M1895 Inspection Markings
Inspections Markings, which is a character underneath a Crown, are to be found on the ricasso and pommel of the bayonet. Since M1895 bayonets are not marked with a production year marking, I try to get as many info about the inspector-markings because this gives a rough idea when a M1895 bayonet was made. Unfortunately not everything is 100% accurate.
Most of the time the Inspector had a inspection-stamp with his (surname) initial, there are however some who used other letters. Because of this irregularity I cannot be 100% sure. I hope that by keeping track of exact dates and comparing them to the different inspection-stamps, I can make this bulletproof.
The following Inspection Markings are known:
(Crown-) B, E, H, T, Z, O, S, L, W (and a crown without a letter).
It has been noticed that many of the M1895 bayonets made by the Austrian maker OEWG (Steyr) were marked with a Crown-T inspection mark and that the German makers W.K.& C. and Alexander Coppel were often marked with a Crown-B Inspection Stamp.
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Crown-T : K. A. Bräuning (?) - Inspector of the M.95 production in Steyr (Austria) from 2-12-1895 till 21-2-1898 to inspect the first M.95 shipment. Was send to Steyr again on 8-12-1900. Send to Solingen on 9-4-1901 to inspect a shipment of M.95 bayonets and scabbards which were made by Alex Coppel. After some other inspection duties in other places, he asked (and received) the Dutch government for reimbursement in 1905 since he invented a machine gun. Got a honorable discharge in 1907. Later in 1923 Bräuning offered a pattern to the Artillerie Inrichtingen-Hembrug (AI).
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Crown-B (script font): L. Brossois - In 1890 he went to Maastricht to inspect the conversion of the Beaumont-Vitali rifles. In 1890 he went to Luik/Liege (Belgium) to control the making of 100 'Mareschaussee-Carbines' and their bayonets which were made by Nagant. Probably lived in Brussel/Bruxelles (Belgium). After several other inspection duties he was send in 1895 to Steyr (Austria) to inspect the first shipment of M.95 weapons. Did several inspection duties in Solingen (Germany), Steyr (Austria) and Seraing (Belgium). In 1901 he still was inspecting M.95 parts.
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Crown-B (print font): E.B. Brossois - It is unknown when he got employed but he has worked as a inspector atleast since 1885. Assisted L. Brossois on several occasions such as Maastricht in 1889 and in 1890 in Luik/Liege (Belgium) to control the production of 100 'Mareschaussee-Carbines' and 'Cavalry-Carbines' by Nagant. In January 1894 he went to Solingen (Germany) and on 28-7-1899 to Steyr (Austria) to inspect the second shipment of M.95 weapons. In 1907 he requests the Dutch nationality. Went to Alex Coppel (Germany) in 1913 to inspect Klewangs and scabbards and did the same at Eickhorn (Germany) in 1913/14 together with inspector Wiersma (crown-Z).
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Crown-E : M.A. v/d Ende - found on Hembrug made bayonets,
possibly active before 1912/1913.
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Crown-H : J.C. Harnas - found on Hembrug marked bayonets.
However it may be possible that these bayonets with
crown-H inspection markings were made during WW1
in the old Artillery Construction Workshops in Delft (NL).
Which makes crown-H a contemporary of crown-Z, Z
being active in Zaandam (NL) and H in Delft (NL).
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Crown-S : Stratemaker - found on Hembrug made bayonets
around 1912/1913.
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Crown-Z : Wiersma - apperently succeeded O and was active
through WW1.
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Crown-O : B.J. Overbeek (?) - Master Riflemaker in the Grenadiers & Jagers Regiment. In 1889 being summoned to be trained as a temporary Inspector. As of 23-9-1889 active as a inspector in Maastricht (Netherlands). On 21-8-1890 he is fired as a temporary inspector and is send back to his Regiment. On 2-12-1895 being hired again as a temporary inspector in Delft (Netherlands) and on 30-3-1896 send to Steyr (Austria) to inspect the M.95 production. Fired and send back to Regiment in Den Hague (Netherlands) on 24-3-1898.
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Crown-L : Wiersma - apparently succeeded O and was active
through WW1.
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Crown-W : Wiersma - apparently succeeded O and was active
through WW1.
Overview of some Inspection Markings on M1895
bayonets
Crown-E (left) and Crown-B (right) Inspection
Markings on M1895 "Rifle" Bayonets
Much of this information was gathered by forum members of www.bajonet.be
More info about Scabbard & Bayonet Markings can be found here