Original British Victorian P-1822 Light Cavalry Sword with Scabbard- Madras Cavalry Marked Original Items

Original Item: Only One Available. This is a lovely example of a British Victorian Era Pattern 1822 Officer’s Sword, complete with its original scabbard. The sword has a lovely etched blade naming it to the Madras Cavalry, part of the Army of the Presidency of Madras, one of the three presidencies of British India within the British Empire.

The Madras Army of the Honorable East India Company came into being through the need to protect the Company’s commercial interests. These were mostly untrained guards, with only some bearing arms. The French attack and capture of Madras in 1746 forced the British hand. In 1757, the British decided to raise well-trained military units to conduct operations, conquer territory, and force allegiance from local rulers. After this they formed a typical British Colonial Army, complete with infantry, cavalry, and artillery forces.

The sword is very nice, and has the Regulation Pattern 1822 three bar hilt, with a wooden sharkskin wrapped grip bound with twisted wire. There is however definitely wear to the grip, and part of the grip is broken off near the pommel, although this does not detract from the outward appearance of the piece overall.

The rest of the blade has lovely foliate and scroll designs, and one side has the CROWN / VR Royal Cypher of Queen Victoria. On the other side is a rampant lion surrounded by the words MADRAS CAVALRY. The blade is mostly dull gray, with staining, and cleaning has worn the etching, so the background is mostly faded now.

The scabbard is the standard regulation double ring type, and is made from unplated steel. It has a nice gray patina, and is almost entirely dent free. It is however missing the throat slider at the top of the scabbard.

A very nice officer’s sword from the British Raj. Ready to display!

Specifications:
Blade Length: 32″
Blade Style: Single Edge w/ Fuller
Overall length: 37“
Scabbard Length: 33″