This British 1845/54 pattern infantry officer’s sword was retailed by William Jones & Co., of London and dates to between 1859 and 1888. The period from which Jones & Co. traded from their Regent Street address.
The long, 886mm single-edged blade has a flat spine above a broad single fuller on both sides and is the Wilkinson 1845 pattern. The blade has a 280mm upper false edge and terminates in a spear point.
The blade is in very good condition and is etched on both sides with foliate panels and the crowned cypher of Queen Victoria. There is some slight wear to the etching. This is a robust fighting sword. The spine is 9mm thick at the ricasso, which is 28mm wide. The spine is marked with a centre of percussion arrow.
The ricasso is etched with the cutler’s name and address: “W. Jones & Co., 236 Regent Street, London.” Jones & Co. traded from this address between 1859 and 1888. The obverse ricasso bears a proof stud showing the T associated with the maker Edward Thurkle.
The barred, gothic guard is the fixed, 1854 regulation without the earlier folding section. The guard bears the Royal cypher of Queen Victoria above the Flowers of Union – the rose, thistle and shamrock and is in over-all very good condition. There is some slight distortion to the first of the bars but it is almost unnoticeable.
The ray skin hilt is in great condition. The three strands of twisted copper wire are intact. The hilt’s back strap has acanthus style decoration flowing into the stepped pommel with a flattened tang button. The blade is firm in the hilt.
The sword is complete with its polished steel scabbard with two suspension rings. The scabbard is in very good condition with a small, shallow ding and one or two small spots of tarnish. The sword sheathes and draws smoothly and is held firmly within the scabbard.
This is an excellent example of a British, mid-Victorian infantry officer’s fighting sword.
