Hi Mark,
Yes I think a prototype is the most likely explanantion especially when you consider the second example. The spike hook is gone, the langets have reverted to front and rear, and although the axe is of very similar shape it is slightly smaller and lighter. The belt hook is intact on this one.
Although the museum records do not hold much information - there is no reason to suppose they are wrong. This one is also recorded as being in the possession of the French Navy during the 19th century.
My best guess is that these are prototypes made for the navy to sit alongside the 1872 Cutlass and never made it into production. The cutlass itself was never issued and only a few were made. By then there was even less use for boarding axes than cutlasses.
CC
|