*Portuguese, 1937, M/937 (K98-Pattern) Bayonet & Scabbard, German Solingen Contract, & Blue Web Frog*
Portuguese contract Model m/937 knife bayonet, manufactured in Germany in 1937 for the Portuguese Army, and of German S84/98 III (K98) pattern, complete with its correct wartime steel scabbard and period web frog.
The bayonet is identical in form and manufacture to contemporary German K98 bayonets, produced on the same production lines, but supplied under a Portuguese government contract. It features a single-fuller blade with blued finish, blued pommel and crossguard, and original wooden grips secured by domed rivets. The serial number E 4959 is stamped to the pommel, together with Waffenamt WaA253 inspection marks. This combination — pommel-mounted serial number and WaA253 acceptance — is characteristic of the 1937 Portuguese contract, and distinguishes these bayonets from later 1941 contract examples.
The accompanying scabbard is of correct German pattern with blued finish and ball finial, bearing a Waffenamt acceptance mark only. No serial number is present on the scabbard, which is correct for many Portuguese contract and German-manufactured examples. The bayonet is further accompanied by a period blue-grey web bayonet frog.
Approx. Measurements – Blade length: 24.9 cm. Overall length: 38.4 cm.
Historical Note:
In 1937, the Portuguese Army placed a substantial order with Germany for Mauser 98-pattern rifles, adopted into Portuguese service as the Espingarda Mauser m/937. Owing to production pressures, a significant proportion of the early rifles supplied under this contract were standard Kar98k-pattern arms, diverted directly from German production lines.
As documented in ESPINGARDA MAUSER M/904, M/904-39, M/937 E M/943 by Jaime Ferreira Regalado, the first Portuguese contract comprised series A through E, with 20,000 rifles in each series, delivered during 1937–1938, although all were officially dated 1937. A further contract was placed in July 1941 for an additional 50,000 rifles, designated m/937B and issued in series F through H.
Bayonets supplied with the original 1937 contract rifles were manufactured in Germany to the S84/98 III pattern, identical in form to those issued to the German Wehrmacht, but serialled according to Portuguese contract practice, with bayonet serial numbers intended to correspond to the serial numbers of the associated rifles rather than German Army unit issue. These early contract bayonets are identified by their pommel-mounted serial numbers and Waffenamt WaA253 inspection stamps.
The present example, serialled E 4959, corresponds to the Series E portion of the original 1937 Portuguese contract and is fully consistent with bayonets supplied for use with Portuguese m/937 rifles. A second Portuguese bayonet contract followed in 1941, corresponding with the later rifle deliveries, with bayonets typically serialled on the crossguard and bearing WaA883 inspection marks.
*Condition*
The bayonet remains in good service condition, showing honest age and field wear. The blade is very good and displays light surface staining and patination but retains its correct profile and fuller. The wooden grips are intact, tight, and free from cracks or repairs. The pommel serial number E 4959 and Waffenamt WaA253 stamps remain legible. The scabbard shows surface wear and thinning to the blued finish consistent with service use, retaining a solid ball finial and visible Waffenamt acceptance. The web frog shows age, wear, and colour fading but remains structurally sound. Please see photographs as part of the condition report.
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