Weapons
Pre Civil War - War Period Bowie Knife
A nice example of a Civil war era bowie style clip point side knife with pyramidal brass cross guard w 4 pins and a bone made coffin style handle, heavily varnished. Handle has an age crack on one side and 3 other surface nicks from usage on the darker side, but the knife and handle are solid / well made. There are file marks on both sides of the tang. The blade is 10", 5 1/4" handle, overall length 15 1/4". It has a nice weight and balance. Very nice Civil War collectible circa ~1845 -1860
Price $850 Now $700
Type 97 WW II Japanese Kai-gunto Pattern Naval Officer Sword with Original Silk Storage Bag and Paper Label Found Inside Sword Handle Defining Shiga Kaigun Naval Base (Comes w Research Literature)
The sword was made in the province and town called Nagamura Kiyonobu. The actual sword was made by a worker named Minyo Motomatsu. This style sword, Type 97, was started in 1937 – Year 2597 from National Era System - hence Type 97. This type sword was produced till about 1944.
This sword scabbard is wood with polished ray skin. The handle is wrapped in brown silk tape over unpolished brown shark skin and the menuki. There are gold plated handle and scabbard fittings. A label was found in the handle giving the Naval Base.
The stainless steel blade is probably government arsenal made. The tsuba is blackened bronze. Overall length in scabbard 38 ¼”, blade 26 ¼”
Overall, a very fine condition, original WW II Naval Officer’s samurai sword. Price $4400
Now $4000
North Carolina 1st Model Confederate Cavalry Sword Made at Wilmington NC by Louis Froelich of Confederate States Armory
In April 1861, Louis Froelich, a Bavarian immigrant, began manufacturing uniform buttons in Wilmington for North Carolina soldiers. With a Hungarian partner, Froelich operated his first arms factory expanded for the Confederacy from November 1861 until March 1862, when the partnership was dissolved.
The two men formed the “C.S.A. Arms Factory,” that opened in November, offering to make swords, bayonets, lances, and bowie knives. On November 9, Confederate vice president Alexander H. Stephens visited the factory and “made a spirited address” while holding a sword and lance. He promised to carry the weapons to other parts of the Confederacy to show others what “the Old North State was doing.”
Louis Froelich moved his company to Kenansville North Carolina on 2.5 acres he purchased after a yellow fever epidemic struck Wilmington in 1862.
In March 1863 Froelich built and opened the Kenansville armory by May. On July 4, however, Lt. Col. George W. Lewis' 3rd New York Cavalry burned it down while raiding Confederate lines of communication.
Froelich rebuilt the facility and continued to produce military equipment, forming a partnership with Jacob H.N. Cornehlson in January 1864. The armory was last known to have operated till June 1864.
After the war, Froelich turned to agriculture, selling scuppernong wine and other farm products. He died in 1873 in Halifax County NC.
In the end, Froelich is mainly noted for his armory’s eighteen surgical sets, ~3,700 lance spears, ~6,500 saber bayonets, ~11,700 cavalry sabers, ~2,700 officer’s sabers, ~600 naval cutlasses, ~800 artillery cutlasses, ~300 saber belts, and ~300 knapsacks. Often there can be filed Roman numerals on the brass sword guard edge and scabbard throat, but not always.
This heavy sword is a rock solid, strong example of a Cavalry sword based on the 1840 US Pattern and has the unique plain pommel cap initially used by Freolich. The brown leather covered handle is 100% intact as well the single strand heavy gage copper wire. The blade has a nice aged mottled patina with some pitting and an unstopped fuller. The sword and scabbard have not been cleaned.
The scabbard has a nice age color with light pitting and two brass ring mounts. The soldered seam near the end of the scabbard has a 1" open crack. Price $4800 Now $4500
Nickel Plated Ames Model 1840 Artillery Saber
Sword blade is 32" long, very fine overall with a couple dark spots on blade - no nicks or cuts on blade. Horizontal maker's mark "Made By Ames MFG Co Chicopee Mass" in four lines on one side of upper blade, the other side is dated 1862 with a stamped "CONN" for the State of Connecticut militia in two lines. The nickel plating was probably added by a junior officer during the Civil War period.
Original leather grip and wire remain excellent showing honest age and light use, leather washer intact. Scabbard is dent free. Both the nickel plated guard and scabbard show consistent aging and loss of some of the nickel plate due war usage. The pommel and cross guard have a rack number stamp of #206. The scabbard drag is stamped #262, a probable stamping error because it is doubtful a second sword near this rack #206 was nickel plated. A very nice scarce artillery sword example with ties to a state militia / regiment. Price $1100 Now $850
Dug New Model Remington 44 CAL. Revolver from Virginia with the Cylinder Fully Loaded with All Six Rounds!
A very nice example of an excavated revolver relic. The gun was clearly exposed to the elements over a period of years. The rammer is missing, apparently broken off in conflict but the brass trigger guard, cylinder and nipples, hammer and all other components are intact. The hammer will begin to cock and allow the cylinder to be turned by hand. The gun has some nicks as well as cavities in the metal from ground action. The metal has a nice aged patina.
The serial number on the handle frame is 17231, indicating the gun was made in about May 1863. Part of the the stamped maker logo "YORK. USA" is faintly visible on the top of the barrell. There were about 18,200 New Model revolvers made in 1863 and most were used by Cavalry forces.
The revolver has all six (6) black powder 44 cal. lead rounds still in the cylinder showing the round point of each bullet - very seldom found, suggesting the soldier drop the gun during some phase of conflict and never fired a shot. The revolver comes in a wood /glass display box with a facts sheet - a great relic for any collection.
Price $1800
Model 1819 S. North Flintlock Dragoon Pistol Converted To Percussion 54 Cal. Made in 1820 - Harpers Ferry Pattern - ~1860 Price $1400
On July 21, 1819 gunmaker Simeon North received a contract to produce 10,000 pairs of the new Model 1819 Pistol based on the Harpers Ferry Pattern with all deliveries to be completed by the end of 1824. Deliveries commenced the following year 1820, with 2,000 guns being completed, inspected and delivered.
7,000 pistols were delivered in 1821, 8,000 in 1822 and 3,000 in 1823. In September 1823 an additional 400 guns were ordered and these pistols were delivered before the end of that year as well. Totally 20,400 of the guns were delivered between 1820 and the end of 1823.
The earliest deliveries had locks that were not dated.
The Ordnance Department hired rival Middletown CT gunmakers Robert and John D. Johnson to prove North’s barrels. As a result, the majority of US M-1819 pistol barrels are marked with the initial “RJ” or “JDJ”.
This Model 1819 represented the ultimate evolution of the US Martial Flintlock Pistol from its beginnings as the North-Cheney version of the French M-1777 pistol, through the early Federal Era pinned barrel guns of the M-1808, to the clunky M-1813 and M-1816 pistols, finally resulting in the elegant lines of the Model 1819 pistol, one of the most attractive of the US Martial Flintlock Pistols to be produced.
The lock plate is marked “S. North” over an American eagle and shield. The letters “US” are at either side over “MIDLTNCONN” with no production date. The rear left top of the barrel is stamped “JDJ,” positioned above a proof “P,” which is over “US.” The stock has an oval “LS” (Luther Sage) cartouche mark. The barrel shows real use around the nipple area with local pitting as both a flintlock and percussion pistol, but overall this is a fine condition 15" 1/2 overall length - 2 lb. 10 oz. Dragoon pistol with very nice wood and smooth metal. The action is tight and works well plus the original slide safety lock that was originally provided is still present and works. This early US flintlock pistol model was very unique to have a safety lock (most early US flintlock pistols had no safety slides) and the locks were often removed when converted to percussion ignition. A nice pistol - The conversion work is the French / drum bolster style typical of many alterations performed in the South during the early days of the American Civil War with the X on the bolster being the worker's mark.
Civil War Made Smith Carbine S/N 19911 - Circa 1864
The Smith Carbine was a .50-caliber breech loader that fired a hard rubber cartridge. Depressing the latch in the trigger guard allowed the barrel to tilt forward for loading. They were manufactured by American Machine Works, the Massachusetts Arms Co., and the American Arms Company. Nearly all of the 31,000 Smith Carbines produced during the Civil War were purchased by the U.S. government. A large number of Smiths were captured and used by Confederate cavalry early in the war.
This carbine is in strong, clean condition with a touch of very light pitting in a small section on the under side of barrel which has a nice overall patina. There are very minimal cuts / nicks on the metal and wood, strong logo on the metal chamber, very good screws rifled bore, functioning sight, hammer action with a dark walnut finish and carbine sling bar and ring.
A very fine example for any collection. Price $1400
New Jersey 1861 H & P - 69 Cal. Springfield Musket Conversion and H & P Made US Bayonet
While many Model 1816 flintlock muskets saw conversion from flintlock to percussion in the Civil War period, almost no other musket saw the level of quality workmanship provided by Hewes & Philips of Newark NJ. This military musket was originally made by the Springfield Arsenal in 1830 with a well stamped lock plate / date. This one is a great example flintlock conversions. The State of NJ had about 20,000 at the start of the Civil war - all were converted between 1861 and 1862.
The musket was originally smooth bore but was rifled during the conversion -the rifling is good. The action is very strong. A very large bolster was welded to the barrel and a percussion nipple threaded in. A unique curved percussion hammer was installed. The ramrod is correct and original to the gun.
This musket is the scarcer Type 1 conversion with a bolster clean out screw. The Type 2 conversions had no screw. The top of the barrel shows the company markings “H&P” and the date of the conversion "1861". A large “NJ” for New Jersey is also visible where the barrel meets the stock on the left side.
A multi-leaf sight was installed at the rear. A bayonet lug was installed on the top near the muzzle. A longer “US” marked bayonet was made to current standards.
This musket also has well defined original cartouche marks on the wood and metal from its original manufacture in 1830. there are cartouche markings on the wood, barrel, trigger guard, upper barrel band and escutcheon plate. See photos
Although this musket saw real service, the stock wood and overall metal are strong with normal light metal pitting and some nicks in the wood from combat usage but no real issues. The barrel has a gray mottled look.
H & P used part numbers for the components they made for their conversion. Bayonet #6 – Bayonet Lug #16 – Bolster #10 or #18 – Hammer #1 with H & P and 1861 on top of barrel. See photos
A very nice example of a converted New Jersey Militia musket and bayonet. Price $2700
Original Boyle & Gamble Confederate Staff Officer Sword w Scabbard Made in Richmond VA
This sword is 100% original, has never been cleaned. The patina on the hilt, scabbard mounts and drag all match. Comes with a period sword knot and its original throat washer. The brass fixtures' color show a high copper content.
The are no nicks, scratches or bruises on the hilt, mounts or drag. The leather scabbard is solid and strong but has some minor age surface cracks and one stress area from use , but the scabbard remains solid. The glossy leather finish is present and still intact. The leather grip and wire on handle are original and 100% intact.
The blade was never been sharpened - it has seven tick marks along the edge from real usage.
The blade is generally bright with a readable acid etched CSA in a shield and the Battle Flag on one side and two sets of Confederate flags on the other side, the lower set of flags is strong - the upper set of flags is on the lighter side. Both blade sides have etched scroll and floral decorations. The blade has scattered light mottled age gray color along both sides. The blade point is strong. Price $19,500
