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Post by luckyd on Dec 21, 2019 18:00:17 GMT
Hi guys, So I believe this is a French model 1822 cavalry officer's saber, but there are no markings whatsoever on the blade, except for this one marking on the pommel. It looks like ME or EM? Could anyone help me id this? Thanks, Ron
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Uhlan
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Posts: 3,121
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Post by Uhlan on Dec 21, 2019 19:00:19 GMT
Those are the initials of the original owner (Officer). French Officers sabres don't always have stamps. This is probably one such, a private order from before the 1830's. After 1834 Officers sabres had to be bought at Klingenthal because the private order sabres often were below par and could cause problems for owners and bystanders. Not that many Officers bothered with this rule.
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Post by luckyd on Dec 21, 2019 20:52:40 GMT
Thank you. See, I thought it was the initials of the owner, but when I was searching online I actually found one french 1896 saber bearing the same marking on its pommel. I found it at users.skynet.be/euro-swords/M1896OC.htmWhat do you think? Could it be the markings of the same sword maker or two officers with same initials? Thanks
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Uhlan
Member
Posts: 3,121
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Post by Uhlan on Dec 21, 2019 21:31:19 GMT
Again, these initials are not from the maker. The maker has his stamp on the ricasso or the spine of the blade. If the initials are 100% the same, so not only the letters them selves but the way they are depicted, than they are from the same name of the same Officer. These same initials would be seen on his seal ring, visiting cards, his writing paper, his sealing wax stamp, his cigarette case and probably his ,,unspeakables'', shirts and hankies too. That place on the pommel cap is especially there to have a (family) name engraved. Nothing else. Clearly the Officer was not of the nobility. Otherwise that place would have had the family crest engraved too, together with the initials of the owner of the sabre. The chance that two Officers with the same initials would get the same engraving is very small. It is not for nothing that the engravers had huge archives of copies of everything they had made just to avoid this from happening. Also there were not that many of them so they knew each other quite well. It was at that time a 3000 years old art and took years and years of practise. One false move and you destroyed a small fortune. Now you go to the 3 minute shoe repair shop and have your key fob engraved from a chablone for 1$99. Soulless junk and all the same the world over.
Cheers.
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