This is better quality example of the sword authorized for staff in 1860, but which shows up photographs carried by some Civil War generals as well. This follows the regulation pattern, but in addition to the cast and chased gilt brass hilt and mounts, used a sheet silver grip pressed to imitate a silver wire wrapped grip. This is a good looking sword that would have merited a prominent place in a military goods emporium catering to Civil War officers and the hilt has been carefully cleaned to show as it would have at the time. Thillmann illustrates a similar example, though one stripped of its silver grip and showing only the underlying wood core (p. 439.) This is complete.

This was made, or assembled, by E. Lyon of Paris, whose “EL” mark appears on the lower edge of the reverse folding guard and who used a blade from Klingenthal. One side of the blade ricasso is engraved in script “Coulaux & Cie.,” the “entrepreneur” given supervision of the “Manufacture du Klingenthal” by the French government, with a reviser’s crown/B stamp above. The other side has “Klingenthal,” in script with a [shield]/S inspection stamp above. Other than the nicer grip, the sword follows the standard configuration of the Model 1860 staff, which later morphed into the M1872 Staff and Line. The pommel is lantern shaped with an American eagle on one side and blank shield on the other. The knucklebow has acanthus leaves at top and a rosette in the middle with twisting lightning bolts jutting up and down from it. The lower portion splits to form the guard with a secondary branch joining the obverse counterguard. Both are cast and chased with leafy branches and the counterguard has a prominent American eagle, clutching arrows and olive branch, but with no shield on its chest, superimposed on six flags and staffs. The reverse counterguard is plain and folding, as is correct for the pattern, and has an untouched patina. There are no bends or breaks to the hilt. The silver grip has no dents or dings, is moderately bright, matching the raised motifs of the brass, and has floral brass ferrules top and bottom.

The thin red leather blade pad is in place under the guard and the arris or diamond-shaped blade is etched on both sides with floral motifs at top and bottom with a tall panoply of arms and flags in the mid-section. The edge and point are good and the metal smooth. The frosting has softened, but the etched motifs are very visible. The unetched sections show as a muted silver gray mixed with thin darker gray. The scabbard is steel with brass mounts and correctly has a single ring mount at the top (rather than double) and at the midpoint. Throat, narrow drag, and both ring mounts with rings are in place. The scabbard has no dents and is smooth metal showing as a dull steel gray with scattered darker gray spots. The ring bands show bright, matching the hilt. The sling rings show more as brass with an old patina.  [sr] [ph:L]

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