Scarce* 1855 Sword Bayonet for the Royal Sappers & Miners Carbine Marked A.H.C. (Army Hospital Corps). BAYO 371. Bayonets

British Sappers and Miners Units adopted an oval barrel rifle in 1855 and produced their own distinctive bayonet with a Falchion or pipe backed blade. The leather scabbard had brass fittings. After 1857 the Sappers and Miners were renamed the Engineers so the blade is sometimes called the Engineers Bayonet. After removal from Engineer service they became a side arm particularly for the Medical Corps. Early examples had a leaf spring secured by a rivet but post 1858 the springs on these bayonets were secured by a screw. The British Government ordered quantities of these bayonets from German manufacturers & both the London and Birmingham trade (see pages 367 & 368 No 748 of Watts & White ‘The Bayonet Book’ for similar). This is an excellent original example of the 1855 Lancaster bayonet which has the correct 24”pipeback blade whit just light staining consistent with age, brass cross guard with muzzle ring and brass pommel with correct flat steel spring bar with post 1858 retaining screw and push button which works as it should. The blade is marked; A.H.C. (Army Hospital Corps- the Army Hospital Corps was raised by Royal Warrant on 1 August 1857 to provide orderlies for military hospitals, except those in India. It was the successor of the Medical Staff Corps which had been embodied in June 1855, but disbanded because of irregularities in its recruitment.) with numbers to the pommel. The ricasso is marked; with a number of inspection stamps, as is the grip spine. Its original black hard leather grips are undamaged *slight wear to the left hand side and correctly secured by rivets. The bayonet measures 29” overall. The price includes UK delivery. BAYO 371.