Original German WWI M1898/05 n/A Butcher Bayonet by Alexander Coppel with Scabbard and Frog – Dated 1918 Original Items

Original Item: Only One Available. This is a good example of the M-1898/05 Bayonet (Seitengewehr), which was the most common German Bayonet of the First World War. It was intended for use on the standard issue service rifle of Imperial Germany: the Mauser-designed Gewehr 98 (GEW 98). It features a heavy 14.5-inch steel blade with distinct bulge toward the point, giving extra weight and power to the business end, known as a “butcher blade”. This version is known as n/A (neuer Art = newer model). This second pattern lacks the first pattern’s vestigial muzzle ring (or ‘ears’) and has a flashguard on the back of the grip.

This example has a very nice set of original grooved wood grips, with a few small ships and dents. The hilt and crossguard are solid, though they have some surface rusting due to age. Bayonet lock is fully functional. The blade ricasso is maker clearly marked:

ALEX. COPPELSOLINGEN

The blade is also dated on the blade’s spine 18 under a proof mark of a Crown over W., for Kaiser Wilhelm II, and the year the bayonet was accepted. The blade is in good condition, though it does have some staining and wear, and has been sharpened, though not enough to change the blade shape. It is blued, so most likely this bayonet also saw service in WWII.

The steel scabbard is in good condition, though it does have some large dents on the front and back. The original blued finish has worn in most places to a peppery gray, and there are areas of surface rust, typical of a 100 year old scabbard. The frog button is still intact and only slightly unbent. The scabbard is held by a nice original brown leather frog (Seitengewehrtragetasche), which shows quite a bit of age. The stitching has been redone long ago, and the leather has shrunk, so it cannot be removed from the scabbard.

A fine example of what is becoming a difficult bayonet to find in such fine condition, never messed with, just the way we like to find them, ready to display.