46. Bayonet-sword, S98 model, with sheath, for Mauser rifle, with sawback blade, First World War period, rare piece

Starting price

EUR 300

Session

Tue, 26 March 2024 19:00

With the technical designation S84/98, the weapon was a symbol of terror on the battlefields. The piece has a sawback blade, a leather scabbard, and both the blade and scabbard are numbered. Sawback edge pieces represented only 6% of the total number of bayonets produced. This sawback bayonet was reserved for non-commissioned officers, pioneers, machine gun servants, and troops known as Stosstruppen (special assault troops) in the German army. It was a favorite among specialty units due to its efficiency in cutting vegetation and characteristic barbed wire of World War I terrain. This Sawback bayonet became hated by all the troops that the German army fought against because the saw edge tore the victim's body, leading to severe injuries and long, agonizing death. The French unsuccessfully tried to condemn this type of bayonet in 1915 and 1916, invoking the violation of article 23 of the 1908 Hague Convention, which prohibited "weapons, projectiles or materials calculated to cause unnecessary suffering".

Dimensions

custom l=67 cm

Description

steel, wood, leather

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

For clarifications regarding the bidding procedure, hammer price costs, guarantee, payment, and collection terms for the winning lot, we recommend carefully reading/re-reading the Bidding Regulations.

For additional information regarding the lot and the auction, please contact the Art Consultants Department.

Similar lots