Description
Side-by side King’s Head and Knight’s Helmet above W.K&C. TM. An example of this pattern sword is illustrated in the Imperial Weyersberg, Kirschbaum & Cie. Sales Catalog as Nr. 25 “Feiner Cavallerie-und-Artillerie-Offizier-Parderkopf-Säbel mit neuem Eichenlaubbügel”. The gilded brass hilt fittings grade Near MINT/MINT showing virtually no surface wear to highlights with 100% of honey-gold factory gilding remaining in the recesses of the heavily chiseled lion/leopard head pommel with red glass eyes, backstrap and knuckle-bow with superbly detailed oak leaves and crossguard with lion head quillon and hand-enhanced stippling. The obverse langet features raised, crossed cannon barrels within a laurel leaf wreath on a hand-stippled background while the reverse langet features a coat-of-arms shield with helmet and mantel on a hand-stippled background. The shield is personalized with the monogram, “HK” in block letters. The black, solid Bakelite grip is perfect with no wear, cracks or chips, and is complete with triple, twisted, silver wire wrap. Curved, plated, mirror finished, quill-back blade measuring 34 ¼” in length, grades Near MINT/MINT showing no surface wear with two tiny nicks to lower cutting edge but, no lifting, pitting or graying, and is complete with original red felt buffer pad. Obverse blade features 14 3/8″ long etched panel consisting of raised floral motifs on a light gray frosted background flanking a central frosted gray panel inscribed in Gothic letters, “Kriegsjahr 1914”. Reverse blade features a 14 3/8″ long etched panel consisting of floral motifs on a light gray frosted background flanking a central frosted gray panel inscribed in raised gothic letters, “Gew. v.d. Unttfz. u. Mannsch.d. Landsturm Fuss=Art. Ers. Batt.” (Presented by the Non-Commissioned Officers and Men of the Reserve Foot-Artillery Replacement Battalion). Spine of blade features a raised laurel leaf motif running the length of the etched panels. Both obverse and reverse etched panels retain 100% of the background frosting with no wear, age or oxidation. Dent-free steel scabbard with a single suspension band/ring grades EX+ showing age/wear/surface scratches to obverse/reverse shell and drag, but no large areas of missing paint. The sword knot with black leather strap with three silver bullion stripes shows minor wear/age to leather and bullion stripes as well as to the silver bullion stem/crown/acorn with Prussian black woven acorn insert. Near MINT/MINT Presentation Royal Prussian Artillery sword that could probably be researched. EX++/Near MINT.
