US M1816 BAYONET AND REILLY TYPE-I SCABBARD FOR WAIST BELT CA.1841-58

US M1816 BAYONET AND REILLY TYPE-I SCABBARD FOR WAIST BELT CA.1841-58

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$295.00

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Item Code: 2026-1228

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This is a regulation bayonet for the US M1816 musket, which was produced at Springfield until 1840 and at Harpers Ferry until 1844, but remained in service with conversion to percussion well into the Civil War. The bayonet is full length, with smooth metal showing steel gray with dark gray age staining. It comes with its scabbard for carriage on a waistbelt, which is made of black leather with a brass tip and fitted with a buff leather belt loop.

In the US Army bayonets were carried on shoulder belts until 1841 when they were shifted to the waistbelt. This is an early form of the scabbard adopted at that time, using a black, bridle leather scabbard body with brass tip and belt loop made of buff leather, like the waistbelt that would have carried it. The black finish to the scabbard body and collar is very good, with the body showing some crazing to the finish, but no large losses and no bends, breaks or tears. The stitching securing the loop, collar, and body is intact and secure.

The belt loop is buff leather, is supple, light brown in color, and untouched. Until 1851 the belt loops were by regulation white, to match the soldier’s belting, after which those still in service were dyed black to adhere with new regulations. In this case we then can’t tell whether it was white that has faded from use and age, was white and then dyed black, which has since oxidized to brown, or was black originally. (In some cases, of course, the black color was reapplied by soldiers at the time or by modern dealers or collectors.) But, the scabbard certainly dates no later than about 1858, when two rivets were introduced to reinforce the sewn construction of the belt loop, collar and body, followed by a January 1859 suggestion, apparently unimplemented, that a third be added. This provides a nice upper date for this scabbard and bayonet.

Model 1816 bayonets provide a wide variety of markings and variations for collectors and students of arms. In this case the blade is marked on its face, at the base, with a simple, small U.S. that is slightly softened by wear, but fully legible, and neck adjacent to the socket is clearly stamped “E/23,” which was an inventory or production number intended to double as a rack number when issued. Taken as a group, M 1816 bayonets are not that uncommon, but their scabbards are very much harder to find, particularly in an early configuration like this.  This is an interesting set in very good condition. See Reilly, American Socket Bayonets and Scabbards, for details.    [sr][ph:L]

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