Original Item: Only One Available. This is a most unusual Infantry sidearm we’ve not encountered before. It features a French style 1822 brass three branch guard surrounding a ray skin covered and brass wire bound grip. The “cutlass” style unfullered blade is 28″ in length. Overall length is 33″. The most interesting feature is the addition of a brass thumb rest to the upper side of the grip directly behind the guard. The Cutlass comes with typical French brass mounted hard leather scabbard.
In 1861 the French Emperor Napoleon III invaded Mexico defeating the Republican Mexican forces and three years later, in 1864, Napoleon installed the younger brother of Austrian Emperor Joseph I, Arch-Duke Maximilian as the Emperor of Mexico.
The fighting with the Republicans continued and in 1866 the French withdrew their support. The very next year Emperor Maximilian was defeated by the Republicans under their leader Juarez and in June 1867 Emperor Maximilian 1st of Mexico was executed by firing squad. This is a most interesting Infantry cutlass from a little studied part of American History.