Original German WWI S1898/05 n/A Butcher Bayonet by Mauser with Scabbard and Frog – 1920 Dated Crossguard- Polizei Unit Marked Original Items

Original Item: Only One Available. This is an excellent condition 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). This 1917 Dated Bayonet features a 1920 Date as well, indicating that it was being retained by German Forces in accordance with the Versailles Treaty. It is also marked as a Police unit, with “P.W.837.” stamped on the crossguard. We believe this denotes the bayonet as #837 for the Vienna (Wien) Polizei.

The bayonet 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 very nice hilt with little rust and a great patina. Bayonet lock is fully functional. The blade ricasso is clearly maker marked:

WAFFENFABRIK
MAUSER A.G.
OBERNDORF a.N.

The blade is also dated on the blade’s spine 17 under a proof mark of a Crown over W., for Kaiser Wilhelm II, and the year the bayonet was accepted. The blade is in excellent condition, and looks to never have been sharpened, still retaining the original factory blunt edge. There is just minor wear to the finish.

The Cross Guard is marked 1920 representing that this particular bayonet was One of the 100,000 permitted to be retained by the Army of the Weimar Republic after WWI as decreed in the Treaty of Versailles. This makes this an exceptionally rare example.

The steel scabbard is in very good condition, with only a few minor dents and without any major rust. The original blued finish has worn in most places to a peppery gray, typical of a 100 year old scabbard. The frog button is still intact and unbent. The scabbard is held by a very nice original brown leather frog, which is in decent original condition, showing signs of stitching loss.

An excellent 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. The Weimar Period date is the icing on the cake. Ready to display!

Specifications:
Blade Length: 14 1/2″
Blade Style: Butcher with Smoothback
Overall length: 19 5/8“
Crossguard: 3”
Scabbard Length: 15″