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For 40 years I have been an antique militaria dealer (based at Grays Antique Market in London's West End until Christmas 2008): antique swords, weapons, guns, uniforms, helmets, equipment, medals, belt buckles, bayonets and almost all other items of general militaria. British, German, European and worldwide items... I have provided all kinds of arms and armour and military collectibles to customers all around the world!
featured antique military items
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Cavalry trooper's sword - British
This is the classic 'Christmas tree' hilt carried principally by British dragoon units in the middle years of the 18th century. Cumberland's Dragoons would have carried these when harrying Highlanders fleeing from the Battle of Culloden. The Highlanders were cut down mercilessly.
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Runka or Ranseur (polearm) - Italian
This classic Italian (almost certainly made in the Veneto, Venice's hinterland) infantry polearm saw continuous use from the late 15th to the early 17th century. The Metropolitan Museum shows five of these in Stone's Glossary. The Palazzo Ducale armoury in Venice has four examples. This is the earlier variant, the later ones having shorter blades.
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Oil painting of Napoleonic encampment - French
This is a dance scene from the early years of the 1st Empire. The figure on the left in red trousers is a trooper in the 7th Hussars; the central figure perhaps represents a corporal of Chasseurs of the Imperial Guard in undress uniform; the figure on the right in a grey overcoat possibly represents a member of the Garde Nationale.
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Full dress army officer's cap - Japanese
This hat is in exceptionally clean condition, having seen very little service use and been preserved in its original card box, with separate card containers for the plume. The design was heavily influenced by US uniform. It would have been worn on parade occasions with the full dress uniform, which was dark blue to match.
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Brass-hilted horseman's sword (pallasch) - British
This is one of the earliest of the brass-hilted English cavalry swords of the 17th century. The influence is clearly Dutch, although swords of this type were in use at the latter end of James II's reign (ie pre-1688). These swords can be seen in the famous Marlborough tapestries at Blenheim Palace, where they are the standard weapon.
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George IV Light Cavalry officer's sword, 1821 pattern - British
This is the classic Light Cavalry sword of the early 19th century, worn throughout the Indian campaigns and ultimately at Balaclava in the famous Charge of the Light Brigade. The engraving on the 34.5-inch pipe-back blade, although somewhat worn, is still quite legible. By contrast, both hilt and scabbard have virtually all the original finish.
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a little history on my antiques interest
I have been a collector of military antiques since the age of 12, starting with bayonets and moving gradually on to swords, finally entering the broader military antique dealing arena in about 1970. At that stage, I rapidly started to learn about antique English pistols and revolvers.
In about 1980, I broadened my dealing coverage from mainstream militaria to include English campaign medals. The arrival of powerful auction houses in this field drove me back to my original interest in general militaria (swords, bayonets, dirks, guns, pistols, etc).
However, I still maintain a lively interest in all military objects, especially the rare and exotic, eg Imperial Russian and Austrian.
Throughout my dealing career, I have built up my personal collection of antique military prints and drawings and a substantial selection of early military photographs up to 1945, principally German and English. To aid both my dealing and collecting, I have a huge library covering all military aspects of antiques going back to the Middle Ages, and many aspects of antiques in general, especially early English silver.
