View Cart Home»Arms
1850 Foot Officer's Sword
click for an even bigger image

Sold
Price:
$725.00


DESCRIPTION

1850 model foot officer's sword. The regulation sword carried by infantry line officers: the lieutenants and captains who were posted in the regimental line of battle.
This one has no maker's mark and is certainly one of the foreign made swords imported into this country by military goods dealers and sold to officers, who had to purchase their own uniforms and gear.
The black leather scabbard is in good condition, solid, with no bends or breaks from careless handling. The brass mounts are in place and have a nice medium patina that matches the sword hilt. The hilt is undisturbed, with full sharkskin (or rayskin) grip wrap and twisted wire binding. The pad at the underside of the guard is in place. The blade is a mix of bright and gray, with just a couple of small corrosion spots at the ricasso. The etching is visible and consists of trophies of arms at the ricasso leading into floral splays and motifs which in turn surround a "U.S." on one side and an eagle on the other, topped by a ribband etched "E Pluribus Unum." The point is good and there are no nicks on blade.
The scabbard fits well. It has shrunk slightly from age so the upper and middle mount will slide about a quarter of an inch. In the case of the upper mount, this enables it to slide up and meet the pad on the underside of the guard. This is fairly typical and the sword displays very nicely. I have not tried to loosen and then re-tighten the screw in the higher position, but it could be done.
All in all a very good representative example of a regulation US army sword. See Thillmann's second volume for details on these, and their many variations.
Shipping $25 insured. NY addresses add sales tax.