Grande Fauch De Guerre, 15th century French.
Original patina all over, forge welded crescent shows layer marks at the socket, crescent only fits one way around so was forged for this weapon, all edges are sharp and undamaged. No makers marks visible at the shoulder of the taper though there may be marks obscured by the heavy patina. I received this item while consulting in restoration blacksmithing at a rural life museum in Surrey in the 90's, gifted to me by the original owner of the museum.
665mm in length, 335mm across the crescent, 320mm socket length.
Other
Yes
Hello, this item is a European polearm head, specifically a form of war scythe or fauchard-type weapon, most likely dating to the 18th to 19th century rather than the 15th century as suggested. The construction shows a forge-welded crescent blade attached to a socket designed to mount on a wooden shaft, with visible hammering texture and a utilitarian finish. The diamond-shaped aperture along the shaft is a known decorative and weight-reducing feature seen in later polearms and agricultural war conversions. The proportions, surface uniformity, and absence of clear period forging irregularities typical of medieval examples indicate a later production, possibly made either for militia use, ceremonial display, or as a historically inspired piece. The patina appears consistent with age, but not sufficient on its own to support a medieval attribution.
From a market perspective, authentic medieval polearms command strong prices, but later examples such as this occupy a more modest segment of the market. Comparable 18th to 19th century European polearm heads and war scythe forms typically trade between $300 and $900 USD depending on condition, originality, and completeness with shaft. This example, being a head without its original shaft and lacking identifiable maker or provenance, fits within that range. A fair market value of $400 to $800 USD is appropriate.
