Hardin illustrates several similar bayonets with NC and US stamps in Plate 47 of the American Socket Bayonets and calls them 1812 patterns, but more recently collectors have identified them as transitional bayonets or as 1807 or 08 patterns. They follow the earlier 1795 pattern bayonets, which in turn follow the Charleville pattern, but show up with a bridged socket as this one has, though it has cracked on one side on one side of the mortise, and the socket is somewhat longer, a feature that some date to 1810 or later in Springfield produced specimens.

The bayonet is a mix of gray and brown with overall pitting, indicating it was cleaned probably 30 or 40 years ago, but has a good edge and point.

The base of the blade flat is marked lengthwise with a small NC followed by a larger US. Opinion is still divided on whether the NC indicates North Carolina or is bayonet inspector’s initials, but Reilly comes down on the side of the inspector since it was standard practice later and there do not seem to be other state initials on extant specimens. In fact the three examples he shows are all NC US marked in different fashions.

This is a scarce early US bayonet from an historically interesting period of US small arms development.  [SR]

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