Civil War Auction
Lot 13a:
This is a fantastic confirmed Confederate made copy of the US M1841 naval cutlass sword that was copied and used primarily by the CSA Navy (Page 258-259 of Swords Of The American Civil War by Richard Bezdek). This sword is so unique because it not just has the leather scabbard with tin drag/tip and throat but has a D guard with “93” stamped into the crossguard. The 20.75″ blade (27″ overall) is unmarked and has center spine with many smaller sword play nicks to both blade edges. The blade is very dark and has heavy and even pitting on the entire blade. The tip is not blunted but these swords normally don’t have a particularly pointy tip because they were used just as much as a tool as a weapon. The scale handle shows casting seams on both sides and even have the 3 rivet hole divots but are not functional or drilled but are leftover from the original casting from Union grips. The pummel retains the federal eagle and arrow bundle with very blurred detail from the casting. The brass crossguard has raised rim and very pleasant hammer pattern design on outer side. The half basket crossguard has a quillon with bend in it that was definitely bent in the field. The crossguard has a post production “93” stamped in hand guard and on the underside the shows the pressure from the stamping. There is also a small hole at top of hand guard that may have been for lanyard or sword knot. The leather scabbard is very fragile with some cracking and heavy flaking. Scabbard has shrunk over time and when sheathed, there is a 1″ gap from throat to crossguard. The lengthwise leather stitched seam has no breaks and relatively secure and sturdy. The soldering two piece drag has two holes for rivets but they are not present but drag is holding in place. The one piece tin scabbard throat has a small frog lug and the back soldered seam has come apart and someone attempted to re-solder the seam. The back shows evidence of a tin loop once being there and some brown leather residue of the frog that was once in place. The loose 4″ piece of the leather frog is present. The front piece of frog is present and in solid condition as part as leather part are concerned. Many different Confederate Navy wartime copies of the 1832 sword were made and this comes from one of those southern makers supplying the CSA. This has to be one of the rarest variations made and would made a center piece of the most discerning Civil War collector.
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