🔎 UNIDENTIFIED Unknown sword

Jack Hamner

Greenie
Nov 4, 2024
14
27
Can anyone please help me identify this sword? Civil War? Union? Confederate? It's about 37 1/4 inches long and the blade is about 1 1/4 inches wide. I can find absolute no marks of any kind anywhere on the piece! Any suggestions greatly 17312493172657130112160818010885.jpgf cappreciated!
 

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Possibly Ames 1840 model Artillery sword. Should have a makers mark. If not, could be a reproduction.

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Makers marks should be in this area.

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Upvote 8
Depending on date of manufacture it could be either Union or Confederate. Since yours doesn't have a date stamp, we will likely never know. Comparing yours to the pics I posted from an auction of an original 1862, I would say it's not a reproduction. Reproductions usually have either a nut on the hilt or a blob of brazed brass.
 

Upvote 3
Very cool looking sword! Thanks for posting.
 

Upvote 0
It looks very much like a U.S. Model 1840 light artillery sword. If it is it would be marked on the base of the blade with the date and makers name. Yours does not look worn enough to have had it's markings worn off. The U.S. Model 1840 was an exact copy of the French Model 1829. Those made in France may or may not be marked on the back edge of the blade. Identical swords were made in Germany, not for use in their own army but for sale to small European countries that did not have facilities to make their own swords. If yours is not marked at the base of the blade, it is almost certainly one of these French or German-made swords. Some people (especially those who have one to sell) like to say that these foreign-made swords were imported by the U.S. during the Civil War, or imported or even made by the Confederates, but there is not the least bit of evidence to support these claims.
 

Upvote 3
It looks very much like a U.S. Model 1840 light artillery sword. If it is it would be marked on the base of the blade with the date and makers name. Yours does not look worn enough to have had it's markings worn off. The U.S. Model 1840 was an exact copy of the French Model 1829. Those made in France may or may not be marked on the back edge of the blade. Identical swords were made in Germany, not for use in their own army but for sale to small European countries that did not have facilities to make their own swords. If yours is not marked at the base of the blade, it is almost certat of sense uto me since inly one of these Frenthe sword is ch or German-madenmarked swords. Some people (especially those who have one to ofsell) like to say that these foreign-made swords were imported by the U.S. during the Civil War, or imported or even made by the Confederates, but there is not the least bit of evidence to support these claims.
This makes a whole lot
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It looks very much like a U.S. Model 1840 light artillery sword. If it is it would be marked on the base of the blade with the date and makers name. Yours does not look worn enough to have had it's markings worn off. The U.S. Model 1840 was an exact copy of the French Model 1829. Those made in France may or may not be marked on the back edge of the blade. Identical swords were made in Germany, not for use in their own army but for sale to small European countries that did not have facilits toly is unmarked make their own swords. If yours is not marked at the base of the blade, it is almost certainly one of these French or German-made swords. Some people (eospecianmarked swordlly those who have one to sell) like to say that these foreign-made swords were imported ?bmade?y thme U.S. during the Civil War, or imported or even made by the Confederates, but there is not the least bit of evidence to support these claims.

This makes perfect sense to me since the sword apparently is unmarked!
What time period were these unmarked swords made? And thanks so much for your valuable input!
 

Upvote 2
Manufacture was started in France .in 1829. The latest date I Have seen on one is 1841, but I would not be surprised if they were made later than that. I have seen photographs of French soldiers wearing them in 1914. By that time they were considered a decorative
part of the full-dress uniform rather than a serious weapon. Their extremely curved design limited their use to slashing. which meant you had to be within about 3 feet of your enemy. Once mounted soldiers began to be armed with revolvers (circa 1860) they took special care that no enemy ever got within 10 feet of them, let alone 3.
As for the German ones, they obviously were made sometime after 1829. I have no information as to when they stopped being made.
 

Upvote 5
Manufacture was started in France .in 1829. The latest date I Have seen on one is 1841, but I would not be surprised if they were made later than that. I have seen photographs of French soldiers wearing them in 1914. By that time they were considered a decorative
part of the full-dress uniform rather than a serious weapon. Their extremely curved design limited their use to slashing. which meant you had to be within about 3 feet of your enemy. Once mounted soldiers began to be armed with revolvers (circa 1860) they took special care that no enemy ever got within 10 feet of them, let alone 3.
As for the German ones, they obviously were made sometime after 1829. I have no information as to when they stopped being made.
Some more very interesting and informative information concerning the sword in question! I sincerely appreciate all of the things you have shared with me and offer you A HUGE THANK YOU!
 

Upvote 4

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