The scarcity of good armour--Considerations for the collector--Counterfeit armour--The twelve periods in armour--The characteristics of each period--Glossary There is much that is fascinating in the study of armour, and the seeker after military curios will do well to consider the advisability of making a collection of armour pieces. In praise of this particular form of treasure-hunting we could write a good deal, but, as space is necessarily limited, it will be wise to content ourselves, at the outset, with stating the drawbacks rather than the advantages which attend this hobby. In the first case, really good complete suits of period armour are scarce, and consequently command enormous sums. Of course there is no reason why detached pieces should not be collected: these can be obtained freely and at reasonable prices. Probably the best bargains are to be had at country-house sales, where the specimens are not sufficiently numerous to warrant the attendance of London dealers. But the smaller bric-à-brac shops, especially those off the beaten track, often contain oddments which may be picked up at tempting prices. The second drawback concerns questions of space. Armour collecting takes up a good deal of room and, in these days of small suburban houses and town flats, it is not every one who can house such treasures without causing them untold damage. The third point is the most serious of all; it may be stated briefly. There are so many dangerous forgeries to be met with that the untutored collector may become bewildered and so lose his love for the hobby. Upon the Continent there are thriving factories where armour, of the rarest kinds, is imitated, not for sale as reproductions but in order to cheat the uninitiated. The antique appearance is imparted to the bright metal surfaces by artfully smearing with lithographic ink and then dabbing with muriatic acid. The ink protects the parts which it covers from the corrosive action of the acid, and when the metal is subsequently washed and greased it has the exact appearance of an aged piece of armour, eaten and worn by time. How is the amateur to detect such worthless specimens when he runs across them? Under the title of "Forgeries that were not Forged," _The Connoisseur_,[6] a few years ago, made some very pertinent remarks on this subject. "Foreign museums are not entirely free from the presence of forgeries," the article began; "in Paris may be seen suits and parts of suits which will not satisfy the connoisseur in the matter of freedom from faking. At Berlin at least one suit will strike the observer as decidedly not what it claims to be. At Stockholm, among the interesting objects in the Lifrustkammer are many pieces which one regrets are not real. And if in public collections many pieces arouse scepticism, how much more so is it the case with private collections, where all the geese are swans." [6] May 1901, p. 36.