensively in the various countries of Europe; he conversed with gentlemen of rank everywhere; and he had the remarkable knack of persuading those about him to divulge all he wanted to know. He learned the details of battles from both sides and from every point of view. He delighted in the minutest affairs of every cavalry skirmish, of the capture of every castle, and of every brave action and gallant deed. He lived from 1337 to about 1410, and wrote chiefly of contemporaneous events. The Chronicles are universally considered as the most vivid and faithful picture we have of events in the 14th century. As a picture of the most favorable side of chivalry, the work has no equal (Adams, Manual of Historical Literature, 334-35). There has never been any difference of opinion on the distinctive merits of this great work. It presents a vivid and faithful drawing of the things done in the 14th-century. No more graphic account exists of any age. No historian has drawn so many and such faithful portraits? (Britannica). The Chronicles were originally circulated in manuscript form, with the first printed version appearing around 1498 in Paris. Froissart was one of the greatest of the medieval European writers. In his own century, -the fourteenth it is not easy to see anyone who can be put beside him as a prose-writer. But the literary language of the day was still predominantly verse, and prose was still regarded as something of a utility medium. Because
of this and because Froissart is known principally for his descriptions of warfare - the greatest and most famous chronicle of French and English medieval history. Jean Froissart (1338-C.1410) is the supreme annalist of medieval chivalry, historian, poet, traveller, friend of Chaucer, and by far the most entertaining source for our knowledge of the Hundred Years’ War. It is as much a profane romance as a history book. It is filled with delightful stories and adventures reported first-hand.
Froissart was born in Valenciennes. At the age of 18 he came to England where he entered the service of Queen Philippa of Hainaut, acting as her secretary and private diplomat. In 1366 he set off again on his long travels, settling for a time in the Duchy of Brabant. Much of his great chronicle was probably written in his home town of Valenciennes, and he continued it over his life to the events after the murder of Richard II in 1399.
Froissart began writing Book I sometime after 1370, possibly at the request of Robert de Namur, to whom the earliest version was dedicated. It covers the period from 1322 to 1377, including the accession of Edward III, his campaign in Scotland and his marriage to Philippa of Hainault, the battle of Sluys, the Siege of Tournai, the Breton war of succession, the Battle of Crécy, the Siege of Calais, the battle of Neville’s Cross, the battle of Winchelsea, the battle of Poitiers, Etienne Marcel’s merchant revolt in Paris, the Black Prince’s campaigns in the south of France, the peace of Brétigny, the death of king John II of France, the battle of Cocherel, the battle of Auray, the Castilian Civil War, the battle of Chizé, the deaths of the Black Prince and Edward III and the accession of Richard III. We show in the gallery three hand coloured illustrations that have been used to illustrate the various versions of his works in manuscripts or books. One shows the execution of Hugh the Younger Despenser.  read more

Code: 20579

A Rare Aeronautical Medal, Dated 1912, Of The Zeppelin Z3 {AKA LZ12}, Count von Zeppelin Friedrichshafen to Hamburg Flight. Showing The Flight Over The Bismark Memorial

Original, 40.5mm scarce zinc medal of the 1912 flight of the zeppelin Z3 {also known as the LZ12} over Hamburg. The airship is shown sailing over the Bismark Memorial with the city view in background. Another, the more common bronze version sold in the Dr. Kallir auction for $360 in 1999.

Another example in the National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.

Medal, Count von Zeppelin Friedrichshafen to Hamburg Flight Commemorative Medal of Count von Zeppelin's Friedrichshafen to Hamburg Flight; Obverse: relief profile bust of von Zeppelin depicted, embossed text "GRAF FERDINAND VON ZEPPELIN"; Reverse: relief of a Zeppelin airship over Hamburg cityscape depicted, embossed text "FRIEDRICHSHAFEN - HAMBURG 700 KoM. IN 10 STUNDEN 31 5.19.1912".  read more

Code: 25601

A Very Rare, Near Mint Condition Aeronautical Table Medal for The Graf Zeppelin LZ 4 Dirigible Test Flight To Strasbourg. Hallmarked Silver, {990} Plaque. Dated August 4th 5th 1908, For The Crew Of The Zeppelin That Exploded On Its Test Flight. By Lauer

Graf Zeppelin LZ 4 Dirigible 2 day Test Flight to Strasbourg Silver medal plaque August 1908. Hallmarked 990 silver on the edge, and maker marked by Ludwig Christian Lauer within the frontal design.

Silver plaque medal for presentation of the flight, but the flight was interrupted by several serious issues, which grounded the Zeppelin mid flight, but whereupon it was blown from its mooring, caught fire, and exploded.

The trial flight finally started on 4 August 1908, when the LZ 4 lifted off at 06:22 in the morning, carrying 12 people and sufficient fuel for 31 hours of flight. The flight to Zürich had excited considerable public interest, and large crowds gathered along the route to witness the flight, which took it over Konstanz, Schaffhausen, Basel and Strasbourg. Shortly after passing Strasbourg the forward engine had to be stopped since the fuel tank in the engine gondola had been exhausted, and needed to be refilled. At this point the airship was flying light due to the heat of the sun having caused the hydrogen to expand, and was being held at a low altitude by dynamic downforce generated by flying in a nose-down attitude: with the loss of the power of one engine, it rose to an altitude of 820 m (2,690 ft), venting gas from the relief valves as it did so. At 1:58 p.m the aft engine had to be stopped for refuelling: this time the airship rose to 884 m (2,900 ft), with a further loss of hydrogen. Two further engine stoppages caused further loss of gas: by now LZ 4 was only being kept in the air by dynamic lift generated by flying with a nose-up attitude, the resultant drag reducing its speed to 16 km/h (9.9 mph), and at 5:24 pm a landing was made on the Rhine near Oppenheim, 23 kilometres (14 mi) short of Mainz. All superfluous items and five crew members were unloaded, and the flight was resumed at 10:20. Mainz was reached half an hour later, and the ship turned to begin its return journey. Further engine problems followed: a crank bearing in the forward engine melted at 1:27 am, reducing airspeed to about 32 km/h (20 mph) and it was decided to land to have the engine repaired by engineers from the Daimler works at Untertürkheim. Accordingly, LZ 4 was set down at 7:51 am at Echterdingen.

The airship was tethered and engineers removed the forward engine to make repairs, but during the afternoon LZ 4 was torn from its moorings by a gust of wind. The soldiers present as a ground handling party could not hold it down, but it was brought to earth by a crew member who had remained on board. Unfortunately, the ship came into contact with a half-dead pear tree while landing, which damaged some of the gasbags, and it immediately caught fire. The cause of ignition was later ascribed to a static charge being produced when the rubberised cotton of the gasbags was torn.

The disaster took place in front of an estimated 40 to 50 thousand spectators and produced an extraordinary wave of nationalistic support for Zeppelin's work. Unsolicited donations from the public poured in: enough had been received within 24 hours to rebuild the airship, and the eventual total was over 6 million marks were donated, at last providing Zeppelin with a sound financial base for his experiments.

Made by Ludwig Christian Lauer was a medal maker in Nuremberg, Germany. He began his business in 1848. He expanded his business and in 1860 renamed it ‘coin mint L. Chr. Lauer’. He died in 1873 and the company continued under the supervision of his wife and three sons.
He was a leading 19th-century German manufacturer of medals

55mm x 36mm, 43 grams of 990 silver  read more

Code: 25602

Royal Artillery, Victorian Officer's 'Busby' Helmet Plume Holder Circa 1859-78.

A simply stunning example in superb condition. A very fine gilt example. Flaming grenade (straight flames), the ball mounted with Royal Arms with 'Ubique' scroll below; beneath the scroll, a gun with mounted wheel and scroll 'Quo Fas et Gloria Ducunt'.

Reverse retains plume holder and slider fitting. Very good condition.  read more

Code: 20591

A Most Delightful, Original, Antique Carved Buffalo Horn Hilted Ottoman Empire Khanjar Dagger

this is a typical Ottoman Empire khanjar or jambiya of the 19th century, with traditional carved buffalo horn hilt.

Where they were adopted they had slight differences to the blade, hilt and scabbard. A significant part of a jambiya or khanjar is its hilt (handle). The saifani hilt is made of exotic horn, It is used on the daggers of wealthier men. Different versions of saifani hilts can be distinguished by their colour. Other jambiya hilts are made of different types of horn, wood, metal and ivory. Apart from the material used for the hilt, the design and detail is a measure of its value and the status of its owner. there are 53 different types of Jambiya in the Metropolitan museum Collection, some bear a similarity to this example, many with near identical blades.

The blade and carved hilt are in superb condition, the wooden scabbard is good and sound, but the embossed leather covering is thin and therefore now somewhat fragile with natural age losses.

Every item is accompanied with our unique, Certificate of Authenticity. Of course any certificate of authenticity, given by even the best specialist dealers, in any field, all around the world, is simply a piece of paper,…however, ours is backed up with the fact we are the largest dealers of our kind in the world, with over 100 years and four generation’s of professional trading experience behind us
Overall 11 inches long in scabbard.  read more

Code: 24521

Very Rare Company Of Watermen, River Thames, Tudor' Barge Fork Circa 1530 Ideal For A Tudor House or Museum Type Display. From The Era of Thomas Cromwell A Frequent User Of Thames Barges

Large 'Y' shaped head and old oak haft. It bears two large letters stamped in the iron ' T & M'. These are likely for a Barge Company of Waterman mark. We had another about 10 years ago bearing the same company mark and these historical artifacts are now really rare. Recovered from the Thames near London Bridge. In the 16th Century the Company of Watermen were the equivalent to today’s cabbies. Created by an Act of Parliament in 1556 and their trade was carefully licensed. They would ply for hire from designated locations along the Thames, with the cry of ‘Oars! Oars!’

When the watermen were not transporting people they would turn their hand to salvage and found a brisk trade in finding bodies, either suicides or those who?d accidentally drowned or been murdered. By a curious quirk of history, the origins of which are now lost, bodies were almost always landed on the south side of the river because the authorities would pay a shilling for a body landed in Southwark but only sixpence for one landed on the north bank. Clearly waterborne cabbies were not averse to ‘going south of the river’ in those days.

One on the best trips for the Watermen was from the City to as far up river as Hampton Court.The trade was not without its dangers; if you wanted to travel downstream below London Bridge you risked life and limb. A major feature of London Bridge was the effect it had on the Thames. The location of the bridge?s 19 timber pier supports (called starlings) was determined by riverbed conditions and this meant that they were varied in spacing across the river. Consequently, the arch spans varied in size too and boats navigating the arches encountered different currents and river conditions at each one. Some were more dangerous than others. Over the years, boatmen christened the arches with various names, such as Gut, Lock and Long Entry. Navigating through these arches in a boat could be very dangerous because the closeness and number of starlings backed up the river water, creating rapids. In some places the drop in water height from one side of the bridge to the other was more than the height of a man. Many people lost their lives ‘shooting’ the bridge and ‘Drowned at the bridge’ became a common entry in the registers at nearby graveyards, but most Londoners took Cardinal Wolsey's example. On his frequent visits to Greenwich to see Henry VIII, he would have his barge stopped above the bridge and get out and travel to Billingsgate by mule, where he would rejoin his barge, providing it had successfully negotiated the rapids. The barge fork was used to push a barge away from an obstruction, or for pushing off from the river bank or jetty. The last picture is of a statue of the Martyr John Roche a Thames Waterman, Martyred at Tyburn in 1588, who is mounted St Etheldreda’s Church in Ely Place, London, along the North and South walls, alongside his fellow 7 Martyrs. Fork head 13.1 inches long by 6.25 inches across. Total length around 5+ foot.

Every item is accompanied with our unique, Certificate of Authenticity. Of course any certificate of authenticity, given by even the best specialist dealers, in any field, all around the world, is simply a piece of paper,…however, ours is backed up with the fact we are the largest dealers of our kind in the world, with over 100 years and four generation’s of professional trading experience behind us  read more

Code: 21232

THE LANES ARMOURY NEW YEAR GIFT VOUCHER CAN BE A GREAT IDEA, AND ARE PROVING VERY POPULAR INDEED, AND HAVE DONE SINCE THE 1980'S. THEY ARE BESPOKE FOR ANY AMOUNT {AND WITHOUT EXPIRY DATE}

A Gift Voucher is often the ideal solution to leave the decision of the item to choose to the person you wish to gift. They can select any form of item whatsoever, such as samurai arms and armour, militaryantiques and militaria or books. They are available from us for all values, from only £15 upwards, and as required, and are entirely bespoke to the recipient. All are unique and customised for each and every occasion. We have priced this example in the gallery at £50, and the image shows our £200.00 voucher, but you can specify any alternative amount at all in the 'comment' section in the Webstore Order page, or call us direct.  read more

Code: 19501

Original Viking 9th Century Battle Axe Head, Worn & Used by Vikings from the Viking Lands of Grand Prince Oleg and Vladimir the Great Period,

From a fabulous small collection of original, Viking, 9th century early Christian artefacts. Only two items, including this one remains for sale, the other sold within 10 minutes of upload to the site.

A Viking realm founded by the Viking, Oleg, ruler of Novgorod Kievanrus from c. 879, who seized Smolensk and Kiev 882, which became his capital. Viking Prince Oleg can be seen depicted, and as a central character, in the well regarded and incredibly popular worldwide drama series ‘Viking’, in series 6 shown by the History channel.
Extending his rule, Oleg united local Slavic and Finnish tribes, defeated the Khazars, and, in 911, arranged trade agreements with Constantinople. His empire peaked in the 10th and 11th centuries under Vladimir I and Yaroslav, becoming eastern Europe’s chief political and cultural centre. At Yaroslav’s death in 1054, his sons divided the empire into warring factions. The 13th-century Mongol conquest decisively ended its power. Although Oleg was pagan it was the time that Christianity took hold in Viking realms. In the Viking Age most of Europe had converted to Christianity, but the Vikings were very satisfied with their own gods and held on to them. ... By the end of the Viking period, around 1050, most Vikings were Christians. They were baptised, went to church and were buried in a Christian manner. he Viking Age was a period of considerable religious change in Scandinavia. Part of the popular image of the Vikings is that they were all pagans, with a hatred of the Christian Church, but this view is very misleading. It is true that almost the entire population of Scandinavia was pagan at the beginning of the Viking Age, but the Vikings had many gods, and it was no problem for them to accept the Christian god alongside their own. Most scholars today believe that Viking attacks on Christian churches had nothing to do with religion, but more to do with the fact that monasteries were typically both wealthy and poorly defended, making them an easy target for plunder.

...monasteries were typically both wealthy and poorly defended, making them an easy target for plunder.

The Vikings came into contact with Christianity through their raids, and when they settled in lands with a Christian population, they adopted Christianity quite quickly. This was true in Normandy, Ireland, and throughout the British Isles. Although contemporary accounts say little about this, we can see it in the archaeological evidence. Pagans buried their dead with grave goods, but Christians normally didn't, and this makes it relatively easy to spot the change in religion.

As well as conversion abroad, the Viking Age also saw a gradual conversion in Scandinavia itself, as Anglo-Saxon and German missionaries arrived to convert the pagans. By the mid-11th century, Christianity was well established in Denmark and most of Norway. Although there was a temporary conversion in Sweden in the early 11th century, it wasn't until the mid-12th century that Christianity became established there. As part of the process of conversion the Christians took over traditional pagan sites. A good example of this can be seen at Gamle Uppsala in Sweden, where the remains of an early church stand alongside a series of huge pagan burial mounds. for those that follow the superb History Channel's series, Vikings, he is the main protagonist of series 6. Kievan Rus was largely pagan until the late 10th century, when Vladimir the Great took power and introduced Christianity. The conversion actually resulted from a deal between Vladimir and the Byzantine Emperor. Vladimir agreed to convert to Christianity and send the emperor 6,000 soldiers to defend his throne; in exchange, Vladimir would marry the emperor’s sister.The transition to Christianity in Denmark took place gradually and without major conflict. The Vikings regarded the new belief as supplementing the Nordic gods – it was not simply a choice between the old and the new religion. The Vikings’ belief in many gods meant that it was possible for the new Christian god, White Christ, to be worshipped alongside gods like Thor and Odin.

In this way both religious beliefs could exist alongside each other. One religion did not exclude the other. This is shown by the find of a mould, which the smith could use to make both Thor’s hammers and Christian crosses. It was a time of great change and perhaps the Vikings sought security in both religious creeds – just to be on the safe side.a smith’s mould from Trend in Jutland, which has spaces for two crosses and one hammer. The smith could use it to produce exactly which amulets his customers wanted. In addition, a medieval font from Gettrup, in Jutland, displays both crosses and Thor’s hammers. Several Thor’s hammers, which feature cross ornamentation, have also been found. The Viking belief in the Norse gods was thus reinterpreted and drawn into Christianity.The Jelling Stone displays what is probably the earliest image of Christ from Scandinavia. But there are also clear pre-Christian elements on the stone. Tendrils or interlacing branches, surround Christ, just as Odin could also be depicted surrounded by tendrils or branches.

Every item is accompanied with our unique, Certificate of Authenticity. Of course any certificate of authenticity, given by even the best specialist dealers, in any field, all around the world, is simply a piece of paper,…however, ours is backed up with the fact we are the largest dealers of our kind in the world, with over 100 years and four generation’s of professional trading experience behind us  read more

Code: 24578