104-C-123 Siamese Type 45 (1903) Egypt Mauser bayonet

Knife bayonet for use on the 8 mm Siamese Mauser Type 45 rifle. The characters on the ricasso say “R.S. 121” in Siamese, which represents the year 1903 on the Gregorian (western) Calendar. “R.S. 121” is an abbreviation for Rattanakosin Sok 121. This refers to the 121st year of the Rattanakosin Era, which began with the founding of Bangkok in 1782. The bayonet was re-designated Type 45 when Siam adopted the Buddhist Calendar in 1913. Bhuddist Year 2445 corresponds to 1903.