December 10, 2019 Edged Weapon, Armor & Militaria
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 12/10/2019
Lot consists of three officer's sabers. Two are Civil War period. One is an 1890's or later saber of the 1st Troop of Philadelphia City Cavalry. The latter two are marked by Horstmann. The first has a Weyersberg maker's mark and may be retailed by Horstmann as well. (A) A non-regulation 1850 foot officer's sword with regulation style brass hilt with leather wrapped grip bound with one strand of coiled brass wire bordered by two single strands. Red fabric washer is in place. Blade is 1820's style, short, wide and curved with gold washed, drypoint etched floral and military motifs on a blue panel terminating in flame-shaped floral sprays. Obverse etching has two military displays with floral scroll at top. "Warranted" is drypoint etched in script underneath the lower military display of arms. Middle display has an American shield and liberty cap on pole. Reverse has one military display between two floral motifs. Scabbard is 1850 style with black leather body and brass mounts. CONDITION: Hilt is very good. Leather wrap is good. Binding wires are in place. Brass has medium patina. Blade has good edge and point. Obverse is rubbed on lower portion of the panel. Blue is strong from midpoint up. Blue on back edge shows slight rubbing. Reverse is very good with just light rubbing near ricasso. Ricasso is not blued and shows a Weyersberg king's head stamp. Blue is strong. Metal is clean and bright above the blue panel. Scabbard mounts show medium bright. Leather is broken in two places, just below the middle mount and above the drag. Not much of the leather itself is missing. (B) Regulation 1850 foot officer's sword with longer (31 - 3/4") blade. "Horstman and Sons Philadelphia" etched in block panel at lower obverse. Etched with mixed military and floral displays at bottom, floral at top. Middle section has American eagle with raised wings and an E Pluribus Ribbon scrolling overhead entangled with scrolling vines. Back edge of blade is etched "Iron Proof" near the guard. Scabbard with regulation black leather body and brass mounts. CONDITION: Hilt is good with aged patina, full sharkskin wrap. Coiled central binding wire remains for just two turns under the pommel. The two single border strands are full length and in place. Etching is visible and legible, but frosting is a thin gray. Upper portion blade is smooth metal, some bright metal but mixed with gray areas. Scabbard is very good, with a few spots of finish loss, but good color. Mounts are plain with simple border lines and match the hilt in patina. (C) Philadelphia First Troop of City Cavalry saber, etched with the organizations initials "F.T.P.C.C." in a wreath on the reverse of the blade. Modeled on the British 1822 pattern light cavalry officer's saber. Steel, three branch hilt with looped side guard, bird's head grooved pommel with wire binding, and quill-back or pipe-back blade. Plain steel scabbard with throat, two carrying rings and drag. Obverse etched with "Horstmann / Philadelphia" in rectangular panel at ricasso. Palmette with thick, leafy vine leads to crossed flags with superimposed American shield and pole with liberty cap in center, US eagle, with spray of stars and sunburst overhead. A conical tent with small flag and another extended leafy vine ends the panel. Reverse is etched with similar leafy vines top and bottom. Central motifs are the American eagle with ribbon, stars and sunburst at top, Indian with raised tomahawk in center and troops initials in a wreath below. Ricasso is stamped "Germany." CONDITION: Grip wrap is missing, exposing dark wood core. Plating of hilt is mostly gone and metal is turning brown. Wire binding is in place. Blade etching is very visible, with a few stains at bottom. Upper portion of blade, including sections of the uppermost vines on either side is suffering freckling to the plating, showing some gray metal and some smaller brown areas. The hilt shows spatters of white paint on the face of the counterguard. A good sword lot with one in very good shape as is and the other two worthy of some work.
Blade Length
(A) 26 - 1/2" (B) 31 - 3/4" (C) 34"
Overall Length
(A) 32" (B) 37 - 1/8" (C) 39 - 3/4"