# Communities > Antique Arms & Armour Community > Antique & Military Sword Forum >  Alex Coppel, Solingen

## N White

Is there any good web based background on Alex Coppel?  At the moment I only have one piece from that company, and I'm just looking for a bit of background and history of the company itself for curiousity's sake.  Google didnt turn up anything, at least as far as I could find.

Related, are there any good texts that cover the Solingen makers in general around the 1800s through World Wars?

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## Robert Wilkinson-Latham

> Is there any good web based background on Alex Coppel?  At the moment I only have one piece from that company, and I'm just looking for a bit of background and history of the company itself for curiousity's sake.  Google didnt turn up anything, at least as far as I could find.
> 
> Related, are there any good texts that cover the Solingen makers in general around the 1800s through World Wars?


Alexander Coppel founded the firm in 1821 making tableware and standard solingen fancy goods until 1871 when sword production started. In 1885 the company started making ceremonial swords when the British Government contracts dried up after the Sword and Bayonet Scandal of 1885.
In 1890, Coppel added bicycles and cycle parts.
In 1914 they turned to war production as they did in 1939. In 1945 the plant was in ruins but they started again and ceased production in 1956.
Their trade marl was a set of scales with name or initials above and Solingen or S below. Plain scales are also found.
Hope that helps.
Robert

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## Richie B

This book is quite useful for trade marks and timescales.

Does not contain a lot of detailed text about the manufacturers.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/German-Sword...4972472&sr=1-5

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## N White

Thank you Robert.  Pretty much exactly what I was looking for.

Edit: Sword and bayonet scandal?

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## Mark McMorrow

> Sword and bayonet scandal?


Robert,

Please do the honors on this one, but it would perhaps warrant it's own stand-alone thread  :Smilie: 


Mark

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## william fisher

Did you know Alex Coppel wsa Jewish ???  he was !!! He also made a lot of VERY nice german swords an daggars also quite a few WWll bayonets I used to collet coppel swords an bayonets 


> Is there any good web based background on Alex Coppel?  At the moment I only have one piece from that company, and I'm just looking for a bit of background and history of the company itself for curiousity's sake.  Google didnt turn up anything, at least as far as I could find.
> 
> Related, are there any good texts that cover the Solingen makers in general around the 1800s through World Wars?

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## George Wheeler

> Did you know Alex Coppel wsa Jewish ???  he was !!! He also made a lot of VERY nice german swords an daggars also quite a few WWll bayonets I used to collet coppel swords an bayonets


Another interesting note about Coppel was that the company was Aranized during the war when the Coppel 's were forced to relinquish control of the company because the owners were Jewish.  The company logo became known (stamped) as "ACS" and then "ALCOSO" and the "Coppel" name was dropped.  

Coppel had many police contracts for swords and bayonets before the war and that relationship continued.  ALCOSO was never permitted to make SS daggers or swords although the almost identical police swords were produced in quantity by the firm.

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## N White

Very interesting.  My piece is a Danish m1867 yataghan bayonet, but the second model, the 1884 modification with an internal coilspring as opposed to the external spring.  

Incidentally, I found it at an antiques mall misidentified as German and from the 1st world war, for about 1/4 of what it should have gone for.  I so love hunting for gems in the garbage.

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## Robert Wilkinson-Latham

> Robert,
> 
> Please do the honors on this one, but it would perhaps warrant it's own stand-alone thread 
> 
> 
> Mark


Mark
Many thanks. I'll assemble some information to get the ball rolling. Ties in with the 'sticky' of the Parliament report on failing swords of the 1885 pattern

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## william fisher

I have a alex coppel police sword with a red blade buffer and the scabbard has a a button to attach to a belt not a ring and it has no drag  and its has 2 twisted wires per wrap it also has A C  above the scales on the blade I believe it to be Saxonwhen I did aquire it I bought it because it was Alex Coppel and at that time I did not see very  many of these types of blades

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## George Wheeler

> I have a alex coppel police sword with a red blade buffer and the scabbard has a a button to attach to a belt not a ring and it has no drag  and its has 2 twisted wires per wrap it also has A C  above the scales on the blade I believe it to be Saxonwhen I did aquire it I bought it because it was Alex Coppel and at that time I did not see very  many of these types of blades


William,

If your sword looks like this one it is Saxon Police.  There are several variations of the Saxon P guard sword.  Some have dove head pommels like this one and some lion heads.  Some are white metal and some are gold colored depending upon who wore them.

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