19TH C. BRITISH BOARDING PIKE.

BRITISH BOARDING PIKE, 19th century. Although the musket had superseded the pike in land warfare by the 18th century, pikes remained in use as shipboard arms throughout that century and well into the next. Approximately 7-1/2' long as opposed to the 15' pikes once used by the massed infantry formations of an earlier era, they were known as “half-pikes” or “boarding pikes.” The latter term is somewhat a misnomer, as they were generally considered too unwieldy for boarding ships and were instead used to repel boarders. The iron butt caps tended to scar the wooden decks and were frequently cut off, but the Royal Navy introduced a new form in the 19th century, as seen on this example, that had a 3/4" diameter hole in its based, allowing a "shoe" of wood to jutt-out approximately 1/2" beyond, thereby preventing both splitting of the shaft or deck scarring. Length: 91"; triangular head (inclusive of side-straps or langets): 14-3/4". One side strap of the head is stamped with various Royal Navy and Crown ownership marks, including an 'N', [broad arrow] / EFD/[crown]/30/E", and "66", while stamped into the shaft just above buttcap is "[crown] / M". CONDITION: Very good and complete overall condition, traces of black japanning remain visible on the shaft; the buttcap with moderate pitting and the head with spots of light surface oxidation. JLK Blade Length: 4 - 1/2" Overall Length: 91"