This is a wonderful M1850 staff and field sword, complete, all original, un-messed with, and showing a bright blade with vivid etching against a bright silvery frosted ground. The brass hilt and scabbard mounts (throat, ring bands, and drag) show a matching, medium, subdued brass patina. The hilt follows the standard pattern with extra bars and a floating “U.S.” amid the openwork floral motifs of the guard, etc., but shows extra detailing in the addition of cast and chased floral motifs around the brim of the pommel cap and a line of stars along the upper edge of the panel of leaves along the lower edge of the pommel. There are also a few traces of the gilt finish in recessed areas. The gray sharkskin grip wrap is excellent and the triple wire grip binding is all there and in place.

The blade is the standard configuration, with excellent edge and point, and the etching is vivid enough to be visible across the room. The obverse starts at the guard with a short rectangular geometric and floral panel above which is a tall stand of arms showing shield, drums, swords, bayonetted musket, and two flags on tall staffs. Above this a long stretch of floral scrolls ends up entwining a U.S. shield, quiver and arrows, and a stars and stripes pennant on a lance. Above that sequence a rather Germanic looking American eagle with U.S. shield on its chest and grasping arrows and olive branch, raises its wings, while overhead floats a foliate scroll reading E Pluribus Unum. Another floral-scroll panel above this terminates the panel with jagged flame point or starburst ends to the frosting. The reverse uses a similar stand of arms at bottom using a U.S. shield, drums and quiver, but with striped flag with an eagle in the canton entwined in the floral scrolls above, and overhead and narrow pennant with a script “U.S.” on a lance, with another two crossed banners on pikes with a third pike extending above them at center. The panel is them finished off with floral scrolls and end points to the frosting as on the obverse.

The scabbard body is pretty, bluish-plum color that nicely sets off the brass mounts. We see just one slight indentation on the scabbard drag and a couple of small areas of shallow speckling to the body that blend in pretty well.

We see no maker’s or retailer’s markings, but the sword is certainly an import sold by one of the U.S. military goods dealers like Schuyler, Hartley and Graham, or a smaller competitor, who supplied officers with their weapons and gear. The obverse ricasso bears an inset small round copper or brass disk reading “PROVED” as a guarantee of quality. These were originally used by British makers to distinguish their swords from those made by German competitors, but it soon turned out that German firms turning out swords were equally capable of supplying them with similar disk proofmarks as well.

This is a very good looking regulation U.S. Civil War officer’s saber as carried by mounted regimental field officers (majors, lieutenant colonels, and colonels) and members of the staff (adjutants and the like,) by officers on brigade and other level staffs (such as aides-de-camp,) and not a few generals as well.  [sr][ph:L]

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