The 1852 US Naval officer’s sword was a beautiful design that continues in use, though with scaled down blade, hilt and mounts. This is a beautiful example of the Civil War version by Ames. The brass hilt is bright and retains lots of its original gold wash. The grip has its rayskin wrap intact with the twisted brass binding wire in place. The wire is tight and the grip shows very little wear. The cast and chased eagle with stars on the pommel cap, acorn and oakleaf branches, and the sea serpent at the upper end of the knuckleguard, USN ribbon on the counterguard amid openwork acorns and oakleaves, all follow the standard regulation configuration and show excellent detail.

The blade pad is present on the underside of the guard. The black leather scabbbard has an excellent smooth finish and color with very little age crackling and the mounts show a mix of polish and gilt matching the hilt. The rope-form ring bands and the serpent looping around the drag have great detail and gilt in the recesses. The reverse of the upper mount bears the Ames manufacturer’s stamp. The blade etching has good frosting left, which make the motifs vivid. The reverse has the American eagle at bottom with sun rays overhead, a fouled anchor with “USN” in a ribbon above, and a leafy branch entwined with a knotted naval rope. The obverse is etched at bottom with the Ames firm, an Arabesque latticework with leaves overhead, an anchor with superimposed U.S. shield, an oval of stars and a panoply of arms. The etched panels on both sides terminate in multiple, straight, flamelike points.

The navy expanded during the war with officers in the regular and the volunteer services to man the fleets in international waters, to maintain the blockade, to open key rivers like the Mississippi, and to support and take part in coastal and river landings. It is a relatively unsung service in the Civil War that played an active an vital role. This is a top shelf example of the regulation officer’s sword.    [sr]

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