A superior example of the Civil War regulation sword for line officers by the best-known American maker of edge weapons. Made regulation in 1850 for infantry lieutenants and captains, the sword features a wire bound sharkskin grip with a gilt brass hilt bearing floral motifs in the guard and on the pommel and gilt brass mounts on a black leather scabbard body.

Most brass hilts have lost their original gilt finish. This sword preserves at least seventy percent of it on the hilt, showing a more subdued underlying brass just on edges most subject to rubbing from use and the top of the pommel. The grip wrap is complete and has no rubbed areas. There is the common separation line from age shrinkage that runs lengthwise. The twisted brass binding wire is complete and in place.

The upper scabbard mount, like the hilt, shows strong gilt remaining, as well as a crisp Ames manufacturing stamp on the reverse side. Even the fastening screw has traces of blue turned plum brown. The middle and lower mounts match well although on those the gilt finish is less and more preserved in recessed areas. The scabbard is solid, with no bends, breaks or creases. The black finish is original and excellent, with just some slight age lines here and there.

The red sealing pad is still in place on the underside of the guard and the blade is a real standout with vivid blade etching set off by its original frosting that you could see across the room with the lights off. The obverse has the Ames manufacturing company information etched on a panel just above the ricasso: “Ames Mfg. Co. / Chicopee/ Mass.” Above that a series entwined scrolling vines and leaves leads up to another etched panel of a trophy of arms consisting of a cannon and arrow quiver superimposed on spear entwined with vines. A spread-winged American eagle with a shield on its chest floats above that with an “E Pluribus Unum” etched ribbon overhead with its own floral extensions and one last floral panel over that with the frosted background tapering out in multiple sunray points.

The reverse of the blade has equally vivid etching emphasized by intact frosting with a geometric and floral rectangle above the ricasso, and a long scrolling section of entwined vines leading up to a separate etched U.S. Above that is a trophy of arms entwined with vines and consisting of cannon, shield, trumpet, flags and spears. A long scrolling vine then picks up and extends to the end of the frosting that, as on the obverse, terminates in straight, multiple flame-like sun rays. The only fault we can find with the entire blade is a few small sunken gray spots at the very tip with some light scratches where someone likely removed a slight bit of standing corrosion.

This is a super example of a regulation pattern Civil War officer’s sword. [sr]

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