Original Item: Only One Available. Swords like this are immensely rare and it is the first we have ever owned. This is a 33 inch cutlass with slightly curved substantial 28 inch blade. The length is fairly standard for military issue cutlasses of the time. The grip is heavily wire bound and the brass hilt, basically of three bars displaying a shell guard.
The most interesting aspect of this cutlass is the design molded in the casting of the shell guard; a French Man-o-War Ship and three fleur-de-lis are the symbol for the City of Paris. Such a design is not even illustrated in William Gilkerson’s wonderful book “Boarders Away, with Steel, edged weapons and Polearms” first published in 1991.
This cutlass came out of an old English collection recently and is clearly completely original and apparently exceptionally rare. Shows some possible slight combat damage to the shell guard and comes complete with 250 years plus of patina.