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Austrian M1854 Lorenz Bayonet in Fine US Pattern 1859 Austrian Bayonet Scabbard

Austrian M1854 Lorenz Bayonet in Fine US Pattern 1859 Austrian Bayonet Scabbard

  • Product Code: EWB-2529-SOLD
  • Availability: Out Of Stock
  • $0.00


Here is a great opportunity to own a FINE condition Austrian Model 1854 Austrian Lorenz Socket Bayonet with an equally FINE and scarce US Pattern 1859 Scabbard for the Lorenz Bayonet. US purchasing agents acquired hundreds of thousands of Austrian arms during the first eighteen months of the American Civil War, ranging from the then current pattern M1854 Lorenz to a wide range of obsolete Austrian muskets that had been altered to percussion, primarily from the Austrian Augustin-Consol lock ignition system. Austrian M1799, M1799/28, M1838, M1842 and M1854 bayonets were all imported to accompany these Austrian longarms. These bayonets all had four-sided cruciform blades that were nominally 18.75” long; some .75” longer than the standard US M1855 socket bayonet’s blade. This necessitated the acquisition of special scabbards to accommodate the longer, wider, four-sided bayonet blades. As a result, two special patterns of socket bayonet scabbards were obtained by the Ordnance Department that were based upon the US Pattern 1859 “two-rivet” bayonet scabbard. This was the standard US bayonet scabbard at the beginning of the Civil War and would remain so through the summer of 1863, when a new pattern of February 1863 “seven-rivet” scabbards began to be delivered. The US Pattern 1859 scabbard had an attached belt frog that was sewn in place and reinforced with two copper rivets where the leather that wrapped around the scabbard throat attached to the frog. The scabbard also included a brass final tip at the end that was secured by two copper or brass pins on the reverse. Four-pin tips, secured with two pins on the front and two pins on the rear of the final, would not be adopted until the February of 1863 pattern scabbard was adopted.

 

The US Government and their contractors produced two styles of US Pattern 1859 “two rivet” bayonet scabbards for the Austrian import bayonets. The first one, which is thought to have been US arsenal produced, had an oval shaped cross section and a body that was about 1” longer than the standard Pattern 1859 scabbard body. This scabbard not only accommodated the various Austrian pattern socket bayonets but was also capable of accepting the Prussian Model 1809 “Potsdam” type socket bayonet. The other variant is believed to have been produced by one or two different US Ordnance Department contractors and had a diamond shaped cross section which accepted any of the Austrian cruciform blades, but not the Prussian bayonet. The factor that makes researchers think that these diamond throat scabbards may have been produced by two different contractors is that some extant examples have rivets that enter the frog the same way as a standard Pattern 1859 scabbard and some have them facing the opposite direction. The standard Pattern 1859 scabbard had the rivets set with the flat side of the rivet on the “inside” of the frog where it would rub against the uniform and accouterments and the side with the protruding rivet nib on the “outside” side of the frog. However, some Austrian pattern US scabbards are known with the rivets set the opposite way, with the protruding rivet nib on the “inside” of the frog where it would rub and wear on the uniform and accouterments.

 

The overall condition of this particular set of an Austrian Lorenz bayonet in a US diamond-throat scabbard is FINE. The Austrian Model 1854 Socket Bayonet remains in crisp condition. The bayonet retains much of its original arsenal bright finish, with scattered flecks of oxidation and discoloration, with a few larger patches of minor age discoloration. The metal is mostly smooth with some very lightly scattered pinpricking here and there. The bayonet is full-length and retains a very sharp tip. The original locking ring and tension screw are in place on the socket and the ring functions smoothly as it should. The reverse neck of the bayonet is marked with the usual sunken asterisk Austrian pattern proof mark and a depressed quarter moon type touch mark on the face of the blade. The front edge of the locking ring screw boss is stamped with the letters AE.

 

The US Pattern 1859 “Diamond Throat” Scabbard is in FINE condition as well. This is the variant that has the rivets installed "backwards" from a standard US Pattern 1859 scabbard. The scabbard retains tight stitching throughout, all of which appears to be original. The leather of both the scabbard and frog remain strong and robust. The scabbard retains much of its original finish, with some scattered crazing and minor flaked finish loss here and there. Most of the of the loss of surface finish is the result of flaking along the sharp edges of the scabbard and the leading and trailing edges of the belt loop. The scabbard retains its original quadrangle brass tip, secured by the two original pins. The original 1859 pattern copper reinforcement rivets are in place in the frog and had a dark, uncleaned patina and show some moderate dark green surface verdigris.

 

Overall this is a very wonderful example of an Austrian Model 1854 Socket Bayonet with a US Pattern 1859 “Diamond Throat” Scabbard. The bayonet would be a great match to your high grade Austrian Lorenz and the scarce US pattern scabbard is a tough Civil War accoutrement to find on the market, particularly in such crisp condition. This is a set that you will be very proud to display with your Civil War bayonet collection or to enhance your Lorenz.


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Tags: Austrian, M1854, Lorenz, Bayonet, in, Fine, US, Pattern, 1859, Austrian, Bayonet, Scabbard