Original French Cuirassiers Armor Set with 2nd Empire Paris City Guard Plumed Helmet – Dated 1830 / 32 Original Items

Original Item. Only One Set Available. This has comes right out of the attic and has not been cleaned or restored in any way. It is a French Heavy Cavalry (CUIRASSIER) Armor set of front and back plate connected by over the shoulder brass chain shoulder straps. It comes with a Cuirassier’s correct brass mounted steel helmet with red feather plume and black Horse tail hanging down the back of the Trooper. It is all very impressive.

It is easy to describe as an original NAPOLEONIC set but then again there were TWO NAPOLEONS, The First who was defeated at Waterloo in 1816 and the one known as NAPOLEON THE THIRD who lost the Battle of SEDAN in 1870 against the Prussians under Bismark and spent the rest of his life in exile in England. However, there was also the Bourbon Restoration of 1814-1830, as well as the July Monarchy of 1830-1848, and they all used these same style Cuirasses, if not the same actual cuirasses. They were reissued multiple times, all the way until WWI.

The helmet we are fairly certain comes from the time of NAPOLEON THE THIRD and in fact the helmet displays the CITY OF PARIS GUARD. The Cuirass on the other hand, which was probably issued in the 1860’s to the PARIS CITY GUARD of much earlier in production. Close inspection indicates that this indeed the case, and the armor is definitely from the 1830s. Both the front and back plate bear French arsenal markings on the lower left interior, with regimental markings to the lower right.

The front plate is marked:

Manuf’re R’ale de Klingenthal 1830

This is a slight abbreviation of “Manufacture Royale de Klingenthal 1830”, for Manufacture at the Royal Arsenal at Klingenthal in 1830. The back plate bears different markings:

Manuf’re R’ale de Châtellerault 1832

This is a slight abbreviation of “Manufacture Royale de Châtellerault 1832”, for Manufacture at the Royal Arsenal at Châtellerault in June 1832. As these were re-used many times in arsenal, it was not uncommon for the front and back plates to become unmatched over the years. These were both manufactured during the reign of Louis-Philippe I, the Citizen King of the House of Orléans, who reigned 1830–1848, which is known as the “July Monarchy” period. The front plate is quite a bit heavier than the rear, as the primary need for protection was from the front. The set still has the brass ring “straps” for other the shoulders, however the leather portions are unfortunately long gone.

Armor as such was fast being made obsolete after Waterloo, and was only then used for parade purposes, as in the CITY OF PARIS Guards. NAPOLEON THE THIRD did employ fully armored Heavy Cavalry at the Battle of Sedan and only because he managed to get himself captured by the Prussians lost his throne. A mistake which most certainly changed History.

Somewhat dirty but absolutely Original, a NAPOLEONIC FULL ARMOR SET WITH HELMET, totally uncleaned ready for some TLC and then to Display!