LONDON.- A vast range of objects from all corners of the globe spanning 2,000 years of history will be offered in Thomas Del Mar Ltd’s auction of Antique Arms, Armour and Militaria at 25 Blythe Road, London W14 on Wednesday, December 7, 2016. The forthcoming sale comprises 687 lots and will begin at 11am. Viewing will take place on the preceding Sunday, Monday and Tuesday and online bidding is available via the-saleroom.com.

Almost 360 items belonging to the late Stanley Victor Durrant (1931-2013), who was an avid collector and an early member of the Arms & Armour Society will be included. The collection reflects Stan Durrant's breadth of taste and appreciation of quality, with one of the most noteworthy items being a 16-bore double barrelled percussion sporting gun by London-maker Joseph Lang that once belonged to Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington which is expected to fetch £350-500. As expert Thomas Del Mar said: “To find a gun by a distinguished maker with such a remarkable provenance was a memorable treat.” Elsewhere in the collection is a fine and rare 18th century Indian dagger originating from either Rajasthan or Punjab is estimated at £3,000-5,000, while a fine silver-mounted flintlock sword-pistol by George Jones, dating from 1750 is expected to fetch £2,500-3,000 and a fine pair .750 calibre silver-mounted percussion officer’s pistols by Horsfall of Barnsley, dating from 1831 carries an estimate of £8,000-10,000.

The Worden Hall ‘Jack of Plates’ is a unique group of three extremely rare objects. The ‘jacks of plate’ sometimes referred to in contemporary documents as a ‘steel coat’, a ‘plate coat’ or a ‘coat of plate’ was a uniquely British defence first recognisably mentioned in English and Scottish records of the second quarter of the 16th century. As Thomas Del Mar noted: “These are extremely rare and I believe none have been offered at auction in the last hundred years. Only sixteen complete examples are preserved worldwide.” The three in this sale – dating from 1580-90 and carrying estimates ranging £8,000- 12,000 through to £12,000-18,000 - along with an example in the Royal Armouries in Leeds, formed part of a collection assembled at Worden Hall, Lancashire, which was sold by a local auctioneer in 1948.

Another extremely rare firearm – from a different vendor – is a 15-bore breech-loading percussion blunderbuss pistol on the clanricarde system by James Wilkinson & Son of Pall Mall, circa 1832 carries an estimate of £5,000-7,000.

Just under 30 lots from the Collection of the late Mr L Mole, who was a very selective collector of Scientific instruments and Scottish arms and armour will be included aswell. The pieces offered here reflect his eye for detail and understanding of rarity. Interesting pieces range from a fine 22-bore Scottish flintlock belt pistol formed entirely of steel, by John Campbell of Doune, circa 1710 which is expected to fetch £7,000-9,000 through to one of many Scottish basket-hilted broadswords dating from the late 17th century (est: £2,500-3,000).

Thomas Del Mar Ltd has a strong reputation for offering collections from European Royalty and this sale will include more than 115 pieces from the Collection of a European Prince including a rare German horse muzzle from the first half of the 16th century, which is estimated at £3,000-4,000 as well as helmets and breastplates. As Thomas Del Mar explains: “The armour includes a number of munition pieces which have become increasingly rare though they were numerous in the 16th and early 17th century. Such evocative pieces offer us a meaningful insight into the European armies of the thirty years war.”