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Finnish M27 Bayonet and an unusual Chassepot

Posted: 24/02/17 (9:59am)

Well we seem to have escaped the worst that Doris had to offer. It snowed briefly before returning to rain and we never got the strong winds that seem to have affected many other parts of the UK. Quite a relief actually as I really didn't relish the thought of driving home in 80 mile per hour winds and a white-out blizzard.
The auction for me was a resounding success. That is seldom the case. Usually I go to an auction with a long list of items I would like to buy but head home with very few of them. Often I return home empty handed. Coming home with nothing is very frustrating especially when the auction is a long drive from home.
Yesterday I managed to get all the lots I wanted, my star buy being a very rare Finnish M27 bayonet in the early fluted scabbard. Soon I'll get around to photographing it and listing it on the website. 
I also bought a curiosity. I was the highest bidder on an unusual French M1866 Chassepot bayonet. What makes it unusual is that it has been nickel plated - completely nickel plated. From brass hilt to blade tip, including the scabbard is plated.
In the past I've seen Chassepots with a plated cross piece and quillion and a plated scabbard and these are nearly always for either police, bandsmen or ceremonial issue. None that I've seen have had the blade and brass hilt plated as well.
Chassepots captured by Prussia during the Franco-Prussian war were sometimes repurposed for the navy by having the quillion and scabbard plated but these were usually stamped with an "N" and also had their scabbards modified with an elongated teardrop frog stud. My scabbard has the standard French bar.
Interestingly, the bayonet itself is actually of Prussian (German) manufacture but I don't think it was ever used by them.
Another interesting point is that French issued bayonets usually had a serial number with a letter prefix. Those without the letter prefix were issued purely as a side arm and not intended for use with a musket. This bayonet's serial number (bayonet and scabbard have matching numbers) lacks the letter prefix and so may point to it being a ceremonial, band or police issue side arm. Before I can say for certain (if indeed I ever can) I will need to do some research. Many countries other than France used the Chassepot bayonet so I'll need to find out what I can about their plating practices. I look forward to doing so and to listing the bayonet in due course.