Any Way to tell how or when an M1866 bayonet ended up in Niger, West Africa?

[AbokinDuka]

A while ago I ran into a guy in a market that lived on the border of Niger and Nigeria. He had on him an M1866 bayonet he was using as a personal machete. I took some photos in hopes of helping him identify it, and had no luck at the time. Years later, I realize now that where he was, two French colonial missions passed right through the same area in 1899 and 1906. But, I'm also not sure if there's a possibility that some colonial era outpost stocked with these had them sitting around in the 1920s, 30s, 40s, etc., and after independence in the 1960's they just became surplus sold off to anyone. When I asked the guy with the bayonet, all he would say is "It's French" and "It's old."

The markings on it are as below:
- On the blade, manufacture date: St. Etienne, July 1872
- On the crossbar, Control number N 89289
- On the crossbar top next to the blade, a stylized letter A and backwards S, and then another stamp I can't really make out.
- On the curved part of the crossbar, three small stamps. Two ovals crusted over in patina, and another one that looks like it could be a backwards J (not sure if this might be part of an anchor marking)
- On the blade at the crossbar, a B in a circle on one side and a 13
- On the brass handle, a stylized S or L inside the bracket, the outside is too damaged to tell is there's anything else on there
- The scabbard does not have the same number, but that number is damaged and covered in patina as to be able to tell if there's anything else there.

I understand that tracking these things down is nearly impossible due to the large volume produced. I'm just curious if there's anything that might indicate when or how this showed up there, or if it's just an unknowable thing.

[AndyB]

Niger was probably a french colony so the way how it came there is probably easy, or it was buyed into country. N89289 is a weapon number of Chassepot rifle M1866. Ovals are inspector proofs of production. The N prefix corespond with the Saint Etienne production. Colony weapons were signed with anchor mark normally.

[AbokinDuka]

OK, thanks AndyB.

Niger was absolutely a French colony, and the area where I saw the guy had two French colonial missions pass through it - Voulet-Chanoine in 1899 and another one around 1906 when the border between British-Controlled Nigeria and French-Controlled Niger was finalized. What I'm wondering is if there's any way to know if the bayonet would have been from either of those missions, or just something provided to colonial troops over the 70-ish years the French held power and made its way into a market or something.

Do you know of a similar bayonet with an anchor mark online? I'm not 100% sure that's what the backwards J is, and it would be helpful to see an intact version to see if the shapes match.

[AndyB]

Any pictures of the marking avialable?
The anchor have various forms.
Colonial Chassepot - Correct Crossguard Stamp? | Gunboards Forums

FRENCH MLE 1866 CHASSEPOT BAYO W/ COLONIAL ANCHOR MARKINGS-SEPT. 1868 | eBay

[AbokinDuka]

Eh, well, if that's what the anchor is supposed to look like, then it's not on this thing.

It has marks very similar to this model used in the Franco-Prussian war, with the crossguard stamps only being 3 small ones on the curved portion. While they're all partially worn away, the middle one looks like a J, so it seemed like a contender before I knew it was this more elaborate stamp.

Thanks all the same!

[Anderson]

A photo might help?