Description
No maker. This sword is personalized on the blade etch to the II Garde Dragoon Regiment, Empress Alexandra of Russia and recently obtained in Germany. This regiment was raised in 1860 and garrisoned in Berlin, with Czar Nicholas II of Russia serving as Colonel-in-Chief of the Regiment in 1914. A photograph of this pattern sword with folding handguard appears on page 154 of Collecting the Edged Weapons of Imperial Germany. Nickel-plated hilt shows minor wear/crazing/speckling to flat pommel, grooved knuckle-bow and non-folding handguard with the Prussian Eagle on obverse guard. Reverse handguard has a minor crimp, but does not mar the appearance of the hilt. Black celluloid grip with horizontal grooves without wire wrap shows minor surface wear, but no cracks or chips. Plated, double-etched blade measuring 32 ½” in length grades EX showing light surface wear with a few areas of gray speckling and one tiny nick to the cutting edge, but no major lifting, or damage to the etched panels. Both obverse and reverse blade feature 14″ long etched panels as well as a laurel leaf motif on the blade spine running the length of the etched panels. Obverse, central panel features the 2-line inscription in raised, stylized letters, “II. Garde Drag. Regt. Kaiserin Alexandra von Russland” flanked by floral designs, military equipment and a Garde Star on gray frosted background. Reverse, central panel features a raised motif of charging Dragoons on a gray frosted background flanked by floral designs, military equipment, a crowned “A” cipher and a mounted Dragoon. Blade is complete with red felt blade buffer pad. Steel scabbard with stationary ring retains approximately 95% of the period repainted black enamel, showing surface wear and crazing with several surface depressions on obverse/reverse. Scabbard throat retaining screw is missing. Nice, sword from one of the two, Imperial Garde Dragoon Regiments. EX+.
