UBB.threads Forums Edged Weapons European Edged Weapons Not Shure Why I Bought It ..Or What It Is

A local Antique Shop had it for $140 ..even though it's not in my "area" of collecting ..I bought it! At first I thought maybe some sort of Regal or Court Sword ..but it looks more like a Serpent and a Cross engraved on the blade ..could it be Medical? ..then again ..there's some sort of Military style engraving ..I give up.
No maker mark ..no Masonic symbols
Any ideas what Country or a value ?
See what happens when I can't find any WW2 items

Back side

Blade 1

Blade 2

Blade 3

Blade 4

Blade 5

Blade 6

Well ...that's all the clues I have. Any Idea's?

I'am sorry, but I can't help you with this one.

I do think its worth more than, what you paid for it.

Better pictures of the blade etches and the guard would help.

From that one snake & cross, I would guess a Medical/Surgical connection.

Dave

I will go with Dave on this that it must be medical corps or related. Is there an imperial eagle or crown or anything on the etching? That will help someone like Kurt Identify this.

Sorry I can not be of more help

Jim

Thanks for helping with this one ..it is a strange one. Here's what I "think" I see in the etching ..The flag has an Eagle but also a crown with ribbons going off to the right and left ..it also has a spiked helmet etched on one side of the blade and a Shako on the other ..and maybe 2 crossed Cannons and Cannon Balls ? here are a few more shots ..it's hard to get great close ups ..oh and , the etching only goes half way down the blade.

"L" for Ludwig ?? or .."S" ...could it be Saddam's? (just kidding calm down )--

no maker mark at all ...also , can you see the Shako cap on top of the Drums ?

other side

Look between the Flags ..you can see the Spiked Helmet ...below it looks like 2 crossed Cannons with the Balls

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It does look like some sort of Imperial Eagle with that Crown over it's head

Let me know if there's any other close up that would help ID this. I wish I could have taken better pictures but , it's not easy between the reflection and angles ..sorry.

Thanks for trying to ID it guys, I appreciated your opinions ..At least it will make a nice wall hanger

Hi Mike,

I am still hoping someone will identify the sword based on the photos. In any case, for the price, you can send it to me any time.

Jim

Can you see clearly the emblem on the spiked helmet? The keys, IMO, are going to be that, the eagle in the flag, and the letter on the Lion's shield.
Maybe its the heat, but the eagle looks Albanian to me.

Mike

Nice sword.

This is what I think you have:

a late-19th Century ( circa 1880-1900) Imperial German Galadegen; cypher ( uncrowned lion w/shield w/ "L") on clamshell for Prince Regent Luitpold of Bavaria (1886-1912). It appears that the etched eagle on the flag on the blade is a standard Reichs eagle w/ ribboned crown. The etch , other than the caduseus and cross, is pretty standard.

The caduseus and cross is a really neat feature!

IMO the sword is not a commonly known German court pattern but, rather, more popular as an American Civil War/post Civil War officers pattern. Therefore, I would think that the sword may have been special ordered/provided from export stock, or modified from an export design, by a German sword manufacturer for issue/special order to (a) higher ranking German military medical (Militär-Sanitäts) official(s).

Note: I don't think that this cypher would be for Ludwig II. He would fall into the proper time frame for origination of the DRK (post-1864) and the time frame for the popularity of the sword pattern. BUT I would expect to see a crown on the lion or the "L".

Also, I don't think that the cypher would be for Ludwig III (1913-1918), primarily because of my assumptions regarding the date of the sword pattern. (However, an end-of-WWI dating could provide a window that allows for absence of crown on the cypher yet still a Reichs eagle on the blade etch.)

ONLY my $ .02

I look forward to any input of some of our more experienced Imperial German historians.

Hope this helps.

Thank you so much Roger ...it always amazes me how you have to know about the Imperials Family Trees to be able to ID some of the WW1 items.

quote:

Originally posted by Jim Wallace:
Hi Mike,

I am still hoping someone will identify the sword based on the photos. In any case, for the price, you can send it to me any time.

Jim

Hi Jim , Before Roger explained it ...I was going to ask you why you wanted to "baby-sit" an Albanian Sword !
When I first spotted that Flag I thought the same thing Tj did , Albanian ..but ,that style Eagle (and the Byzantine double header) has been used quite a bit. It looks like the Crown and ribbons were the key though. Thanks guys