December 10-13, 2024 Firearms & Militaria
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 12/10/2024
An extremely rare French “sabre de bord” or naval cutlass of the Revolution-Directory Period (1789-1799) of the type known to have been encountered in shipboard actions during the Quasi-War and later reutilized by their American captors. This handsome and robust sidearm features a hilt that includes a cast-brass, stirrup guard with integral, rounded half-langets and a lozenge-shaped quillon. Deeply stamped at the junction of its crossguard and knucklebow on the right face is the maker’s mark, "MANCEAUX ET EUR" (for “Manceaux Entrepreneur”) and the rooster inspection mark of Klingenthal (employed between 1793-1799) is impressed on the outer face of the knucklebow, which is flat with faceted edges. The brass pommel cap is flat and the blade tang secured to it with a diamond-shaped button. The wooden grip has spiraled grooves and a squarish cross-section, covered in leather and with two strands of double-twist, brass wire set in its channel grooves. The long, wide-fullered blade is 23.5 inches long and 1 .75 inches wide at ricasso, terminating in a clipped point with a 7.5 inch false edge. The blade is decoratively stamped and engraved down its full length on both faces with floral sprays, the moon, stars and rising suns, while the spine is stamped with 8 pointed stars from guard to false edge. There are large patches of oxidation on the mid-section of the blade, probably due to “scabbard freeze.” JLK