Mods - if this is not the proper place for this thread, would you please move appropriately?
One of my neighbors is interested in selling a bayonet that he inherited. I got roped into the deal, and I'm trying to find out what it is and what it is worth. He says that it is a WWII era dress bayonet, but I can't find anything like it in Google searches. The scabbard seems to be steel painted black with a leather cuff on the extension behind the handle (pardon my lack of terminology).
The blade and all the metal hardware seem to be plated in chrome or nickle.
The blade itself is 11.75-inches from the point to the hilt. It has some scarring along the front edge from some long-forgotten childhood sword fight. The wood scales are brownish with a heavier grain - perhaps a walnut or rosewood?...
There is some corrosion to the plating on the hilt, and a little rust, but I'd say that it's at least 90% still. The latch button for securing it to the lug on the rifle seems to be intact and functional.
It has markings on either side of the blade just above the hilt.
The markings appear to read "US" on one side and "08" on the other.
Any help would be much appreciated. My neighbor is pretty sure it's some kind of treasure. I'm not feeling so hopeful. So what say you? Trash or treasure? I'm kind of looking forward to washing my hands of this particular (and peculiar) project. Thanks in advance!