Original Item: Only One Available. This is an excellent matching Unit Marked Rural Police Long Dress "Walking Out" Bayonet by Alexander Coppel of Solingen. It comes complete with its original brown leather scabbard and a black leather frog. It features a beautiful Stag Handle, with a unit marking on the guard of the bayonet:

This indicates issue to the Gendarmerie (state rural police) unit, though unfortunately we have not been able to determine the exact region it was issued in. There are not many records available of the many regions overseen by the Rural Police.

This is a fantastic early war quality dress bayonet, which has a very attractive plated brass alloy handle. 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 nearly 100% of the nickel plating intact. There is some light scuffing in places near the tip, and some runner wear, but overall it looks incredible.

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, 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, and retained by aluminum rivets. These are held 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 much of the original nickel plating present.

The scabbard is made of fine brown leather, fitted with nickel plated brass, and is in very good condition. The leather has a bit of finish loss, but nothing major, as shown.  It is held in the correct black leather frog with aluminum rivets, which is in very good condition. The frog still has a maker mark on the back, and looks to be dated 1938.

This is a wonderful early war rural police bayonet with scabbard! Ready to 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”