Posted 11 years ago
sade11210412
(19 items)
This is a sword that was handed down in my family .. I was told it's Civil War .. Others have told me different . I'm wondering if a sword of this nature was from the Civil War? I would hate to think of my grandfather as a liar . There are no markings anywhere on the sword none any where . Trust me I have looked . My grandfather was a auctioneer in North Eastern Indiana & also a Nolbe County Assessor. Joseph L. Parker Auctioneer if you wish to research,, The sword will never be up for sale as long as I'm alive . Just trying to find some information about it . Please Help and have a Merry Christmas.
Can you post a picture of the entire blade?
This appears to be a Prussian model 1811 cavalry saber, called the “Blücher” saber after the famous Prussian general of the Napoleonic wars.
Just because this does not appear to be an American sword does not mean your grandpa was a liar. Many swords were imported into the US from Europe during the war, and many of those were produced in German factories and were unmarked.
Chris
The style of the sword is similar to the US Starr contract sword of the early 19th century.
I am not familiar with Prussian swords but chris is a very reliable source on militaria.
I would not call it a "Civil War sword" as it certainly pre- dates the war by many years. But as chris states-- it could have found use in the Civil War.
scott
Scott, the Prussian 1811 Saber wasn’t superseded until the Model 1848, but there were still numbers of M1811s in service as late as the Franco-Prussian war of 1870. Without any markings, I think this sword didn’t actually do Prussian service, but was made as an export. So I would say that in spite of the model year, this could still be civil war era.
The real problem in positively identifying this sword is there are so many similar swords. I don’t remember Starr contract swords having side langets. The Prussian 1848 looks almost the same as the 1811, but the '48 had a lighter blade. I am thinking this is the 1811 because of the two ring mounts on the scabbard and the shape of the drag. What is throwing me a bit is that those ears that used to wrap around at the center of the grip seem a bit too far back from the blade. That might just look that way because there’s no grip left.
Just to make things more confusing, the Prussian 1811 was an almost exact copy of the British 1796 Light Cavalry Sword!
Thanks for all of the Prussian/ Brit sword info!
I don't think it is a Starr-- just similar in appearance. I was using that as a dating reference to put the style as "Pre- CW".
I still wouldn't consider a foreign sword to be Civil War even if it were made during the US Civil War unless there were documented use or an historical record of that style being imported.
I am not familiar with any swords of this style being imported during the CW by either side.
Thanks again, chris!
scott
Check how this one matches up to your sword:
http://www.theswordpattern.co.uk/Blucher_1811_Sword_Saber_Sabre_p/1811.2.htm
Awesome guys. This has been a mystery for many years. The photo you posted matches it to a T.. even the hole in the handle. I believe this mystery has been solved.. I was also told it went through a fire the reason for the handle missing..
I had no clue it was so old. Only if it could talk