18th cen. German/Hessian infantry sabre. -- myArmoury.com

Morgan Butler

This is a sword of mine that I have some questions about and I thought you fine folks might have some answers/surmises about.

1) Any chance that these repairs are period/historical? Many of the other hessian swords that I have seen have the crap beaten out of them from battle..

2) What are the Royal Sigil/initials "MK". Anyone know?

Morgan Butler · Posted: Wed 21 May, 2008 1:01 pm Post subject:

I found a very similar Royal cypher on a supposedly danish 18th cen. short sabre/hangar. Any cypher/monogram experts out there?

Jim McDougall · Posted: Wed 21 May, 2008 2:55 pm Post subject:

Brian Nicholas · Posted: Sat 24 May, 2008 9:16 pm Post subject: I think it is Bavarian

Morgan,

I was just in wikipedia, and in keeping with your idea it was German, i thought it could be Bavarian rather than Prussian. Everybody seems tp think of Prussia as Germany, but really Germany was a loose Confederation of independent states of which Bavaria figured prominantly. So I looked up the Bavarian Kings, and there is a Maximillian I Joseph. I think the cypher is the German Language "Maximillian Joseph Koenig" Koenig being the German word for King, and spelled Konig (with 2 dots over the O which is translated and spelled OE). Wiki has a bio and pic of him and it also shows his royal arms. The Center Crown, bears a striking resemblence to the crowns on your saber. here is the link to the wikipedia listing for him:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Wappen_Deu...ses%29.jpg

The languettes which are diamond shaped have me abit confused, that seems to be a very Austro Hungarian thing, and you see them all the time on Hungarian Sabers. If it is Austrian, but I lean more toward Bavarian, then he royal cypher would be that of one of the Maria Theresas that were Empress. Tracking Austrian nobility is easy in the sense that they were all named Fanz somethingnorother or Maria Theresa , it's the Numbering that confuses me. If it is Austrian it most likely comes from the reign of Maria Theresa from 1745-1780.

I like the theory that it is Bavarian from the reign of Maximillian I Joseph best. The languettes thing can be explained by the fact that the Habsburgs of Austria bread like rabbits, and turn up in all the royal houses of europe as spouses etc. and one of them even became emperor of Maximilian I of Mexico who had a short lived reign that ended the way of a lot of Mexican/Latin American political regimes do, with a sever case of traumatic lead poisoning usually caused by a large caliber piece of lead being forcibly introduced into vital areas of the human body. A bavarian sword maker, or military person could have liked the look of the languettes on one of his Habsburg cousin's sabers.

Hope this helps

Best regards
Brian Nicholas