This style sword was carried by an officer in Napoleon's Dragoons or his Cuirassiers. It is identical in every way to the iconic Model of 1784 "Garde de Bataille" but with the addition of a long backstrap between the pommel and the guard a feature that started to appear about 1812 and became regulation by 1814. This is a sword made for combat, or undress. Accordingly, it has a plain 38 1/2-inch-long double fullered straight blade that is 1 1/4 inches wide at the hilt. As an officer's sword the blade is not arsenal marked and as a combat weapon the blade was never embellished. The sword shows its original burnish but has some overall very very fine pitting which is not unsightly. The blade culminates in the pre-1816 "hatchet point".

The brass hilt, composed of a one-piece 1/2 basket guard and backstrap is in perfect condition. The grip has 99% of its original leather. 85% of the original twisted wire remains on the grip. There is evidence of fire gilding here and there. The wooden leather covered scabbard has three large brass mounts. These also show traces of their fire gilt. The mounts show the nicks and dents one would expect from a sword carried in the field.

This sword was acquired many years ago from the expert arms dealer Patrick Donnelley. It was in his personal collection, and it was acquired by him from professor I.K. Hay of Lancaster PA. Prior to this the sword was in the outstanding Adolphe collection, New Rachelle NY. Adolphe reported that this sword purchased by him from a family in France and purchased with it was his Cuirassier helmet worn at Waterloo. The consignor of this sword owned that cuirassier helmet which was sold back to a French collector in 2014. Three features make this sword an absolute First Empire example: the hatchet pointed blade; the large "barrel" mounted rings on the top and middle mounts and finally the "serpentine" form of the dard or drag. A massive sword 45 inches in overall length.  A Napoleonic classic. [pe] [ph:L]

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