Original German WWII Metropolitan Police Long Dress Bayonet by Alexander Coppel with Scabbard & Frog – Matching Unit Markings Original Items

Original Item: Only One Available. This is a fantastic Matching Unit Marked Metropolitan Police Long Dress “Walking Out” Bayonet by Alexander Coppel of Solingen. It comes complete with its original nickel fitted black leather scabbard and a 1942-dated black leather frog. It features a beautiful Stag Handle, with an inlaid aluminum Civic Police emblem.

The pommel is a solid nickel plated alloy decorated “Birds Head” without a bayonet slot, and there is a unit marking on the reverse guard of the bayonet:

S. Op. I. 380

This indicates issue to the Metropolitan Schutzpolizei (Protection Police), however we have not been able to determine which city “Op.” stands for, and leave this as a nice research project. The same unit marking is stamped onto the back of the scabbard.

The bayonet has a lovely approximately 33 cm (12.75 inches) long nickel plated steel blade, which was forged “cut-down” style, with the fuller running to the tip. Blade is nice and bright, of excellent quality, and still has over 95% of the original nickel plating, with just a bit of wear through and oxidation speckling.

The blade ricasso is maker marked ALEXANDER COPPEL / SOLINGEN in arcs surrounding the firms trademark scales logo, with the firm’s initials ACS interspersed. The same trademark scale logo, only larger, is present on the other side of the blade. This type of trademark was used on Police and other dress bayonets during the Weimar republic and up into the beginning of the NSDAP era, up until around 1940, per J. Anthony Carter’s work GERMAN KNIFE AND SWORD MAKERS.

Alexander Coppel & Co. KG, Stahlwarenfabrik, was located in Solingen, the legendary German “City of Blades.” The company was a major manufacturer of edged weapons and tools from the end of the 19th century up until the WWII period. Unfortunately, as NSDAP-control increased, brothers Carl Gustav and Dr. Alexander Coppel, the Jewish owners of the firm, were forced out. In 1936 the firm had been “Aryanized”, and started using the name ALCOSO to hide the Jewish family name. By the end of 1936 the brothers were ejected from their Solingen offices, and by 1940 the brand trademark initials ACS were changed to AWS to reflect the change in ownership and name: Alexander Coppel Solingen to Alcoso-Werk Solingen. Carl Gustav Coppel committed suicide in Solingen in 1941, and Dr. Alexander Coppel was arrested in 1942 and sent to Theresienstadt Prison camp, where he died August 5th 1942.

The leather washer is unfortunately not present. The bayonet grip scales are made of stag-horn with an aluminum police insignia firmly inset on one side. These are held by aluminum rivets between the upswept cross guard decorated with oak leaves, and the stylized eagle’s head pommel. Both cross guard and eagle’s head are well detailed and in very good condition, with almost all of the original nickel plating present.

The scabbard is made of fine black leather, fitted with heavily nickel plated alloy, and is in very good condition. The leather does show age and finish loss, but there are no stitch repairs on the back, and it still looks great. It is held by a lovely black leather frog with aluminum rivets and steel washers, and is maker marked on the back with OFFERMANN & SÖHNE / RENSBERG / 1942.

This is a wonderful early war metropolitan police bayonet with scabbard & Frog! Ready to research and display!

Specifications:
Blade Length: 13″
Blade Style: Single Edged with Fuller
Overall length: 17 1/2”
Crossguard: 2 1/4”
Scabbard Length: 14 1/2”