BROAD ARROW Marked PLUG BAYO The VERY FIRST BAYO Issue By The British Army 1690 For Sale

RARE 1st & OLDEST British Army Musket PLUG BAYONET Circa 1660's FIGHTING KNIFE
The FIRST British Army BAYONET ever ISSUED was this "Plug Bayonet"

Circa 1660 and officially BROAD ARROW Marked

Reference images & information copied from the SUPERB reference work "Swords & Blades of the AMERICAN REVOLUTION" by the late George C. Neumann

The FIRST bayonet depicted in this book is IDENTICAL (not just "similar") to this bayonet, with the exception that it does NOT BEAR the British Army issue stamp known as the "Broad Arrow" to literate collectors (OR as "The Crow's Foot Mark", to those of lesser intellect)
Neumann described concisely the evolution & pedigree of this bayonet in his short dissertation that I have copied and included here in my images

You will of course NOTE the **identical wood grain** patterns, the forge-weld to the Iron lower handle boss, the Hammer & Screwdriver TOOLS (that are incorporated in the Qullions)

THIS THE FIRST British Army Bayonet type EVER ISSUED

Likely ordered in ONLY A FEW 100 examples so that would likely make this the OLDEST & RAREST British Army issued bayonet A broad arrow is a type of arrow with a typically flat barbed head

It is a symbol used traditionally in heraldry, most notably in England, & later by the UK Govt to mark government property.

The broad arrow as a heraldic device has 2 tapering blades, known as barbs

The Office of Ordnance was created by Henry VIII in 1544

It became the Board of Ordnance in 1597, its principal duties being to supply guns, ammunition, stores & equipment to the King's Navy

The Office and Board used the broad arrow to signify at first objects purchased from the monarch's money & later to indicate government property since at least the 17th Cent

This symbol is attributed to Sir Philip Sidney, Joint Master of the Ordnance in 1585/6, since the Pheon appears in the arms of the Sidney family

The broad arrow frequently appeared on military boxes & equipment such as canteens, bayonets & rifles, as well as the British prison uniform from the 1870's & even earlier, that of transportees in British penal colonies such as Australia.

The broad arrow marks were also used by Commonwealth countries on their ordnance

With the demise of the Board in 1855, the War Department and today's Ministry of Defence continued to use the mark.

Similarly to hallmarks, it is currently a criminal offence in the UK to reproduce the broad arrow without authority

Section 4 of the Public Stores Act 1875 makes it illegal to use the "broad arrow" on any goods without permission

This very rare British Army plug bayonet was sourced in Pennsylvania USA many years ago

So it VERY LIKELY was a participant in the U.S.A. WAR of INDEPENDENCE or US "Revolutionary War"

This bayonet (part of an old Kiwi collection) is PRESERVED overall with "Renaissance Wax"

This antique bayonet is approx 400 years OLD

It shows an all-over rust patina that has NEVER been CLEANED up

In my opinion it is in MUSEUM GRADE condition for an item of this AGE & SUPREME RARITY.

The condition has been shown faithfully in the many photographs in my listing

These IMAGES ARE my actual CONDITION DESCRIPTION

So if I have failed to show anything clearly ?

Please ASK QUESTIONS (well-prior to sale end) for clarification or ADDITIONAL IMAGES :-)

Do please VIEW my ***20 + years *** response selling history on E-Bay !!

Any questions please MESSAGE ME

Postage First Class Air Mail (6-10 DAYS)

• New Zealand customers Courier NZ$12.50........ SORRY but New Zealand RESIDENTS must pay GST @ 15% on purchase price Because I must pay GST on all "local sales" :-(

• A G.S.T. receipt will be issued on request

  
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