A very good condition short saber, likely Birmingham-made for the American market, employing an eagle-head pommel and a Liberty Cap on pole in a trophy of arms as one of its gilt-filled etched blade motifs. Dating ca. 1805-1810, this measures 34” overall, has a curved 28-1/2” single edge blade, and shows lots of the original gilt finish on the cast and chased hilt, a nicely carved bone grip, and blade with smooth metal, good edge, and preserving considerable, faint blue on the lower half and much of the gold fill used in the deeply etched foliate blade motifs.

The sword is unmarked. The eagle pommel is an early type with no backstrap connecting to the guard and generally Ketland in form, though showing a less firmly delineated edge to the eagle’s crest and to our eye a somewhat more rounded crest with more detailed feathers. (See Mowbray, especially, on Birmingham makers copying one another’s style.) The guard is channeled on the underside of the knucklebow, which then splits to form a flat, pointed oval, slotted counterguard with fanshell on the interior of the quillon, all of which has an earlier feel to it, and which Mowbray refers to as “archaic” in describing a similar, Ketland marked sword, on page 101.

The grip is carved bone, with short ferrules at top and bottom, the sides carved to imitate spiral ridges and grooves with the top and bottom bearing simple, straight, incised lines from the pommel to the guard, imitating grip straps. The blade bears three sets of etched and gold (or gold colored alloy) filled, loosely rendered foliate designs on each side. On the obverse the central motif is a leafy-vine-entwined trophy of arms clearly showing two drums and a central pole or pike topped by a crudely rendered Liberty Cap.

The condition is very good overall. The hilt, both pommel and guard, shows some rubbing, but very strong gilt finish. The gold fill of the blade etching slightly muted in tone and rubbed in some places, but very visible, is evident in the deeply etched blade motifs and set off nicely by the thin, muted, blue left on the blade. The grip is very good. We see just some small chipping on the obverse underside next to the ferrule for the pommel. Please see our photographs.

This would have been carried by a company-grade officer and although in the U.S. regular army yellow/gold was supposed to be the branch of service color for artillery, and white/silver for infantry, all bets are off when it comes to state troops, militia, and likely even regular army officers in the field. It shows very well and would make a good addition to a collection concentrating on eagle pommel swords or War of 1812 era U.S. swords.  [sr][ph:L]

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