Mike,
If it happens to be a milita sword, it's possible you found David Lewis's sword. He was a stage coach robber and served in the military, but ran away from the service and served jail time for numerous acts. He was known to be in the area of Snow Shoe and areas surrounding from records at the Centre County Historical Library. If you need any further info, in the case it turns out to be dated to early 1800's and from the militia, send me e-mail. Good luck!! What a great find!!!
just a thought but maybe it was left leaning against the tree and it sank or grew around it. looks like a masonic tylers sword. knights templar etc etc.a tylers sword i recently seen was a real sword which looked like civil war or rev war . but my lodge has one like yours. knights templar. some masonic lodges were held outdoors. that is why they call them blue lodges because they were held under the blue sky. also i believe a straight sword like yours would hang straight down the leg not curved so it might be an officers sword. it would have two equal length sword hangers with a possible thid chain to hold it from swinging. just my thoughts . very nice find. im surprised someone had not gotten run through with the way it was sticking out. also i have heard things like that are markers. look around a bit. see if a local lodge was held nearby too. good luck kiddrock33
If it was one of the Ancient order of Hibernia swords it would have the AOH initials on it. Fraternal swords almost always have either the orders emblem or initials. If it is a fraternal sword it is more likely a small local order that just used a plain stock sword pattern, but it is still most likely a militia sword. They were all made by the same makers and sold commercially unlike regular US swords made to a US contract.
That is such ah awesome find. You have to wonder how many people have walked by it, thought "hey that looks kind-a wierd" or something like that and walked away saying it must've been their imagination or it was just a funny looking tree.
Congrats on Banner it is well deserved! The men who get those swords take care of them, must have been stolen or after he died a child got a hold of it and lost it while playing.
Also congrats on the patience to dig it for 3 hours and not scratch or break it! It would be cool to research the family that lived there.
One of the most interesting finds, I have seem in a long time.
I carve a couple of Civil War bullets out of a tree. But, that pales
to what you have there. Go's without saying, I would search that area well.
Templar sword.
Congrats on the find! Central Pa has alot of different treasures to be discovered! I'm about 30 minutes away from you, maybe sometime we can get together on some hunts in the area! Congrads on a find of a lifetime!!