ID HELP! Can't get ID anywhere. :( -- myArmoury.com

Josh T

Hi there!
After placing this on another forum, i just can't get anyone to ID it for me!

Found this sword caked in mud whilst walking around the River Thames in London. It is about 90cm's (3 foot) long and is quite light to handle.

Please can anyone identify it? Thankyou in advance!

Josh.

Photobucket image

Sam Gordon Campbell · Posted: Wed 02 Dec, 2009 3:42 am Post subject:

I'd say get thee to an antique dealer or local museam or somthing. Laughing Out Loud

My thoughts though would have to be perhaps a 20th century sabre or something.
Are there any odd marks or anything that loks like a makers stamp on its tang?

Josh T · Posted: Wed 02 Dec, 2009 3:53 am Post subject:

Nope, there are no marks anywhere upon the sword!
Thanks for the information anyway. Happy

JG Elmslie · Industry Professional

your best course of action is to contact the portable antiquities scheme:

http://www.finds.org.uk/index.php

its almost certainly not going to be classed as treasure find, given it's a relatively modern (ie, well past 1700) blade, and not containing any precious metals, but they are much more likely to be able to point you in the direction of people who can assist, ie, the museum of london, perhaps.

what they can do is also aid in conservation - its a river-find, and that mud has effectively sealed in the iron for the last few centuries, and protected it. having been cleaned away, its now in danger of oxidisation eating much deeper and more rapidly into the metal, meaning it could decay into a far worse condition over time. it really needs to be conserved, and sealed to prevent that from happening, and they should be able to aid you in that process.

Anders Backlund · Posted: Wed 02 Dec, 2009 8:28 am Post subject:

Hm, I'd say it's some kind of 19:th century military saber. Can't say I recognise the model, though. Single fuller and quill-point, peculiar.

Jeff Demetrick · Posted: Wed 02 Dec, 2009 8:45 am Post subject:

It looks like a "pipe Back" blade with a "quill point". Is the back of the blade raised and rounded? These were a common blade in the first half of the 19th century in Britain (rarely out side Britain such as the US). They were fazed out for more effective cutting styles. If you have exact measurements you should be able to determine if it was cavalry, naval or infantry. try Googling quill point or pipe back.

Jeff

Thom R. · Posted: Wed 02 Dec, 2009 8:45 am Post subject:

Looks like an early 19th century British Light Cavalry blade that would have been mated to the 1821 pattern hilt although without knowing more its hard to say. 1820s to 1840s saw the use of quill or "piped back" blades for the 1821 pattern LC sword. There are also RN and Army officer swords that used the piped back blade in that period too. I would recommend a post on the Antiques Board at Sword Forum International if you haven't already. tr

ps edit: looks like you got your answer from Matt and Jonathan at SFI.