Thread: Dahomey Hwi
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Old 30th July 2015, 03:19 AM   #3
Jim McDougall
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Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Route 66
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Good call Ken!
Apparantly French briquettes did not typically have regimental stamps, only rack numbers at least noted for Napoleonic period. Not sure about later, but then these weren't really in use that much after the M1832 form came in.

I checking Hughes & Fox ("Compendium of British & German Regimental Markings ", 1975, p.28) there is one grouping of interest,
L. 76.L. II. 4. 50.
Note the L. and the Roman numerals, periods after each number, letter

This particular designation is for
2nd Landsturm battalion of Landwehr-Regt. Nr. 76 4th Coy. Weapon 50

I think Ken's suggestion of German probability is spot on, and though I cannot specify unit, the number, letter combinations seem to correspond in effect. West Africa did of course have considerable German colonial activity as well.

It seems these briquette hilts often ended up in strange hybrid cases, and I have seen them in Spanish colonial composites also, notable that the knuckleguard was often removed on that as well.
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