Comments for Whatzis? at http://www.michaelyon-online.com , comment 1 to 98 out of 20 comments http://www.michaelyon-online.com Sat, 21 Nov 2009 05:20:19 +0100 FeedCreator 1.7.3 http://www.michaelyon-online.com/whatzis.htm#comment-16281 I remember early on in Afghanistan that someone from Overstock.com flew into the country to start purchasing jewelry and other local goods for sale on the world market. She went in with a briefcase and checkbook and started arranging for contract production work, which put hard currency into the local markets. Immediately after the majority of the initial conflict she was told that the largest single employer in the country was Overstock.com! That is the power of the global market and a dedicated company willing to find personnel that will risk their lives to benefit local producers. While the rifles are not in my league, I am reminded that many post-war German pistols bore Nazi markings and yet were finally constructed and sold in 1946-48. Just because the Queen is dead doesn't mean the contracts died with her. Contract out for some piece-work or put in that markings must be to certain specifications, and you can get oddities showing up. Only an expert, on the spot, can know for sure, but Afghanistan looks to be a antique dealer dream and nightmare, due to the ability to copy antiques so well. Even so, a 100 year old copy is still an antique and of value in its own right. I do wish that the Administration had the Dept. of Ag. team up with the DEA and DoD to start a new 'low tech, new technique' technology influx to change farming over to dryland techniques and to offer a bit of price support for crops while pointing out that poppy fields make great ordnance testing ranges. Use DEA to do multi-spectral analysis, Dept. of Ag. to ground-truth and push for better crops and techniques, and DoD to make a point with impromptu test ranges. GIH has had much of the opium market secured via contacts for decades, and his contacts with the Red Mafia are more than slight speculation. Add gem smuggling and semi-precious stone smuggling and you get to understand how he can run an organization going through the 'stans all the way to London. The ISI should never have supported him in the '70s. Keep safe, Mr. Yon... and a picture book of your works is something I would purchase! - ajacksonian Fri, 24 Oct 2008 11:55:00 +0100 http://www.michaelyon-online.com/whatzis.htm#comment-16193 On side one: ?????œ????????? (on the left) ????????????? (on top) - Kings (of) Great It's Greek. - Pezy Thu, 16 Oct 2008 23:59:00 +0100 http://www.michaelyon-online.com/whatzis.htm#comment-16192 Martini-Henrys are the lever-actioned guns. The musket-ish one looks like a Snider rifle. Both 1800s English rifles. The Afghans seem to be packrats - clearly a male-dominated society. - G45 Thu, 16 Oct 2008 01:19:00 +0100 http://www.michaelyon-online.com/whatzis.htm#comment-16136 camera appears to be an old, a very "jerry" rigged or possibly homemade, large formate view camera - negative size would be more than likely 4x5... - gus Tue, 07 Oct 2008 21:33:00 +0100 http://www.michaelyon-online.com/whatzis.htm#comment-16114 Solomon2 is on the right track. I finally got hold of the numismatics books I'd been looking for. I haven't pinned down which coin it is yet but I'm getting closer. I'll keep looking. Nice work, Solomon. :) - Azure Sat, 04 Oct 2008 15:56:00 +0100 http://www.michaelyon-online.com/whatzis.htm#comment-16112 Hmm, upon closer look at the images one of the Sovereign's Cypher on the Martini Henry has "V.R 1906" (Victoria Regina), queen's crown on the insignia. This is strange, by that time it should have a king's crown and probably say "E.R" (Edward Rex). I suppose that if you do buy one, be sure to examine the quality to make sure they are not fakes. http://www.martinihenry.com/metalmarkings.htm - Edward Williams Fri, 03 Oct 2008 21:46:00 +0100 http://www.michaelyon-online.com/whatzis.htm#comment-16111 Darn, I was thinking that I was going to be the first one to say what they were but it appears that I am very late. As the others have said, most of the rifles in the pictures are indeed Martini Henrys. How much do they want for them? Maybe you should pick one up for a couple of bucks as a piece of history. ;) http://www.martinihenry.com/ Keep up the good work! - Edward Williams Fri, 03 Oct 2008 21:32:00 +0100 http://www.michaelyon-online.com/whatzis.htm#comment-16105 Greek on one side, reading something like "Great King ----". Reverse doesn't look quite like Hebrew, may be Kharo ?œ ??hŽ®. Which doesn't mean it isn't a fake. - Solomon2 Thu, 02 Oct 2008 23:49:00 +0100 http://www.michaelyon-online.com/whatzis.htm#comment-16102 ...or very old replicas. - Kerry Thu, 02 Oct 2008 18:56:00 +0100 http://www.michaelyon-online.com/whatzis.htm#comment-16101 Three of those rifles are Braendlin Martini Cadet Rifles They date from the 1890s and were most likely made in Birmingham England. See the link below for more information: http://cas.awm.gov.au/technology/REL/19127 - Brian Liston Thu, 02 Oct 2008 18:09:00 +0100 http://www.michaelyon-online.com/whatzis.htm#comment-16100 Well before the US went into Afghanistan, I watched a documentary (History or Discovery shannel) on the Afghanis and their resoursfulness at reconstructing weapons. I was impressed with their ingenuity at making needed parts from old cooking pots, wreaked cars or any scrap of metal not in use. Of course they were using the weapons against the Russians so at the time I gave no thought to it. Now that itis our troops, I see it in a different light. - Paula L Thu, 02 Oct 2008 16:50:00 +0100 http://www.michaelyon-online.com/whatzis.htm#comment-16099 Awesome photos and awesome post. "Yet here in Jalalabad, dozens after dozens of people said hello, or gave a thumbs up, and that was it. " That says a lot about how they receive Americans, doesn't it? - voice_in_dc Thu, 02 Oct 2008 15:06:00 +0100 http://www.michaelyon-online.com/whatzis.htm#comment-16093 They have been at the faux weapons business for a long time, not necessarily for the tourists. My father picked up a sword there in 1949 or before that is a counterfeit of a thousand-year-old weapon, but it turns out that the forgery itself is about 300 years old and a valuable antique in its own right. Exactly how valuable we will never know, because it will not appear at an auction house while I live. - JRF Wed, 01 Oct 2008 18:30:00 +0100 http://www.michaelyon-online.com/whatzis.htm#comment-16092 That carbine is abrit Snider conversion, not a US Springfield. If you look carefully at image _y4q2542ac730.jpg , you can see that the hinge pin runs along the side of the carbine, and the shoe swings to the side to reveal the chamber. On a Springfield conversion, the hinge pin would be in front of the shoe, and it would open by swinging forwards instead of sideways. - Kristopher Wed, 01 Oct 2008 18:04:00 +0100 http://www.michaelyon-online.com/whatzis.htm#comment-16090 I asked my brother, who knows Greek, Hebrew, and Arabic... he agrees the first side has Greek letters and the second side has Hebrew letters. Unfortunely, the letters are hard to make out in the pictures... he says, if you get a chance, next time see if you can make a "rubbing" of the "coin". Something that will show the raised areas contrasted well. - HLH Wed, 01 Oct 2008 04:26:00 +0100 http://www.michaelyon-online.com/whatzis.htm#comment-16086 Mike, Most of the rifles you in your pictures appear to be the Martini-Henry (also known as the Peabody-Martini-Henry) a breech-loading lever-actuated rifle adopted by the British, combining an action worked on by Friedrich von Martini (based on the Peabody rifle developed by Henry Peabody), with the rifled barrel designed by Scotsman Alexander Henry. It first entered service in 1871 replacing the Snider-Enfield, and variants were used throughout the British Empire for 30 years. It was the first British service rifle that was a true breech-loading rifle using metallic cartridges. The other appears to be a percussion cap carbine and is very similar to the US Springfield that Cavalry Troopers used early in the Indian Wars except the barrel is much longer than that particular model, next time look for manufacture makings..." Always Ready...Second to None" - Frank Wood Tue, 30 Sep 2008 18:50:00 +0100 http://www.michaelyon-online.com/whatzis.htm#comment-16085 I know it doesn't really belong here, but I spotted the picture of Farah and Major Mark Bieger, that Michael took in 2005, in the musicvideo "Letters Home from the Garden of Stone" by Everlast. I don't know if Michael is aware of that, just wanted you to know. And while I'm at it. Michael, I really appreciate the work you do and I'd like to express my gratitude and respect for your effort, dedication and the risk you take, to do the job you do. And to say in my own language: Danke! - Christoph Pelzer Tue, 30 Sep 2008 18:18:00 +0100 http://www.michaelyon-online.com/whatzis.htm#comment-16084 The inscription at the top of the second coin is easily read as hebrew. Unfortunately my abilities to translate them have dimmed, but any Hebrew prof or Rabbi can tell you what the word may be. There are no vowel pointings, so it could be several words and suggests something pretty ancient. - Don Ward Tue, 30 Sep 2008 14:26:00 +0100 http://www.michaelyon-online.com/whatzis.htm#comment-16081 I was in Afghanistan 40 years ago and there was a Sikh presence there back then. They controlled the "currency trading market" (that is a euphemism) for many of the neighboring countries. I have no idea whether or not it still exists, but you could always find an old guy and ask him about it.trn0 - A. Non Mon, 29 Sep 2008 23:52:00 +0100 http://www.michaelyon-online.com/whatzis.htm#comment-16076 Wow. I have to say these photos certainly changed my perceptions of Afghanistan. News media could be so uninformative sometimes. I expected lots of deserts and whatever cities exist to be in ruin. Glad to have that dispelled. You're pretty lucky to have a chance to travel there where civilians can not go. When the country becomes stable and safe it would be nice to travel there and take in the local culture. As for pushy salesmen around Asia, I would have to say Beijing is pretty bad. They'd come up and follow you until they get tired or you end up saying no many times. Since I didn't venture away from the tourist locals I can't say if this is indicative of local customs, or if it is just something people picked up by being around the tourists. - Bozazz Sun, 28 Sep 2008 05:54:00 +0100