November 15 & 16, 2022 Extraordinary Firearms & Militaria
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 11/15/2022
Impressive silver plated American copy of a lion head saber. The hilt is cast brass and was silver plated. Crudely detailed lion with stippling around the ears and vague flowing mane. Grip is cast with shallow grooves that never accommodated twisted wire. The knucklebow connects to the pommel at the lion's mouth and is almost squared before it connects to the crossguard. The guard is quite distinctive, as it features 9 open slots of varying sizes from the quillon area to the lion head pommel. The blade is rather plain and features an obvious curve with a single, wide, center fuller which is halted at the ricasso. Unusually, there are no decorations, or evidence of decorations contained within the fuller. However, the scabbard is different, with the heavy solid silver mounts boldly decorated with engraved designs. The mounts are nicely scalloped and feature foliate and floral motifs with quaint 4 peddled flowers around the edges, with lush leaves sprouting from various angles on the mounts. The upper and middle mount each accommodate a carry ring and even the double ringed barrel studs are nicely stippled. CONDITION: The blade exhibits a gray patina with areas of spotting and pitting throughout its length. Guard exhibits oxidation that is typical of silver plate and there are small areas of plate loss where the brass is peeking through. When handled, the guard produces a very slight wobble. Scabbard remains intact with mostly tight seam, as there is an area beneath the drag where the stitching has come loose. Various creases, scuffs, and cracks throughout, with the most significant crack causing a small hole below the drag. Upper mount is loose while middle mount and drag remain firmly secured to the scabbard body. Overall very good. This saber is featured on pg. 105 in "American Silver-Hilted, Revolutionary and Early Federal Swords, Volume I" by Dan Hartzler.
Paperwork
Excerpt from Book