Scarce British 1879 pattern Saw-backed sword bayonet for the Martini-Henry artillery carbine Mk1.
The 656mm blade is double-edged for the last 220mm and terminates in a spear point. The blade is in very good condition, clean and bright with only a few small patches of pale tarnish.
The spine has 20 pairs of offset saw teeth above a short fuller ending with a medial ridge towards the point. The blade has been factory sharpened and retains its service edge. The saw teeth remain extremely sharp.
The ricasso bears the War Department stamp and broad arrow, a bend test cross and an Enfield inspection stamp. The obverse ricasso bears a faint crowned VR cipher and the manufacture date of 1900. There is an overlaid Birmingham repair stamp dated 1900, probably applied after the blade was sharpened for service during the Anglo-Boer Wars. The spine is marked with a Birmingham repair stamp and an “R” (reissue stamp?). Interestingly, there is also a “W” stamp. I am unsure as to what this stamp means.
Despite the relatively short span of their official usage (1879-1900), these artillery sword bayonets saw intense service and were present in every British campaign during that period, from India, Afghanistan, Egypt, The Sudan, South Africa (Boer Wars) and China (Boxer Rebellion) to name but a few.
The steel D-guard is bright and clean. The knurled leather grips are in good condition and the press-stud and external leaf spring mechanism work perfectly. The spine of the tang bears both Enfield and Birmingham inspection marks among others.
The bayonet is complete with its original steel mounted black leather scabbard. The leather is in good condition with small scuffs and marks consistent with its age and use. The stitching is intact and tight. The locket and chape are clean and bright and the frog stud is stamped with the War Department arrow. The chape is a bit loose and has small dings and one long, shallow ding.
This is a very good example of a scarce P1879 sword bayonet with stamps suggesting Boer War issue.
