Small Antique Leather Covered “Lead” Cosh with Strap

Here on offer is a fine example of a small and very heavy, antique leather covered cosh with a leather strap.

I think this is a 19th century piece, being made from a flexible spring shaft with a solid lead bulbus end that is tightly encased in a fine quality stitched leather.

It is a long version and was probably used by the police force of that period.

The terms cosh, blackjack and sap refer to any of several short, easily concealed club weapons consisting of a dense (often lead) weight attached to the end of a short shaft, used as a bludgeon.


Coshes were popular among law enforcement agencies for a time due to their low profile, small size, and usability at very close range, such as when grappling with a suspect. Besides the head, they were also used on the elbows, wrists, shins, collarbone, and groin. In the early days of use, they were favoured for their ability to stun or knock a suspect unconscious with a blow to the head.

It measures 9” (23cm) long (excluding the strap) and weighs a heavy 375g.

The cosh is in great condition for its age with all the stitching still in place. The strap and leather covering are dry and there are some cracks to the leather in the centre of the shaft where it flexes. In my opinion that means it should be just used as a display piece as any additional flexing will cause more cracking of the leather. There are also some dark patches of staining to the leather, but I don’t know what caused these and not sure I want to know!

Please see my pictures for the details of the condition, which complement this description.

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The responsibility lies with the customer to check with your Customs restrictions that this item can be imported into your country.

Code: 51022