The Uber-Ultimate Barn Find

[njsteve]

I was rummaging through my closet today and re-found this slightly old item. I found it originally, about 30 years ago in a fallen down barn on my brother's farm outside of New Haven, Connecticut. Never did find the Brown Bess musket it was attached to, though.

It's a British Socket Bayonet that pre-dates the Revolutionary War (circa 1720-1750). I can just imagine what the history on this piece was.

And to think I had it stuck in a timber in my Dad's garage for a couple decades, using it to open paint cans with!











Anyone want to debate the authenticity of this stamping?

[HPMIKE]

Awesome find...

Have you called Christie's yet to see what it's worth??

MB

[CC Rider]

[ QUOTE ]


Anyone want to debate the authenticity of this stamping?

[/ QUOTE ]

Maybe if I could figure out what it means.

[njsteve]

[ QUOTE ]
Awesome find...

Have you called Christie's yet to see what it's worth??

MB

[/ QUOTE ]

Every time I contact some "expert" on bayonets, they always end up steering the conversation to whether I want to get rid of it. That's usually a big red flag that they're not telling me the truth about the value.

One collector said the only other duplicate of this one was in the Tower of London Museum. I guess it's kind of unique or just that the vast majority of them were long rusted away. This one is remarkably well preserved because it was at the bottom of a pit that was used to dump waste oil for decades (maybe centuries). The farmland dates back to the mid 1700's

Anyway, if I sold it then I wouldn't have anything to open paint cans with anymore.

I used to bring it for "show and tell day" to my kids' elementary schools when they would teach about the Revolutionary War, but recently the school administrators got too politically correct about prior American "conflicts" and hyper-fearful of anything resembling a weapon on their property.

[x Baldwin Motion]

The stamping looks like something between gothic and secratary (modern) English handwritten alphabet. Used between 1400's and mid 1700's. I have not been able to exactly decypher it becuase I can't find any numeral translations. It is definetly NOT from Tonawanda !

try figuring it out here

[hvychev]

Steve,

Contact Christopher Mitchell from Antiques Roadshow. I have before and he got back to me within a couple of days. This guy knows his stuff.

Christopher Mitchell

[SmallHurst]

[ QUOTE ]
I used to bring it for "show and tell day" to my kids' elementary schools when they would teach about the Revolutionary War, but recently the school administrators got too politically correct about prior American "conflicts" and hyper-fearful of anything resembling a weapon on their property.

[/ QUOTE ]

Prior American Conflicts!!!!! Someone needs to review the dribble that is being spewed upon the youth of today!! I suppose that they tell the kids that the 4th of July is just a day to go shoot fireworks!!!!!

I will trade you a paint key for your 'can-opener'!!!

[sYc]

I had not thought about it, but when in grade school I would take a Civil War sword from Gettysburg to show and tell. I bet that would be a no-no in todays world.

[firstgenaddict]

When I was in highschool... 1990... I carried a pocket knife into school everyday and used it in class quite often. I never would have even thought of pulling my knife out for anything other than cleaning my nails, trimming a string, or sharpening a pencil.... Not even if I were in a fight, of which there were many, it was never even a fleeting thought in my mind, fists are what we used, accross the street from the school in of all places a Church Parkinglot.

You'd go to jail for the same now, boys can no longer be boys.
We lived to tell about it and I still wouldn't consider a weapon unless it were absolutely neccesary.

Guess kids figure if you're going to jail for fighting or jail for stabbing or shooting you may as well limit the physical damage to yourself.
Too many parents allow the media to dictate what will and will not be morally acceptable in their homes...

[SmallHurst]

1st Gen,

I, too, carried a pocket knife to school (didn't all farm kids do that?) and used it for it intended purpose. In fact, there was more than one teacher that asked to borrow my knife!!! Being a Boy Scout, I was being prepared. Yes, I am getting old, I graduated in '89!!!