Nice score from a yard sale! It is getting harder to find nice items from yard sales any more.
Hummel
You found a great bayonet in very good condition. Congratulations!
The crowned "W16" means it's Prussian and produced in 1916. The crowned "W" stands for kaiser Wilhelm. The small gothic marks are acceptance stamps. Bayonets were inspected and when approved, the inspector had to put his specific stamps on certain places on the bayonet.
I don't know what the "AZ" and "15" stamp stand for, but I can imagine they might be something like a stamp for repair at the armourer (AZ) and a bayonet number at platoon level (15)... this is just thinking, not facts...
Adler
Thanks so much Adler for that information. I go to yard sales every weekend with my dad, it's our tradition. Whenever I see militaria that is not crazy expensive, I buy it. I love learning about these awesome pieces of history. Plus old weapons and uniforms are just cool to look at. I have a small collection of militaria from yard and estate sales from the past 5 years. I don't find these items often unfortunately. I paid $40 for the bayonet, I posted a picture on Instagram too and someone said it could be worth 300-350 at the tops. That seems high to me but I was wondering if that is accurate. Not that I'm selling its just fun to know if I got a bargain since they are so hard to come by these days. -Nicole
It's a beautiful bayonet , and a great find ! 300-350 seems reasonable being the much rarer saw-back bayonet . Good luck in future Hunts .
It would effect the value somewhat , maybe closer to 300 , but it's always what someone is willing to pay . I'd oil it up , spay oil into the shealth , get out any debre and get all that rust off the blade . Still a great find for twice the price .
very cheap buy,well done.
A good soak in diesel fuel will be a good start. DON'T GET IT ON THE WOOD GRIPS!!! Oil after the diesel soak and then show what you have. There are many Things that can bring this back to life, But starting with the least corrosive is the best method. If it's pitted there is no return from that damage. There are products like semi-chrome and others that can be used , BUT MOVE SLOWLY. Better to have a blade restored than a blade damaged
Semper Fi
Phil
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