A rare early 1827 pattern George IV (1820-1830) Royal Navy officers’ sword with a quill pointed blade made famous by John Prosser of London.
The 725mm pipe-back blade has a pronounced yelmen measuring 300mm in length and terminates in a quill point.
The fighting blade is in fair to good condition for its age and sea service and has been cleaned. Over time the etching has been polished out and only slight traces of etching are visible on the forte. The blade has shallow pitting along its length and is bright and rust/tarnish free. There is some deeper pitting at the point.
The 1827 pattern, solid half-basket hilt is made of gilt brass and remains in excellent condition. The inner folding guard is in perfect working order and the hinge is firm and strong. The mane of the highly detailed lion head ends just below the pommel. The back strap is faceted and the “D” guard extends from between the lion’s jaws. The grip collar has an integral ring through which the sword knot was threaded. The white shagreen grip is of the highest quality and in excellent condition. The three strands of twisted wire are present and tight. The blade is firm in the hilt.
The gilt brass mounted black leather scabbard is original to the sword and is of the pre-1832 pattern with a hook on the locket for attaching the scabbard to a frog. The leather is in fair to good condition for its 190 plus years of age. The leather has three repairs. The gilt brass mounts are in good condition and retain much of their original finish. The sword sheaths and draws smoothly and is held firmly within the scabbard.
This is a reasonable example of a rare early 1827 pattern Royal Navy officer’s fighting sword dating to between 1827 and 1832.
