[Matchlock]

- An unusually fine and important horseman's war hammer head, of cast bronze and wrought iron and profusely sculpted and chiseled to form three zoomorphic heads, probably lion's heads, and a heraldic shield depicting a lion rampant; with a riveted sturdy iron saddle hook; Nuremberg, 2nd half 15th c., formerly in the John Woodman Higgins Armory, Worcester, Ms.

The following information I gratefully owe to our expert Jaspar/cornelistromp - thanks a whole lot, Jasper!!!

Herewith I humbly correct my interpretation:
Contrary to many works of craftsmanship in the Late Gothic/Early Reniassance, the winding Gothic minuscule script on the socket of this hammer head does make sense:
It is the beginning of the Hail Mary prayer and reads:
Ave Maria Gracia Plena Helf Maria
(Latin and Old German for
Hail Mary, full of grace - help us, Mary).

Please note Jasper's valuable contribution in post #8!

So on this early piece the Gothic lettering still is much more than just stylized to a mere decorative element as on many items from the late 15th and early 16th c. - cf. author's threads:
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...ipt+decoration
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...ipt+decoration

- A very fine and completely preserved footman's war hammer, the iron parts profusely etched with a running floral pattern against a blackened punched and dotted ground, the head with a riveted iron saddle hook, and mounted on a short haft; the date of manufacture given by the Higgins Armory inventory is ecaxtly correct: Augsburg or Nuremberg, ca. 1525-30.

- A fine and early horseman's war hammer on a long octagonal haft, Nuremberg, ca. 1430-50, the four-spiked hammer decorated with delicate copper inlays forming saltires, the iron straps and the haft studded with heavy nails with rectangular heads.

As none of these three items was included in the two-part sale of contents from the Higgins with Thomas Del Mar Ltd., they most probably went, together with other weapons, to the Worcester Art Museum (WAM).