Pre-1533 Nuremberg Snap-Tinderlock Arquebuses - the REAL TREASURES of the BOM JESUS !

[Matchlock]

I definitely doubt the alledged fact that attachment no. 1 shows a touch hole prick (German: Räumnadel); in my opinion, this long needle with the double scroll to its upper end was a bodkin used for long hair.

Such a long and delicate object would have bent and broken right away, at the very first tryto prick the fouled-up touch hole of any gun ...

Further down in this thread, I will attach photos of two actual wrought iron pricks preserved in
The Michael Trömner Collection.


Best,
Michael Trömner

[Matchlock]

Attached to this and the following post, find some photos

of Nuremberg made snap-tinderlock arquebuses with lateral push-button triggers, and with only the serpentine riveted on a small brass plate while all the other mechanical parts like the long forward-mounted one-armed main spring (mostly made of hammered brass) were inlaid in recesses cut out of the stock, and covered up with a thin plate of wood.
A long brass-hammered spring of exactly this type is illustrated on one of the scans I made of photos of arquebuses discovered in the wreck of the Bom Jesus.


The arquebuses on my photos are preserved in the historical armories of
the Západočeské muzeum v Plzni, Czechia,

and
the Brukenthal-Museum Sibiu,
Romania.

Please note the Nuremberg control mark struck as a sign of quality on the barrel of one of the Sibiu arquebuses.

The latest stage of technological development, now uniting all parts of snap-tinder/snap-matchlock mechanism on one iron lock plate, Nuremberg, ca. 1530, is represented by a short arquebus preserved in the reserve collection/storage rooms of the Hessisches Landesmuseum Darmstadt (bottom attachments).

Although the lock mechanism is missing from the latter gun, the lock recess cut out of the limewood full stock clearly denotes its pointed triangular shape.
Please also note that this arquebus, for the first time, features the 'modern' form of a trigger (German: Züngleinabzug or Abzugszüngel), which is protected by a rectangular trigger guard!


Please also cf. Alexender's threads:
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...ht=zapadoceske

http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...ht=zapadoceske


and my threads:
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...ht=zapadoceske

http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...ht=zapadoceske



Best,
Michael


Photos of the Pilsen and Darmstadt arquebuses copyrighted by the author, Michael Trömner.

Photos of the Sibiu arquebusees copyrighted by the Brukenthal-Museum Sibiu/Hermannstadt.

[Matchlock]

Top 5 attachments:

A Nuremberg made snap-tinder/snap-matchlock arquebus of ca. 1530, the lock recess showing the contours of a triangular shaped lock plate which united all the mechanical parts of the action.

Together with a contemporary Italian snap-tinderlock arquebus preserved in

The Michael Trömner Collection,

this gun at the storage rooms of the Hessisches Landesmusum Darmstadt, inv.-no. W 61:100, is the oldest known gun to feature, for the first time, showing the presence of the 'modern' type of trigger replacing the lateral push-button that had been used to trigger the snapping serpentines from ca. 1490-1530.

Furthermore, these two contemporary arquebuses of ca. 1530 are equipped with a vertical type of trgigger guard, for protection of the first triggers mounted on the underside of the stock, beneath the lock mechanism. The Nuremberg made arquebus in Darmstadt features an especially delicate type of trigger.

Attachment no. 6 depicts an action of the very same type, on another Nuremberg imported arquebus in the Brukenthal-Museum Sibiu, ca. 1530-35.


The author's thesis is that the arquebuses on the Bom Jesus were not yet equipped with that kind of 'modern' triggers and trigger guards.


Best,
Michael

All photos copyrighted by the author, Michael Trömner.

[dana_w]

You have outdone yourself again Michael!

I only wish I could read German. None of the articles (and photos!) I have found on the Bom Jesus in English can match the one you've posted here.

[fernando]

Originally Posted by Matchlock

... The gold was in the form of coins, more than 2,000 in total, mainly Spanish excelentes bearing the likenesses of the monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella, but also some Venetian, Moorish, French and other coinage....

Other coinage is in fact Portuguese coins, as per the original texts, something which is more than obvious, once the ship was Portuguese. Actually the coin shown in the (Amy Toensing) picture above is a silver "tostão" of the King Dom João III realm.This is a very important detail, once the mintage of these coins had started in 1525, having all units been withdrawn from circulation in 1538, to be molten and not put back to use, for the presence of these coins in such good condition is a strong evidence that this ship was launched to sea during this 13 years interval.
Also the Spanish gold "excelentes", which represent 70% of the gold coins present in the wreck, are a vital detail for history, as it didn't occur to archeologists that the Spanish investors, as it appears, had a great contribution to this Portuguese expedition, such an unusual fact.

[Matchlock]

Thank you so much, Dana W and Nando!

I'm trying to make contacts with one of the authors, Dr. Wolfgang Knabe, in order to get more and better images!
After all, I can tell them a whole lot on these guns that they don't know, so it will be worth swapping facts, thoughts and theories - and I'm looking forward to an enthralling exchange of important pieces of our minds.

Best,
m

[dana_w]

Have you seen this article Michael?

http://geschimagazin.wordpress.com/2...ng-ein-unikat/

[Matchlock]

NO, Dana W -


I haven't!

Thanks a zillion!!!

Please do send a PM (private message); I'm looking forward to receiving it ...


With all my very best regards and wishes,
Michael