online catalog

• What's New
• Reduced Price Items
• Artillery
• Books
• Bottles
• Buttons
• Confederate
• Contemporary Artist Prints
  • Framed Prints
  • Unframed Prints
• Currency, Bonds & Tokens
• Documents & Paper Goods
  • Art
  • Broadsides
  • Commissions
  • Discharges
  • Letters
  • Newspapers
  • Signatures
• Edged Weapons
  • Bayonets
  • Knives
  • Scabbards
  • Swords
• Firearms
  • Carbines
  • Cartridges & Gun Tools
  • Handguns
  • Holsters
  • Longarms
• Gettysburg Items
• Identified Items
  • Accoutrements
  • Edged Weapons
  • Firearms
  • Personal Items
  • Photography
  • Uniforms & Cloth
• Medical Items
• Military Accoutrements
  • Buckles/Plates
  • Canteens
  • Insignia & Badges
  • Leather
    • Belts
    • Cap & Cartridge Boxes
    • Haversacks / Knapsacks
    • Holsters
    • Scabbards
  • Spurs
• Personal Items
  • Amusements
  • Cooking
  • Jewelry
  • Personal Hygiene
  • Sewing
  • Smoking
  • Writing
• Photography
  • Albumens
  • Albums
  • Cabinet Cards
  • CDVs
    • Identified CDVs
    • Unidentified CDVs
  • Hard Images
    • Ambrotypes
    • Daguerreotypes
    • Tintypes
  • Stereoviews
• Relics
• Stock Items
  • Books
  • Clothing
  • Riker Cases
  • Shell Bases
  • Wood Display Cases
• Uniforms & Cloth
  • Flags
  • Headgear
  • Sashes & Hat Cords
  • Uniforms
• Veteran Memorabilia
  • GAR
  • UCV
• WWI / WWII
  • Equipment
  • Posters

VERY NICE PRE-CIVIL WAR MILITIA OFFICER’S SWORD

Zoom In Zoom Out Reset

Here is a very fine quality, imported 'Knights Head' style sword made for the American militia market. Official regulations in the 1830s through 1840s called for infantry officer swords to have a straight blade and large counter guard. This wonderful example of a brass-mounted militia officer's edged weapon is in excellent condition.

Weapon exhibits a 31.25 inch elliptical, double-edged straight blade with a long, narrow, center fuller on each flat that starts 2.00 inches up from the ricasso and goes to within 18.25 inches of the point. Displayed on both sides of the blade are highly detailed, silver engraved floral scrolls and military motif decorations. One side has etching that begins at the ricasso with a scrollwork design that works into a branch of laurel before reverting back to scrollwork. This is surmounted by panoply of flags with a sunburst at top before ending with more scroll designs. The opposite side of the blade follows the same pattern but with a spread-winged eagle and riband that reads "E PLURIBUS UNUM". Blade wears a pleasing dusky gray appearance.

The grip is carved bone. The carved pattern is linear on the sides while the front and back panels have a feathered decoration at bottom topped by two parallel lines and a sunburst. Front panel has a jagged closed crack running vertically while the back panel has two smaller cracks which are also closed. Solid brass pommel is cast in the form of a head wearing a classical helmet with crest. Details of the helmet and crest are well executed. A brass chain knucklebow stretches from the chin of the Knight’s head to a cross shaped brass guard. This guard has a five-pointed star at center surrounded by oak leaves. Each side of the guard ends in an acorn quillon.

Scabbard is all brass and bears two strong carry rings at the upper mounting band and a single carry ring at the lower band, typical of militia scabbards. Both sword bands are plain. Upper ring mount exhibits a small ornate brass stud for attachment to a sword belt. A small thin drag is visible at the scabbard tip. The obverse side of the scabbard has a very nice engraved decoration of a spread-winged eagle in a sunburst surrounded by ferns and oak leaves. The reverse side of the scabbard is plain. Scabbard does exhibit some minor dings from age and storage.

This very fine militia officer's sword with its handsome, mellow brass mounted 'Knights Head' pommel is a fine specimen of early Americana edged weaponry and a great collectible.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

THIS ITEM, AS WITH ALL OTHER ITEMS AVAILABLE ON OUR WEB SITE,

MAY BE PURCHASED THROUGH OUR LAYAWAY PROGRAM.

FOR OUR POLICIES AND TERMS,

CLICK ON ‘CONTACT US’ AT THE TOP OF ANY PAGE ON THE SITE,

THEN ON ‘LAYAWAY POLICY’.

Inquire »