U00851 U.S. CIVIL WAR UNION ANGULAR/SOCKET BAYONET IN A LEATHER HANGER. An angular bayonet for the M1855 .58 caliber rifle-musket and subsequent M1861 variant. The brightly finished blade is approximately 17 3/4" long, 3/8" at its thickest and 13/16" at its widest, tapering along its length to a point. A hollow ground flute is to its upper surface. The deeply ground back flutes almost come to point, but all of the edges are squared. A vertical shank connects the blade to its socket. Its 3" long socket has an "L"-shaped mortise cut into it with a rotating clasp positioned over that. The end of the socket has a raised bridge with an oval opening continuing the end of the "L"-shaped mortise. When fixed to the rifle musket, the oval opening allows the forward sight on the barrel to pass under it and unto the first horizontal arm of the mortise. The socket then twists to the right such that the sight now moves along the vertical arm of the mortise. It then slides down the second horizontal, under the oval opening of the movable clasp, which then slides to the right, locking the forward sight. In this fixed position the blade extends from the right side of the barrel. Light surface spotting is evident, as is age darkening to the socket. The triangular, blackened bridle leather scabbard is 18 7/8" long, exclusive of the frog, sewn along its reverse and coming to a point with a sheet brass collar and teardrop finial. The collar is attached by four copper rivets, one of which appears to be absent. Its thick, blackened fabric frog is comprised of an approximately 2 1/2" wide piece wrapped and sewn around the throat of the scabbard and secured by a single copper rivet, and a slightly wider belt loop arching upward from where it is attached to the aforementioned piece by three copper rivets. An additional four rivets to the loop delineate the 2" opening for the belt. Alongside these latter rivets is a partial oval stamp, within which "...ub Insp..." may still be seen. Most of the blackening has worn off of the frog. The scabbard is moderately cracked and exhibits heavy chafe wear where it meets its brass collar. The brass components have a moderate to heavy age patina. The bayonet in its frog would have been slung from the waist belt over the left hip. Complete & untouched.

GRADE ***1/4                             PRICE $ SOLD

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