Here's reality: If I walk through downtown Birmingham in a white robe and hood, I can tell the ER staff all about the long Catholic tradition of parading in hooded white robes. Likewise, if I wear that ancient symbol through the streets of Munich or Vienna I can explain to the courts that it's just a harmless Native American decorative element. Context matters. Recent history matters. So, it really DOES NOT MATTER that ancient cultures used the swastika because the Nazis adopted the symbol as their banner as they blew up the world and slaughtered millions of people.

Sean, as you say, context is everything, but it would be wrong to think that this symbol is simply 'ancient' and 'decorative'. It is very much a part of a current tradition in cultures who have nothing to do with those who mis-appropriated its meaning. Surely it would be disrespectful to them to suggest that they wait a few centuries (as Jean suggests) until the 'white man' cleanses his conscience of the sins of his ancestors before they can continue to use their own symbols with pride? Not only do they have to suffer their own symbols being soiled by a despotic madman, through no fault of their own, but they now have to wait until 'we' feel good enough about ourselves to let them reclaim these symbols for themselves........

Anyway, enough derailing, on to values. Last year I saw one of these police bayonets, without the frog and sword knot and in worse condition, go for around GB£150 as part of a job lot. I would have expected a complete example in better condition to retail for around GB£380-400. But bear in mind that this is in the UK where these things are found at practically every arms fair, along with the ubiquitous Luftwaffe daggers. At the time, some US retailers were selling them for $900+.

Attached are pics one that belonged to a good friend of mine.

Julian

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It's very interesting (to me) that the eyes of the eagle on the sample Julian presented are much more crude than Andy's OP photographs.

After doing some more looking (based on all the links provided here) I am starting to think my dagger is in pretty good shape! The end of the blade is not great but the rest of it is pretty nice - the leather, while a little knicked up here and there, is basically in tact. Not bad for for 64 years or so. I even moved it to the gun safe and out of the drawer it was in :)

I also have an old sword that my dad bought on trip to London in the 70's - it's pretty rough as it lived in our damp basement for far too many years but when I get around to it I'll post some pics and see what everyone thinks of that.

Scott,

Andy's bayonet is by a completely different maker. As I said earlier, his was originally a WW1 long bayonet, which has been cut down and chromed, and these modifications and the cast fittings were added much later in the 1930s by yet another maker. The example I posted is a private purchase version, purpose-made from the start as a dress bayonet by Alcoso of Solingen. There are many makers and many variants, some cruder than others, as these were made in their tens of thousands.

Andy, yours is indeed in very good condition. As for the tip, that often gets damaged (I guess they were sometimes handled clumsily, and the chrome comes off with scabbard wear) - the one I posted has damage to the point.

Julian