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Nation : British
Local Price : £850.00

British 1796 Pattern Light Cavalry Trooper&#acute;s Sword by Runkel, 1796-1800. Description Curved single-edged blade with single fuller and hatchet point. Brown leather washer, iron stirrup P-shaped hilt with sword knot slit, comma-shaped quillon, semioval langets, smooth iron backstrap with projecting ears secured to the tang through the grip with a single rivet, and integral pommel cap. Ribbed wooden grip covered with pressed black leather. Plain steel scabbard with two bands mounted with hanging rings. Blade 32Â½ inches in length, the sword 37Â½ inches overall. The spine of the blade is stamped with the maker&#acute;s mark &#acute;J. J. Runkel Sohlingen&#acute;, indicating the firm of John Justus Runkel. The blade is stamped in the fuller at the forte on one side with a crown over &#acute;1&#acute;, an inspection stamp indicating government property. The inside of the hilt is stamped near the ferrule with &#acute;D 80&#acute;. This was probably a weapon number, e.g. sword 80 assigned to D Troop. John Justus Runkel was a prolific importer (and occasionally, smuggler) of sword blades and completed swords from Solingen, Germany, into Britain. His business, operating from 1778 to 1808, sold primarily to the sword makers and retailers of London, undercutting British-based producers. The spelling &#acute;Sohlingen&#acute; was used on Runkel&#acute;s blades until around the year 1800, when it was changed to &#acute;Solingen&#acute;, so this sword would have been made between the introduction of the Pattern in 1796 and 1800. The 1796 Patterns of cavalry sword were designed by John Gaspard le Marchant, and were a significant step forward in standardization over the more variable 1788 Patterns. Le Marchant gained first-hand experience of cavalry fighting in the Flanders campaigns of 1793-95, and decided that other forces, particularly their Austrian allies, had superior equipment and training to the British: &156;I have been busily engaged in making drawings of all the articles in the military equipages of our Allies which differ from our own¦ I have also paid particular observation to the mode of training the Austrian cavalry to the use of the sabre, in which their superiority over us is incredible.&157; Swords in particular needed to change, the existing types being in his view heavy and poorly balanced. For the heavy cavalry he recommended a near-copy of the Austrian Model 1775, while for the light cavalry, inspired by &156;the expertly used scimitar blades of the Turks, Mamelukes, Moors and Hungarians&157; Le Marchant argued for a lighter, shorter curved sword that could both cut and thrust. The design that emerged was in fact oriented to cutting: very broad bladed, more strongly curved and with a simpler profile than its predecessor the 1788. In a melee the Light pattern needed to be wielded skillfully to avoid wasting strikes on non-fatal areas, but could inflict grievous injuries, as an officer of the French Chasseurs recounted: &156;Out of every twenty blows aimed by them, nineteen missed. If, however, the edge of the blade found its mark only once, it was a terrible blow, and it was not unusual to see an arm cut clean from the body.&157; Le Marchant died in battle leading cavalry at Salamanca in 1812, but his swords carried on his legacy, in use with the regular Army until 1821 and with yeomanry units for decades longer. The 1796 Patterns were still in active use with yeomanry as of 1848, the 1821 Patterns being only very rarely introduced to them. The Prussian M1811 &#acute;Blucher&#acute; sabre was a very close replica of the Light trooper&#acute;s pattern, and in India in particular the blade was a natural fit with an existing tradition of slashing sword technique. Spare blades can be found mounted into tulwar hilts, and swords produced for Indian cavalry units as late as the 1910s used a blade modelled on that of the 1796. The sword is solid in the hand with no movement or rattle to its parts. Its blade is bright, previously repolished with polishing marks overall and a few spots of dark patination along the spine. Its edge is very sharp, with visible sharpening marks on all of it. Multiple nicks of varying size to the edge, and multiple dents to the corners of the blade&#acute;s spine. The sword&#acute;s grip has a few worm holes “ I can see two on one side, three on the other and one on the belly. Some appear to have been filled in at a later date. The leather covering of the grip is missing at its base next to the pommel, as well as in a strip next to the ferrule, the loss in each area exposing ribbed wood which has been painted black. The paint is a good colour match but matt, whereas the leather is glossy. The leather is otherwise quite sound with some handling wear to raised edges but good adhesion to the wood. The hilt, ferrule and backstrap have moderate patination and peppered light cleaned pitting. The pommel area has some scratches and spots of gouging creating small burrs. The scratches show up bright so may not be period damage. The scabbard has significant polishing marks with indented parallel lines visible across much of it “ perhaps a buffing wheel or belt was used by a previous owner, who as noted above seems to have made efforts to refurbish the sword. Some small dents to the scabbard body, particularly along its spine, and two more noticeable dents on one side, one near the midsection and one just above the chape. None of these interfere with sheathing and drawing, which is smooth. One of the screws for the throat piece remains, the other has been lost. The steel of the scabbard has areas of light staining and speckled patination.

Nation : British
Local Price : £850.00

Scottish Victorian 1828 Pattern Infantry Officer’s Basket Hilt Broadsword. Description Straight spear-pointed blade with double central fullers and two short fullers at the ricasso. Steel pierced basket hilt, unusual green leather hilt liner. Spiral grip of wood covered with shagreen bound with wire, steel ferrule and pommel cap. Steel scabbard with two hanging rings, ball finial at the chape. 32Â½ inch blade, 38Â½ inches overall. The blade is etched with foliate motifs incorporating thistles, laurel and palm, the crown and cypher of Queen Victoria, an on one side at the ricasso with the retailer&#acute;s mark &#acute;Furnished by MIDDLEMASS 18 South Bridge EDINBURGH&#acute; beneath the Prince of Wales&#acute;s badge of a crown and three feathers and &#acute;BY APPOINTMENT&#acute;. At the ricasso on the other side is a brass proof slug reading &#acute;PROVED&#acute; set within an etched six-pointed star. The blade&#acute;s finish is excellent with only a handful of tiny spots of patination, some very light scattered scratches towards the tip. The etching is bright and clear, retaining the contrast between the matt acid-etched background and the reflective polished designs within it. The blade&#acute;s edge is unsharpened and undamaged. The shagreen of the grip is all intact with very light handling wear, its wire binding is all present with slight movement to the loops nearest the pommel. The, hilt, ferrule and pommel have speckled cleaned pitting. The leather of the liner is somewhat stiff with only light rubbing and small areas of flaking at its edges. A green liner is an oddity, basket hilt liners are generally red chamois, but there was considerable variation in dress for Scottish units, especially among Volunteer battalions. The scabbard is free of dents and has speckled patination.

Nation : British
Local Price : £850.00

British Circa 1801 Georgian Infantry Grenadier Officer’s Sabre. Description Curved single-edged unfullered blade with hatchet point. Brown leather washer, brass P-shaped hilt with faceted knucklebow, comma-shaped quillon, semioval langets. Brass ferrule, faceted backstrap & integral pommel. Ivory grip, partly chequered. Scabbard with wood core covered with black leather, brass fittings at the throat, middle and chape, middle & throat pieces with brass hanging rings. Blade 27Â¾ inches in length past the washer, the sabre 32Â¾ inches overall pommel to tip. The blade appears to have been made as a blue & gilt piece along 2/3 of its length “ the blueing has been fully lost or patinated while some gilding remains in the etching. The substantial etched decoration remains, consisting of motifs of palm fronds, victor&#acute;s laurels, a stand of arms, the crown and &#acute;GR&#acute; cypher of King George III, an allegorical classical figure of winged Victory holding a laurel wreath and palm frond, another figure of Britannia (the personification of the United Kingdom) with her spear* and shield emblazoned with the Union flag, and the royal coat of arms including the horse of Hanover. Its tiny details are impacted by pitting but the top right quarter appears to show a lion rather than a fleur-de-lys, this would indicate the coat of arms used post-1801 Act of Union. *Modern depictions of Britannia usually show her with a trident instead “ this was first seen on coinage in 1797, its nautical symbolism celebrating British naval victories and the power of the Royal Navy. The spear is a much older motif used in Roman depictions of Britannia. One of the langets is inset with a flaming bomb, suggesting this sword was for a grenadier officer. In this period each regiment of foot contained one company of grenadiers “ these specialists had to be tall and physically strong to hurl iron spheres the size of a tennis ball far enough not to injure their own side, and brave to stand firm at the front line and light their fuses only at the right moment. Non-regulation sabres like this one became popular as fighting swords during the Georgian period among infantry officers, who had considerable latitude to purchase and carry the swords they preferred. They replaced the earlier spadroons in part due to their robustness, shorter length and strong cutting ability, but also because they were fashionable and associated with the glamorous hussar units that were trendsetters among the cavalry. Officers of the rifle regiments on colonial service appear to have begun the infantry&#acute;s sabre trend in the early 1790s, which then spread to light companies and grenadier companies of regular infantry. By 1799 officers of the grenadier and light companies were officially permitted sabres, and the 1803 Pattern infantry officer&#acute;s sword bowed to the trend with a curved, hatchet-pointed regulation sabre, albeit with a more ornate hilt that owed less to the cavalry. Even after 1803 non-regulation fighting sabres remained widespread and popular. A continuous feedback loop between officers and manufacturers led to a wide variety of interesting design features, and several regiments implemented their own bespoke sabres. The blade has some nicks and notches to its edge, not very sharp but with old sharpening marks. Areas of blade patination and pitting, some of which impact the engraving. The ivory grip has some chipping at the pommel end and next to the ferrule, but remains firm in the hand. The brass scabbard fittings have some small dents , the leather of the scabbard has some surface flaking, cracks and dents. The sword sheathes and draws smoothly. The leather washer may be a later replacement. Due to the ivory used in the grip, this sword cannot be exported from the UK. It has been declared and registered as antique ivory under the provisions of the UK Ivory Act and can therefore be sold within the UK. Please note this is a one-time registration: if you purchase this sword and wish to resell it you must register it again.

Nation : British
Local Price : £850.00

Scottish Late Victorian 1828 Pattern Infantry Basket Hilt Broadsword, by Thurkle c1882-97. Description Straight spear-pointed blade with double central fullers and two short fullers at the ricasso. Steel pierced basket hilt, red fabric hilt liner with white leather inner and blue silk edging. Spiral grip of wood covered with shagreen bound with wire, steel ferrule and pommel cap, fringe of red silk thread. Leather scabbard with rigid band for hanging from a frog, steel throat and chape pieces, lyre shoe at the chape. No washer. Blade 32 15/16 inches (83.7cm) in length, the sword 39Â½ inches overall. The blade is etched on both sides with the crown and cypher of Queen Victoria and with foliate motifs incorporating thistles. On one side at the ricasso is a brass proof slug reading &#acute;PROVED T&#acute; with a small dot between the P and D, set within an etched six-pointed star. This proof slug indicates the sword was made by the company Thurkle “ they used this design of slug from around 1882 until the firm was acquired by that of J. R. Gaunt & Son in 1897 which gives us a range for this sword&#acute;s production date. There is no etched maker&#acute;s or retailer&#acute;s mark. The traditionally-styled Scottish broadsword was carried exclusively by Highland infantry regiments until 1881, when the Lowland regiments adopted Scottish dress and the broadsword along with it (with the exception of the Cameronians aka Scottish Rifles). The use of an interchangeable hilt may date back to the 1860s, but is first officially mentioned in the Dress Regulations of 1883, which authorized the Highland Light Infantry to use the basket hilt for full-dress occasions and a cross-bar hilt for all other occasions. The hilt can be changed by unscrewing the pommel nut, removing the pommel, grip and guard, then replacing the hilt with the other version (not included). The scabbard on this example is a little unusual, the shape of its chape piece suggesting it might have been intended for a staff sergeant (officer&#acute;s scabbards typically using a ball finial), although the blade is that of an officer&#acute;s model with its etched designs and lack of any official inspection or issue marks. The blade&#acute;s finish is excellent, it has a mirror polish with only a handful of tiny spots of patination, some polishing marks, the etching growing a little faint further up the blade and some tiny scratches and a couple of spots of frosting towards the tip. The blade&#acute;s edge is unsharpened and undamaged. The shagreen of the grip is all intact with very light handling wear, its wire binding is all present and tight with fractional movement to the minor loop nearest the ferrule. Very slight movement to the ferrule and hilt. The, hilt, ferrule and pommel are nickel-plated with some blistering and light wear to the plating in places. One of the forward-guard bars of the basket hilt has cracked and detached where it should join to the forward quillon of the hilt, directly beside this there is a crack where one of the blade-end saltire bars joins the forward quillon “ both of these breakages were probably from the same impact. The liner is flexible with excellent colour, its blue edging has been lost in places. The silk fringe is fragile and its strands are prone to breakage “ some will probably detach in transit to you. The leather of the scabbard has some denting and abrasions, the leather is quite thin and in places this wear leaves the wood core exposed. Its stitching is all intact. Some light patination to the scabbard fittings and a few scratches to the chape piece.

Nation : British
Local Price : £850.00

British Mameluke Sword for a Royal Equerry to Queen Victoria. Description Curved, single fullered, hatchet-pointed blade with false edge and stepped spine. Mameluke hilt cast with decorative leaves and inset with the crown and cypher of Queen Victoria. Ivory scale grips, brown leather washer. Iron scabbard with simple throat piece held by screws, two brass bands of rosette form with hanging rings. Blade 32Â¼ inches in length, the sword 37Â½ inches overall. The blade is etched on both sides with foliate motifs, and the crown & imperial cypher of Victoria &#acute;VR&#acute;. A space for a proof slug is found at the ricasso on one side (under the langet) surrounded by an etched six-pointed star, but the slug has been lost. These uncommon swords were part of the dress uniform of royal equerries “ military officers selected to serve as personal attendants and assistants to the monarch, similar to an aide-de-camp. It was considered a tiring, difficult but highly prestigious duty. The term originated from their equestrian role controlling the royal stables, but over time this became a separate job and from 1825 this was done by the &#acute;Crown Equerry&#acute; alone. Equerry&#acute;s swords are of the &#acute;mameluke&#acute; style, similar to those of staff officers or Lord Lieutenants but with the monarch&#acute;s cypher inset in the hilt to signify direct service to the sovereign. See Bonhams sale of 13 June 2016, lot 1078, for another Queen Victoria example, Olympia Auctions sale of 29 June 2022, Lot 322, for an example for King Edward VII, and Bonhams sale of 5 Dec 2012, lots 197 & 198, for two George V examples. Victoria reigned from 1837 to 1901 and would have had three equerries at any one time, with a number of &#acute;extra equerries&#acute; in reserve, usually retirees from the position. Senior royals including the Prince Consort and Victoria&#acute;s sons (once they were old enough to assume royal duties) also had one equerry each. I am unsure how many equerries Victoria ultimately had in total throughout her long reign, but it should be noted that some men were long-serving in the role: Lord Alfred Paget, for instance, served as Chief Equerry with only brief interruptions from 1846 until his death in 1888. Today equerries serve on a fixed three-year term, but at that time terms were flexible, essentially at the monarch&#acute;s pleasure. Some spots of light patination to the blade. One of the ivory grip slabs has a break at the sword knot hole “ the broken piece remains attached but can move slightly. Some patination to the scabbard. There should be a brass chape piece on the scabbard held by two screws “ this is missing and so the end of the scabbard is open. The two screw holes are visible at the chape end. Due to the ivory used in the grip this sword cannot be exported from the UK. It has been declared and registered as antique ivory under the provisions of the UK Ivory Act and therefore can be sold within the UK. Please note that this is a one-time registration: if you purchase this sword and wish to resell it you must register it again.

Nation : French
Local Price : £850.00

French Préval Sword. One of the rare Préval sabres inspired by Colonel Claude Antoine Préval, these swords were created to be a viable alternative to the standard cavalry sword at the time. Préval trailed this style of blade in the 1830s as he believed it made sense from a cavalry perspective, being light, strong and very stiff. Creating a sword which could function as both a sword and lance in combat. These were often used by Zouave and Chasseur d’ Afrique regiments from around 1855 onwardThe multi bar steel steel hilt has a long triangular sectioned blade with horn handleThe sword has some historical damage around the hilt, where it appears a previous break has been pinned and brazed.

Nation : French
Local Price : £850.00

Italian 1855 Model Sabre. Designed by the Turin-based sword maker Francesco Gravier in co-operation with the royal arms factory, this sword would become an iconic sword of Italy’s unification period military. Taking influence from earlier military patterns, it would remain in service until 1888.82cm long, 94cm overall and 3cm wide at the shoulders, the double fuller extends the length of the blade and it is engraved with stands of arms and the initials D DThe sword and handle are solid with no movement, and the blade and scabbard are free from marks or pitting.

Nation : British
Local Price : £845

Click and use the code >23012 to search for this item on the dealer website Superb Excavated & Fragmented Bronze Age Sword 3200+ Years Old. Seige of Troy Period