1 of the new additions

[sawdoc34]

[sawdoc34]

[sawdoc34]

Hello chaps,

bloody thing playing up, meant to have added that its a bog standard oweg m95 nco but any idea of the strange markings on pommel & scabbard?

Cheers in advance for any info,

Aleck

[Stoppage Drill]

Arabic numerals, on pommel 229 and 29 on scabbard.

The "backward 7" is two,and the nine is similar to what we use.

Although Arabic alphabetic script is read right to left, multi digit numeric script is read left to right.

Turks were still using Arabic alphabet until Ataturks reforms in the 1920's.

For language pedants - yes, we use "Arabic" Numerals, and the Arabs call their number characters "Hindi", but for the sake of easy understanding . . . . I'm making this worse . . .

[trajan]

...For language pedants - yes, we use "Arabic" Numerals, and the Arabs call their number characters "Hindi", but for the sake of easy understanding . . .

And what we call a Turkey, as in bird, feathered variety, the Turks call a Hindi, as in India... I blame that on the Genoese/Norwegian guy who sailed west in 1492 claiming to have found India... Incidentally, and copletely off topic, an orange in turkish is a portukal.Ok we have tangerines, from Tangier,but when did Portugal send oranges to Turkey???

OK, so back ON topic, Sawdoc, you have a VERY nice NCO Mannlicher 1895, OEWG made, but no acceptance marks (eagles, lions, etc.) on the ricasso (check the pommel carefully in case there is or was something there), although it does have a serial number in 'Arabic' numerals, and so was issued in a European country at some point (nice early and small rivets on the crossguard as well). My guess? A Turk capture in the Balkan Wars!

Trajan

[sawdoc34]

Thanks for the info Stopage drill, fits nicely in with the Turk part of the collection.

Trajan, noticed the european serial number & did think it odd that there was no acceptance mark on the ricasso but havent had time to dig out the magnifying glass to give it a good look over. Hey, on the plus side, I now have something to tie in the M95s to the turk collection, will keep the dragon off my back, HAPPY DAYS....

[Stoppage Drill]

And what we call a Turkey, as in bird, feathered variety, the Turks call a Hindi, as in India... I blame that on the Genoese/Norwegian guy who sailed west in 1492 claiming to have found India... Incidentally, and copletely off topic, an orange in turkish is a portukal.Ok we have tangerines, from Tangier,but when did Portugal send oranges to Turkey???

OK, so back ON topic, Sawdoc, you have a VERY nice NCO Mannlicher 1895, OEWG made, but no acceptance marks (eagles, lions, etc.) on the ricasso (check the pommel carefully in case there is or was something there), although it does have a serial number in 'Arabic' numerals, and so was issued in a European country at some point (nice early and small rivets on the crossguard as well). My guess? A Turk capture in the Balkan Wars!

Trajan

Same in Arabic - orange transliterates as "burrtuan" - near enough - which - given no "p" sound in Arabic, usually replaced by letter "baa" or B - meaning Portugal. It comes from the days of the Portuguese mercantile explorers, who brought the fruit with them. The Turks picked up many Arabic words as a result of their suzerainty over Arabic speaking peoples, but I guess I don't need to tell you that.

In the words of the late, great Eartha Kitt "Oooh, those Turks !"