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Old 7th June 2009, 05:44 PM   #112
Matchlock
(deceased)
 
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Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Bavaria, Germany - the center of 15th and 16th century gunmaking
Posts: 4,310
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Fantastabulous, Cornelis!

That extremely fine Swabian or Swiss Landsknecht sword, ca. 1500, came of course from the world famous Sir Samuel Rush Meyrick Collection at Goodrich Court, Herefordshire, and is illustrated in the 1830 Skelton catalog. It was acquired by the Met and deaccessioned of again at Christie's, Nov. 22-23, 1960, because the then Met staff rated it a forgery - would you believe that! It was not even illustrated in Christie's sales catalog and went to the Tower relatively cheap.

It is only life that creates stories like that ...

I am not sure wheter it is on display in the Tower or the Royal Armouriers Leeds today.

Btw, two fine pieces from the former Meyrick collection are in mine now: the four barrel Landsknecht mace, ca. 1540, posted here earlier, and an English Civil War matchlock musket, dated 1640.

Best wishes,
Michael
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Last edited by Matchlock; 7th June 2009 at 06:28 PM.
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