Halberd head questions (inscription/date/mark)

[shayde78]

Thanks for that information, Jasper!
I've been doing some digging, trying to find out if the date of 1808 has any significance to the region. All I could find is that Saxony allied with Napoleon in 1807. Perhaps someone else might have some insights regarding what was going on in the region at the time.

I do believe this is an authentic piece, albeit from maybe 2 centuries before the date inscribed (if it is even meant to be a date). I found an article that puts forth a typology of halberds that I thought might be of interest to anyone coming across this thread in the future AND, perhaps, to inform the discussion about this piece.
The article it titled: 'A New Halberd Typology (1500-1800): Based on the Collection of the National Military Museum, The Netherlands'
Author: Casper Johann van Dijk
Article attached, and link follows
https://www.researchgate.net/publica...he_Netherlands

Using this typology, I believe the item in question is Class III.B with socket type sVa. The mark listed as Mark:M.8 seems of a similar type to that found in the pictured item. Page 15 of the article lists timeframes attributed to certain classes, but the class of this halberd seems to be absent from this chart. Still, a date of 1550-1625 seems consistent with the other examples.

Of course, this could be something created much later to look like an older weapon. I'm still very curious to get more impressions.