Original Item. One Only. Straight out of storage in England this is only the third sword we’ve ever had like this. It is a French Cuirassier Sword that was actually manufactured for Napoleons occupying Army in Milan, in the Kingdom of Northern Italy.
Having conquered much of Europe Napoleon declared himself “King” of Northern Italy and made his Step Son, Eugene de Beauharnais his Viceroy . This “Napoleonic “Kingdom” only survived until Napoleon’s downfall in 1814 when it was annexed into the Austrian Empire.
So while occupying his Italian possessions Napoleon commissioned Italian Sword makers to produce swords and other military supplies to the French specification. Milan’s principal sword cutler was BARISONI and this classic double fullered French Cuirassier Sword blade bears
his maker’s name in full capital letters.
These are very unusual, in fact this only our third one in 40 years. Unlike previous examples this sword retains it earlier style First Empire brass hilt assembly, showing little use other than the leather grip covering is just starting to show it’s age under the brass wire wrap. The blade is excellent but shows signs of surface staining. A really nice sword in its original configuration having been made approximately the year of 1810.