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Auction: 18003 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 724

A Light Infantry Officer's Sword

the single-edged, fullered, undecorated, steel blade of sabre form, forged to an iron tang and double-edged 165mm from its point; the hilt of cast yellow-metal alloy (once gilded or silvered), the curved knucklebow cast with a stringed bugle-horn above the crowned Royal Cypher GR, with lion's-head pommel and ring for the sword knot; the ribbed wooden grip covered with black fish-skin; wear overall, a possible repair to the knucklebow, slight staining and corrosion to the blade; overall length 890mm, blade length 760mm (both measurements across curve).

This sword resembles one of the many variants upon the 'Pattern Sword for Officers of Grenadiers and Light Infantry' approved in March 1803 as described in Robson, B. E., Swords of the British Army: the Regulation Patterns 1788 to 1914 (London, 1996), pp. 148-152. The use of the stringed bugle-horn in the decoration of the knucklebow indicates that it was intended for use by an officer of Light Infantry, either of the left flank company of an Infantry regiment of the Line or of a Light Infantry regiment. Such swords appear to have continued in use, although with many variations, until c.1822.

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Sold for
£120