Recent Inheritance: "CSA" M1809

[Patrick Chadwick]

Photo 1) As far as one can tell from the photos, it is
EITHER
a Prussian M1809, converted to percussion from 1839 on, when the M/39 was introduced as a new percussion musket.
OR
an M/39. The 2 types look so similar that one needs a close-up of the lockplate and surrounding wood to tell the difference.


Check: the old percussion-conversion M1809s had a bore of 18,56mm. The M/39 had a bore of (max) 18.3mm. Bores wear, but if the bore is less than 18.5mm it is the M/39.


Photo 2) The buttplate seems to be marked to the 15th Landwehr - I can't think of any other unit that would abbreviate to LWR.


Photo 3) The stamp is upside down. It is the Prussian crown over FR (for Friedrich Wilhelm). The usual inspection/acceptance stamp for the completed musket.


Photo 4) Again upside down. Crown over S is the personal stamp of the inspector, whose name presumably began with S.


Photo 5) Is a forgery with modern punches. How very, very stupid to spoil what would otherwise be a serious collector's item by faking up a false provenance.