VERY RARE “SEPARATELY DATED 1861” COLLINS M1840 NCO SWORD WITH ARCHED ADDRESS

VERY RARE “SEPARATELY DATED 1861” COLLINS M1840 NCO SWORD WITH ARCHED ADDRESS

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$650.00 ON HOLD

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Item Code: 2025-683

For details on this very rare sword see Thillmann, Civil War Army Swords, p.202 and following. He notes, “The separately dated 1861 and 1862 Collins NCO swords are the rarest of all of the NCO swords contracted for by the Ordnance Department.” Only 648 were purchased and Thillmann noted (in 2008) that fewer than twenty had been recorded in dealer and auction catalogs in the preceding ten years, and some of those were likely duplicate listings. These swords are notable for their use of a slightly longer ricasso and dates that are not integral with the blade address. He notes those few dated 1861 were likely made in anticipation of government contracts and included with 1862-dated examples in fulfillment of the limited contracts that came through in 1862. He also notes that of those recorded, only one seems to have had a US inspector’s mark.

This particular sword is remarkable even among those very few Collins marked NCO swords and even fewer 1861-dated examples in using a Collins blade address with an arched top line that became common later. Thillmann pictures an 1861-dated example with a straight-line address on page 203. After discussing that sword he notes what is possibly this very sword:

“A second sword has turned up, and it is unusual in that the Collins NCO sword has the later used address with the arched first line. This arched address was used with the Collins & Co. NCO sword with separately applied 1862 date, only in this instance it is an 1861 date. As in the previous sword and in the case of the following 1862-date NCO, it is believed that this is one of the very rare U.S. Government-purchased NCO swords.”

This sword rates excellent for condition, with nice, even patina with only minor age spots to the hilt, no bends, cracks or breaks, and the thin leather blade pad in place on the underside of the guard with some verdigris along its edge. The blade is smooth metal, bright with some thin gray, with good edge and point, even showing faintly some of the cross-polishing above the ricasso. The markings are good, though the “Co.” is a tad light on the top line of the address. As Thillmann note was the case on all but one of these scarce swords, there is no inspector’s stamp on the hilt or blade. There is some crusty brown on both sides of the base of the ricasso next to the guard and just a little touch in the base of the fuller above. Please see our photos.

The scabbard with this matches it well, is complete with throat and drag, and has excellent black finish showing just minor craquelure. While correct and appropriate for the sword, having the two small rivets on the reverse of the mounts as shown on a Collins example pictured by Thillmann, and completely original, the drag has the AHC inspector’s mark of Archibald H. Ceiley, an Armory Sub-Inspector who worked 1862-1863, indicating the scabbard may be a replacement, the long, thin, leather scabbards for these being notoriously subject to breakage, only Emerson and Silver supplying them in steel.

Collectors will be familiar with the Model 1840 Non-commissioned officer’s sword as a pattern, introduced at the same time at the M1840 musician’s sword and looking very similar, with straight blade, cast brass hilt with grip imitating a wire wrap, brass-mounted black leather scabbard, etc., but with a longer blade and double clamshell counterguard. For full details on the development and production of the pattern, see Thillmann’s Chapter 13. This is an extremely rare version of the pattern that would likely fill a gap in even the most comprehensive and sophisticated sword collection.  [sr][ph:L]

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