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Sword

Swords and edged weapons are a popular collecting category within the antique arms and armour market.

Dating back to ancient times, swords have a long history of production with fine decorative or ceremonial examples and items linked to notable historical figures and events often commanding the most attention.


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Arms and armour: Personal touch gives 'warts and all' weapons the auction edge

23 January 2023

Specialist buyers turn out in force to bid for rusty ‘warts and all’ weapons amassed by dealer-collector

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The greatest hits of arms and armour collector Elvis

23 January 2023

Birmingham-born Roy Elvis (1944- 2022) inherited his family interest in antiques and started collecting furniture and decorative arts from an early age.

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Get your two hands on a mighty sword

28 November 2022

Top result from the October 26 arms and armour auction at Munich saleroom Hermann Historica (25% buyer’s premium) was a 5ft 6in (1.67m) two-hand sword made by the acclaimed bladesmith Wolfgang Stantler II of Passau, c.1580.

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Case for the defence

28 November 2022

Estimated at just £60-90, this English Civil War-era mortuary sword sold for £2300 at Unique Auctions (22.5% buyer’s premium) in Lincoln on October 22.

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Family naval group includes £28,000 medal

31 October 2022

A group of father-and-son lots related to the Royal Navy may have been small in size but revealed a combined service in the Revolutionary and Napoleonic wars that was lengthy.

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London armour sale helps New York museum

15 August 2022

A composite German full armour, c.1500-10, from a European Collection was one of the highlights of Thomas Del Mar’s (25% buyer’s premium) sale of Fine Antique Arms, Armour & Militaria held at Olympia Auctions on June 29.

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Mr Derbyshire, a sword and an Armenian mystery

13 June 2022

Whatever Mr Derbyshire, The Worthy Representative of Freedom Loving Great Britain was doing in the Caucasus in 1920, the Armenians of Karabach were obviously pretty pleased about it.

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Swords of honour: a presentation trio

24 January 2022

A Lloyd’s Patriotic Fund sword of £100 value took the honours at a Bonhams’ (27.5/25/20/14.5% buyer’s premium) sale of arms and armour.

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Weapon owned by tragic 1912 Antarctic explorer makes eight-times estimate in Kent

24 January 2022

A sword sold at Kent auction house C&T (22% buyer’s premium) belonged to a British Antarctic explorer who died in 1912 – but not with Robert Falcon Scott.

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Napoleon weapons garniture sells for $2.5m in Illinois

13 December 2021

A remarkable garniture of weapons including the sword Napoleon is believed to have carried when he seized power in 1799 sold at an Illinois auction house.

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Sword soars to £8200 at Dawsons

22 November 2021

Estimated at £200-300, this kaskara sold for £8200 at Dawsons (23% buyer’s premium) in Maidenhead on October 28.

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Classic country house offering brings spectacular selection of lots

04 October 2021

Irish castle home of earls about to be turned into hotel and spa furnishes a remarkable sale

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Ottoman sword is swell buy in Munich

19 July 2021

The prize lot sold at a recent Hermann Historica (25% buyer’s premium) sale in Munich was this 19th century Ottoman kilij of characteristic form with a curved blade swelling towards the tip.

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Sought-after Colt now on way home to US

19 July 2021

The outstanding lot in the arms and armour sale held in London on June 30 by Thomas Del Mar (25% buyer’s premium) was the £96,000 16th century Augsburg close helmet illustrated on the front page of last week’s ATG (No 2501).

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Russian ambassador’s Japanese swords

03 May 2021

On May 18 Paris auction firm Tessier Sarrou is selling the first part of a collection of Japanese swords.

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Parts add up to high value

01 February 2021

Even the composite parts of weapons now long lost have a value at auction.

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‘Father of the RAF’ swords

05 October 2020

Lawrences’ (25% buyer’s premium) sale in Crewkerne on September 10 featured three swords that came to auction from the family of the ‘Father of the RAF’: Viscount Trenchard GCB, OM, GCVO, DSO (1873-1956).

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Erskine Childers’ sword sells in Irish auction

17 August 2020

This Royal Navy Reserve officer’s sword owned by Robert Erskine Childers was estimated at €3000-5000 in a recent auction by Mullen’s (20/12.5% buyer’s premium) in Bray, Co Dublin. The scabbard throat of the Victorian 1827-pattern sword is engraved 'RE Childers'.

Robert Erskine Childers' sword

Irish writer and nationalist Erskine Childers’ sword stars in our pick of five auction highlights this week

17 July 2020

ATG’s weekly selection of items that caught bidders’ eyes includes a Victorian 1827-pattern officer’s sword owned by Robert Erskine Childers that sold above estimate in Co Dublin.

First Empire small sword

Légion d'honneur sword and early ventriloquist's doll are among five auction highlights that caught bidders’ eyes

08 May 2020

ATG’s selection of hammer highlights this week includes a rare French First Empire sword for a Légion d'honneur recipient that made over 35-times estimate.