Original French Model 1816 Artillery Short Sword Original Items

Original Item: Only One Available. The 1816 artillery short sword was a sidearm issued to the French foot artillery. Heavily influenced by the prevailing Neoclassical style of the day, the sword was based on ancient sculptural depictions of the Roman gladius, the standard sword of the Roman legionaries. The short sword would not have been a practical weapon for combat without a shield, but served as a fascine knife or a machete to clear fields for the guns. It also served for other practical uses, the French soldiers calling it a coupe-chou (“cabbage cutter”). It was in service until about 1870.

The model was reissued in 1831 with minor changes. Most visibly, the newer model had a ringed grip rather than the fishscale pattern seen in the earlier model. It also provided the inspiration for the American Model 1832 Foot Artillery Sword, though the American model retained the fishscale grip of the 1816 model.

This is a lovely patinated example of a French Model 1816 Artillery Short sword, dated. This design of foot artillery sword has a straight, heavy double-edged steel blade. There are two side-by-side fullers, starting just below the hilt.

Then, after a space of 11/16″, there is a single center fuller that extends toward the blade’s spear shaped point. The overall blade length is approximately 19 1/4”.

The grips have been molded in a scalloped eagle feather / fish scale design. Three transverse iron rivets secure it to the tang of the blade. The pommel is not decorated. The straight cross quillons terminate in disk shaped finials, which are in great shape. Overall the grip has a lovely aged patina, with no signs of aggressive cleaning.

The blade on this example looks to have seen long service and some past oxidation, which was then cleaned away. There also looks to have been some water rust staining near the point of the blade. It was not heavily cleaned, and original grind marks can still be seen in the fullers and elsewhere on the blade. There are some nicks on the edge of the blade, so it definitely did see some level of use in service.

Comes more than ready for display!

Specifications:
Blade Length: 19 1/4″
Blade Style: Double Edged “Gladius” style
Overall length: 25 1/4“
Crossguard: 4 1/4”