September 26, 2018 O'Connor's Americana Collection
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 9/26/2018
Lot is comprised of: A) An imported high grade Civil War infantry Officer's saber with slightly curved steel blade of 32". Both sides are etched with patriotic motifs. The left side with a large "U.S." and the right side with an eagle. The guard is pierced and features a high relief eagle and shield in front of flags and stands of arms. The backstrap is also chiseled with foliate scrolls. The wood grip is wrapped with sharkskin and braided copper wire. This decorated is in fair condition. The blade has a dark spotted patina with a series of nicks to the edge and a minor piece missing at the tip. The hilt retains a completely unpolished dark patina and the grip retains about 50% of the sharkskin wrap. The steel scabbard, with brass mount, is missing about 2" from the tip and retains an extremely dark patina overall with area of denting and deterioration. B) Three pre-Civil War cavalry saber blades all 35 1/2" long and curved with wide shallow fullers and partial thin fullers. All three are marked on the left side of the riccaso "MFD. BY LELAND & CO". Leland and company, an American blade maker, made a small number of Model 1840 cavalry sabers. Their blades were probably for the Model 1840 and were never mounted on hilts. All retain much of their original polish with areas of surface rust and spotting.