Dating about 1840 to 1860 in style this militia officer’s sword has an engraved brass scabbard and hilt with knight’s helmet pommel and chain knuckleguard. The hilt has a reeded bone grip that is oval in cross-section and in very good condition with some small age spots, but no cracks or chips, and has a ferrule at its base. The cross-guard has scrolling, recurved quillons that are round in cross-section, giving more the impression of a shell that floral scroll. The central portion of the guard is deeply cast with overlapping feathers or short leaves and shield-shaped langets that bear central horizontal ovals with petals extending top and bottom.

The blade is straight, double-edged, and oval in cross-section. The edge and point are good. The surface shows a light gray or dull silver with darker gray spots, but the etching is perfectly visible. The obverse is decorated with floral scrolls and central motif of crossed arrows tied at the middle with a ribbon. The reverse is prominently etched at the base in lengthwise panel with foliate edge, “W.H. HORSTMANN / & SONS / PHILADELPHIA,” above which is a long, upright, fouled anchor, with floral scrolls extending from its top to the end of the etched panel. Anchors obviously play a part in the etching of nautical blades and this could be a non-regulation sword owned by a naval officer, but the motif appears on other swords as well. With connections in religion such as the “sheet-anchor of salvation,” it became part of the state seal of Rhode Island with the motto, “hope,” and has more general associations with the concepts of security, reliability and steadfastness, making it appropriate as a symbol for a soldier sworn to duty as well.

The scabbard matches the hilt in color and patina. It is set up with a frog stud and two carrying rings. The obverse of the scabbard is engraved with leafed vines running up from the drag and floral scrolls extending up and down from a central geometric band at the rings, which are mounted on the scabbard’s top edge. The frog stud reflects the floral elements of the scabbard and hilt, being cast with six lobes and a small raised oval at center that mirrors the oval at the center of each langet on the hilt above when the sword is sheathed. One sling swivel is still attached to the upper ring. The scabbard throat apparently went missing early: the mouth of the scabbard shows some dents from sheathing. The scabbard does, however, preserve the Horstmann stamp just below the throat on the reverse.

Horstmann was one of the largest retailers of military goods during the period. This is a nice example of their work with interesting etching on the blade.  [sr]

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