Saxon Warhammer, Late 16th C

Description

Hand forged all-steel construction with turned round hammer head and down-curved
diamond-section spike; ball finial with belt hook dovetailed into the head. Solid tapering
round shaft with later twisted iron wire grip with brass turks heads top and bottom and disc
hand guards; the end with ball finial. Decorated ensuite with pairs of incised lines. Metal
surfaces cleaned, showing light pitting and lamination. Length of head 7 ½”, overall length
22″. Leslie Southwick’s “The Price Guide to Antique Edged Weapons”, shows a very
similar example on page 257, fig. 810, listed with an estimated value of 3000 British
Pounds when published in 1982. Similar example recently sold at auction for $4250 plus
premium. These good early warhammers are getting increasingly hard to find.