Please help provide Info on a sword -- myArmoury.com

Sherry M. Rooney

Hi
I am looking for someone who can help me find some information on a sword I found about 27 yrs ago along the banks of the Savanna River in Augusta GA. I found the sword in a rock and removed it. The handle of it appears to me to made out of copper and some kind of wood that is unlike anything we have around here. It has a Hand carved lion with what I think to be a set of ram horns. and it has two dragons which also appear to have been hand carved curling off the side. If anyone thinks they may be able to help me please email me at rooney93081@bellsouth.net. Thank you!

Sherry M. Rooney · Posted: Thu 13 Oct, 2005 11:26 am Post subject: Need help!

I have pictures if you would like to view them!

Bill Grandy · myArmoury Team

Hi Sherry,
Please post the pictures! Without them, it is very hard to help. Even with pictures, it's hard enough sometimes. Happy

Michael Eging · Posted: Thu 13 Oct, 2005 11:32 am Post subject:

Can you post the pictures? Might be helpful. Big Grin

Chuck Russell · Posted: Thu 13 Oct, 2005 12:35 pm Post subject:

hmmm, kewl

does it read on teh blade "who soever pullith this sword from this ston shall be king of all america"?? hehe jk ya i'd like to see pictures

Russ Ellis · Industry Professional

You can see the sword in question in the www.netsword.com medieval weapons discussion forum. Personally I'd like some clearer pictures, but it looks like a decorative piece from what I can tell to this point.

Allan Senefelder · Industry Professional

Looks to be single edged almost like one of the Big sword bayonet blades of the 19th century ."Copper" is perhaps bronze? Some sort of dark hardwood handle like maybe rosewood or something. Could be a hunting sword from the 19th century, could also be made in China last year. More/better picture would help. Anything written on the blade anywhere?

Sherry M. Rooney · Posted: Thu 13 Oct, 2005 2:35 pm Post subject:

Hi
Nothing is written on the blade at all. I have searched the entire thing with a microscope over and over again I took the piece up to the museum here and they told me it looked as if it came from between the 16th and 17th century. This may not mean anything the museum said it has a place under the handle where a leather strip held the handle tight to the blade I have a pic of it as well . I will post more pictures on the other web sites in just a bit.I still have not figured out how to do it on here yet but as soon as I do I will. Oh and the sword in the stone I Love IT that was funny!!!! I am very sorry about the photo quality as I will try to get better pictures tonight on the other site. Thank you!! Question should I try to clean it a little to see if it looks better

Russ Ellis · Industry Professional

Better photos would definitely help. Also could you expand on that "in a stone" business? I'm not entirely clear on what you mean by that.

Sherry M. Rooney · Posted: Mon 17 Oct, 2005 11:03 am Post subject: Stiil looking for help!

When I was a little girl we were playing on the riverbanks throwing rocks in the river and when my oldest brother picked up this really big rock to throw it in I saw something sticking out of the rock and told him to put it down and he dropped the rock and when he did it broke in half and all of the sword was sticking out except a little bit of the blade and the only way to get it out of the half of rock it was in was to take a hammer and a screwdriver and break the rock around the sword.

Sean Flynt · Posted: Mon 17 Oct, 2005 11:40 am Post subject:

Given the location of the find, my first advice would be to talk to a local Civil War historian and ask if any units might have crossed the river within a few miles of the find site. Looks to me like it's the right period. Maybe a non-regulation artillery sword? The Model 1832 artillery sword was short and of neoclassical design (see below), and yours appears to be in the same general family. A great many non-regulation swords were adopted during the war, especially by the Confederates, so yours might be an imported item or an even older militia sword. Figuring out which units passed through the area of the find will probably answer lots of questions, and could make an astonishing difference in the appraised value. As for the "rock" issue, the matrix could very well have been a very old, very dry lump of Georgia clay. When clay dries, it can certainly be hard as a rock.

I'm imagining a CSA artillery unit struggling up a bank after crossing a shallow spot in the river when a junior officer's fine imported sword, rolled up in the horse blanket behind his saddle, slips out of its scabbard. Dreaming? Not at all. Sitting on a shelf in my study is a U.S. Model 1860 cavalry saber apparently lost this way. I was able to easily determine which unit dropped it because only one Federal cavalry unit is known to have passed through the find site. You may not be so lucky since the area of your find was probably trampled flat by both sides during the war.

Good luck!

Sean Flynt · Posted: Mon 17 Oct, 2005 11:52 am Post subject:

After looking closely at the NetSword photos, I'll revise my speculation. The reeded grip and multi-fullered blade (of what looks like high-qaulity), to me, just screams early 19th century. I envision a scenario similar to what I suggested above, just 50 or sixty years earlier. Big Grin

Sherry M. Rooney · Posted: Mon 17 Oct, 2005 7:39 pm Post subject:

Thank-you so much for the advice! I will do some research and see what I can come up with an if I find anything I will update everyone as to my find. Thank you again to you all for your time.