RARE CIVIL WAR CONFIGURATION AMES 1860 STAFF OFFICER’S SWORD

$1,750.00 SOLD

Quantity Available: None

Item Code: 1047-72

Adopted in August 1860 for staff officers, this pattern of US Army sword was used by officers of the staff and by general officers. A mistaken designation as the “1860 staff and field sword,” however, has taken hold among collectors. In use until 1902, the sword shows up in many variations, and it is sometimes difficult to sort out real Civil War examples from the later ones. This one has all the characteristics noted by Thillmann of the Civil War swords and early-war Ames versions in particular.

The brass hilt shows much of its original gilt and the cast motifs are crisp. The urn shaped pommel has an eagle on one side and plain shield on the other. The knucklebow has a central motif of a flower and twisted bolts of lightning. The grip is sharkskin and perfect, with all binding wire present and tight as well. (Despite regulations calling for horn grips, Ames made both horn and sharkskin versions and, Thillmann notes, their Civil War examples are more commonly found with sharkskin.) The blade is arris (or diamond) shaped, which is characteristic of early-war Ames production: by 1863 the Ames blades tend to be oval. The folding counterguard is plain. The eagle on the guard has no shield on its breast. The scabbard has a single ring on the top mount. The ring mounts are relief cast with simple acanthus leaves on the obverse and are plain on the reverse. The scabbard drag is plain gilt brass and notched on the drag crest. The drag shows up both with and without a scribed line around the drag crest on wartime swords. This one has no line. (The key is that the drag is very plain compared to later versions.) There is no maker’s plaque on the reverse of the scabbard near the throat, but this is not an invariable element either.

The blade etching is vivid and set off by its frosted background. The etched motifs are typical of Ames, though compressed and extended by the blade shape, and match those shown by Thillmann in Civil War Army Swords. The obverse shows a geometric and floral base with scrolling vines reaching up to a latticework and vine-entwined trophy of arms with a shield, quiver and US flag, and an American eagle clutching arrows and olive branch overhead, with a ribbon, chevron, and more scrollwork extending up toward the end of the frosted panel. The reverse has “Ames Mfg. Co. / Chicopee / Mass” etched just above the ricasso, with long vine scrolls reaching up to a short floral lattice work with a trophy of arms above, over which a chevron with circles along its edges points further up toward more scrolling vines that come very near the tip of the long frosted panel.

The government first contracted with Ames for delivery of 300 of these swords, but cancelled the contract after the delivery of just 55 and it seems that only these 55 were marked with government inspector’s stamps. The rest of the Ames production went into their commercial inventory for private purchase by officers. The later government purchases simply drew from this stock, so in theory this sword could even be one of the 85 purchased in 1863, given Thillmann’s dating of the blade shape. (Interestingly, the one inspected example known has a sharkskin grip, like this, rather than the horn grip.)

This is an extremely hard sword to find in its wartime configuration. Production was limited and many officers entitled, or required, to wear it in fact preferred the 1850 pattern swords. The sword’s excellent condition is a bonus. Only the edge of the counterguard shows some slight rubbing. The blade pad is in place, though a little greasy. The etched panels still have their frosting, making the etching vivid. The scabbard mounts are a mellow brass tone and the scabbard body retains pretty much all of its thin bluing with just some scattered brown coming up from underneath at the drag. Please consult Thillmann’s US Army Swords, Chapter 17, for more details on these swords. All in all, this is a rare sword in exceptional condition.  [sr]

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