1767 Grenadiers Sword Grip from American Revolution

[terpfan]

1767 Grenadier's Sword Grip from American Revolution

**Note: The thread title has been updated since this find was identified in Post #12.

I've been working a nice 2 acre site for quite some time now, and the good signals are becoming scarce. The site dates at least the 1700s, though the original home on the site has been gone for nearly a hundred years. On this hunt I decided to search a small trashy area of the site, hoping to pick through some 1950s-era trash and maybe find something older. I had found nothing of consequence here before, but was eager to hear some kind of a signal, and dig something. After uncovering a couple of toothpaste tubes and a matchbox, I got a strong high tone and was surprised to find this grip piece only 4" down.





What is it? In the past I've found some Civil war relics nearby, including a couple of broken breast plates. Could this grip be from that era? This handle piece appears to be bronze and is surprising heavy. It is clearly hand-made. Nearby I found a couple of rusted fragments of something that my have been the blade. No sign yet of a guard or pommel to help with the ID. The shape of the grip is similar to images I've found of the model 1840 heavy Cavalry saber. I really have no experience here , and would really appreciate any input from the experts here. Find below an internet image of the model 1840.

Any ideas? Thanks for looking/HH.

 

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[Petrie502]

Looks like that's what it is to me but my eyes are untrained like yours! I hope that's what it is because that would be an awesome find

 

[Ifoundit69]

Looks close the end of the handle looks different than the 1840 model .. maybe someone while chime in but awesome find !

 

[gsxraddict]

Well, you can see where the blade would run to the base, you can see where there was a hole on the pummel that the hilt went in.

I don't know much about swords, but I do know most had wood handles, so the grip you have it not typical. It's not an artillery sword, which was a brass grip, but it wasn't standard cavalry.

But I don't really know if it's pre war, post war, custom made for an officer. I'd like to know that, it's really interesting so hopefully a sword expert will chime in.

 

[ByroninTn]

It looks more like the handle to a sword bayonet, but maybe i'm wrong.

 

[burglarifyoulike]

That sure looks like it! I hope it is for your sake! Wow!!

 

[joeyfresh]

Nice. Looks like a nice stirrup hilt sword grip and could easily date to the mid 19th century. Great find!

 

[mangum]

I believe this is a lot older than the Civil War. Im fairly certain it is from a French Model 1767 Grenadier's Sword. I had one of these when I was a Rev War reenactor. Super find!

 

[terpfan]

I believe this is a lot older than the Civil War. I believe it to be from a French Model 1767 Grenadier's Sword. I had one of these when I was a Rev War reenactor. Super find!

Mangum, I think you've found an exact match--this is so exciting! I figured my sword handle was originally wrapped in leather and wire. Your photo clears up everything. I'll try to take another photo tomorrow to show how perfect the match is to your photo. Thanks!

 

[Bill D. (VA)]

That's an awesome find if it's what it appears to be. Nice catch by Magnum on the ID.

 

[mangum]

Mangum, I think you've found an exact match--this is so exciting! I figured my sword handle was originally wrapped in leather and wire. Your photo clears up everything. I'll try to take another photo tomorrow to show how perfect the match is to your photo. Thanks!

That is a very exciting find, can't wait to see more pics. Hit that area hard, no telling what else will turn up!

 

[terpfan]

Thanks to Mangum's expertise, I now believe that this is the grip piece of a French Model 1767 Grenadier's Sword, also called a Grenadier's Briquet. It would have seen use in the American Revolution. According to Troiani's book, the hilts were "2-piece castings consisting of a ribbed grip with a large capstan-pommel and a stirrup-shaped guard." See a below a comparison between Mangum's photo and the dug one:

I plan on scouring every last signal at this site in hopes of finding the guard and pommel.
Here is a photo of the sword grip along with a couple of rusted fragments of what may be the original blade.


There is enough wear on the grip to see that it had been used quite a bit, and the wear patterns indicate the user was right-handed. Incredible!

 

[mangum]

Looks like a perfect match to me! Congrats again on an awesome - pre- Revolutionary War military find!

 

[Evolution]

Awesome recovery terpfan! That comparison picture is great. Finds with such history behind them are so interesting to see. Excellent work on the ID as well mangum.

 

[Steve in PA]

Excellent find TerpFan! Great ID Magnum.

Hitting that trashy area definitely paid off for you.

 

[gunsil]

Looks like you got a great ID on a great find!! One thing, though, it is not handmade, it was cast in the shape it's in and all the detail of design was cast in it. They had molds and made hundreds the same. It wouldn't be practical to try to hand make such a shape when it could be easily cast as has been done since the times of the ancient Romans.

 

[terpfan]

Looks like you got a great ID on a great find!! One thing, though, it is not handmade, it was cast in the shape it's in and all the detail of design was cast in it. They had molds and made hundreds the same. It wouldn't be practical to try to hand make such a shape when it could be easily cast as has been done since the times of the ancient Romans.

You are definitely right, I don't know what I was thinking. Maybe I was just impressed by the "imperfection" of the piece, something you just don't see any more. Everything we see in today's world is so symmetrical and even, you lose sight of the workmanship involved. Thanks for the input.

 

[Zodiacdiverdave]

Thats a great find there Terpfan, the other pieces have to be around there somewhere so I hope you post up some pix of them when you find them.
Good luck,
ZDD