Latest News Articles by Mark Bridge
Ottoman sword is swell buy in Munich
19 July 2021The 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.
Pistol trio pack the punch of Keith Neal provenance
19 July 2021Three pistol lots came to the fore at a recent sale at Bonhams (27.5/25/20/14.5% buyer’s premium) in London.
Repeat performance: early examples in the quest for workable rapid-fire weapons
19 July 2021Very soon after the gun was invented men were trying to find ways of speeding up the process of reloading powder and shot to obtain a superior rate of fire.
Guns belonging to American statesman Alexander Hamilton make $1m
19 July 2021London-made flintlocks with a solid provenance to Alexander Hamilton took to the stage at US sale
Colt icons become big money-earners
01 February 2021Two iconic Colt pistols were the big money-earners from both sides of the Atlantic in the pre-Christmas arms and armour sales.
Gunsmiths who produced the highest quality
01 February 2021Nicolas-Noel Boutet and Anton Vincent Lebeda pistols star at two London auctions.
Firearms collectors take aim at name recognition
01 February 2021Provenance can count for a lot when it comes to gun collecting and two names with quite different connotations came up at Holts (25/20% buyer’s premium).
Belter of a blunderbuss sells at Antony Cribb
01 February 2021The name Boutet appears on many fine presentation guns.
Purdey used by the hot-shot Singhs
01 February 2021At Bonhams in London this single-barrelled 28-bore made in 1877 for one of the sons of Prince Duleep Singh reached £20,000.
Classic British Baker rifle sold in Kent auction
01 February 2021Baker rifle stands out in Kent saleroom.
Peg selector fits into place
01 February 2021The random selection of a place in the line is one of the long-established rituals of English driven game shooting and novel methods continue to emerge.
Golden age Boss gun at Gavin Gardiner
01 February 2021Boss over-and-under guns from the golden age of London gunmaking have long ranked among the most sought by game shots.
Why armour still shone well after its use had faded
01 February 2021Such was the demand for suits of armour from late 19th and early 20th century collectors that European master armourers were kept hard at work long after the practical need for such protective wear had passed.
Krupp guns made in China reveal modern thinking
01 February 2021Krupp mountain guns made in Nanjing as China modernised come up at Thomas Del Mar auction.
Parts add up to high value
01 February 2021Even the composite parts of weapons now long lost have a value at auction.
Castle hosts selected rather than huge sale
05 October 2020The Munich auction house Hermann Historica (25% buyer’s premium) is renowned for its huge multi-catalogue sales series, but on September 25 it mounted a special, selected sale of works of art held at Schloss Greding, south of Nuremburg.
Fancy decoration for a helmet used in the field
05 October 2020A north Italian close helmet for field use, c.1550-60, with etched decoration which made £13,000 at Thomas Del Mar (25% buyer’s premium) on July 30.
Bowie knives evoke pioneer spirit
05 October 2020At Morphy Auction (20% buyer’s premium) in Denver, Pennsylvania, on August 19 it was an exceptional example of an icon of the pioneering life that had everyone expecting some strong bidding.
Korean helmet and Tongan war club
05 October 2020Two lots from Tennants’ (20% buyer’s premium) sale in Leyburn on September 4. The 17th century Korean leather and steel helmet sold to a South Korean buyer for £4800.
Sporting guns spark sale interest
05 October 2020This 12-bore self-opening sidelock ejector by James Purdey & Sons sold for £14,000 at the Gavin Gardiner (25% buyer’s premium) sale in Pulborough on September 2.