Scarce 18th Century Naval military Boarding Pike

An 18th century Naval boarding pike, presumably of military origin. This naval spear from its length of just under 6ft can possibly be described as a half-pike, this shortened length becoming a much more practical size for the weapon on-board as adapted from its far longer land-based pike cousin. The early style leaf shaped blade with a pronounced central ridge and nicely turned decoration below, with extending langets of very long length down each side of the wooden shaft.The original shaft survives in excellent condition with the odd old woodworm hole ( long since) gone. Sturdy dense wood, and old numbered label near the end, also a drilled hole from mounting on a display. The iron pointed butt-shoe may or may not be original – literature suggests that most boarding pikes were left plain to the butt, although there are those that survive with iron butts. Circa 1770.  european