If I understood correctly, you're saying that the blade is likely older than scabbard? Due to the lack of a letter suffix, the blade came first, despite the higher serial number. Then it was paired up with the scabbard which bears the "b" suffix, signifying that it is slightly newer than the blade?.............
Chris, Obviously I can�t speak for Andy but with the time differential between the U.S. and Europe if I can interject here for a moment re:
� If I understood correctly, you're saying that the blade is likely older than scabbard? Due to the lack of a letter suffix, the blade came first, despite the higher serial number. Then it was paired up with the scabbard which bears the "b" suffix, signifying that it is slightly newer than the blade?�Understanding that with the war, it�s aftermath and Mundlos behind the the Iron Curtain there is objective data, and (unfortunately oftentimes) a certain amount of speculation on the most probable way things were done to try and answer the question where the original period information is missing and/or no longer exists. The objective data being that the blade was given a new serial number on top of the old one. But the government contract supervised by the German Army called for let�s say - 10,000 bayonets in blocks with consecutive serial numbers that would have to be checked/verified before payment was made (educated guess). So the unacceptable bayonets were put away somewhere with Mundlos numbering another bayonet to fulfill the immediate contract. Said bayonet later being placed back into the production line probably as a part of a later block of serial numbers. Where in this case it was re-numbered with a "b" suffix to fit into that range of serial numbers and mated with a scabbard to complete the order. Best Regards, Fred,
