Cool! What kind of hand guard does it have? I acquired a civil war sword earlier this month also - my first ever. Like yours it wasn't dug from the ground but still - owning a piece of military history like a civil war sword just makes you feel so much closer to the past, it also makes you realize how recent the 1860's actually were. I mean up until a few years ago there were still people alive claiming benefits from their fathers who were civil war veterans. Hold on, apparently there are still children of Civil War veterans alive, here check out this page: Real Daughters