Description
No maker. Although unmarked, photographs of this pattern hilt appears on page 73, upper & lower right, of Swords of Germany 1900/1945 by John R. Angolia as Clemen und Jung Unattributed Lion Head Sword. Gilted aluminum hilt shows light wear to highlights of the well detailed lion head pommel with red glass eyes, floral/geometric motifs on backstrap, and knuckle-bow with open wing eagle on obverse langet. Unique metal grip shows only light surface wear to the black enamel and is complete with tight twisted wire wrap. Curved, plated, double-etched blade measuring 35 1/8″ in length grades excellent++ showing only minor surface wear with no lifting or nicks to the cutting edge and is complete with black leather blade buffer pad. Obverse blade features a 14″ long etched panel consisting of floral motifs flanking a central blued panel inscribed in raised gilt gothic letters, “Joachim Honsberg.” Reverse blade features a 14″ long etched panel consisting of floral motifs flanking a central blued panel with a raised gilt facsimile of a machine gun crew and anti-tank crew. This etch is similar to those found on F.W. Höller etched bayonets. Obverse center blued panel shows minor wear to the highlights of the background bluing and to the raised gilt letters, while the remainder of the etched panels retain 100% of the background frosting and bluing. Dent-free steel scabbard retains approximately 98% of its black enamel showing light surface wear and a few minor surface scuffs. Documentation from the Bundesarchiv indicates that Hans-Joachim Honsberg was born on 11 December 1923, was commissioned on 01 April 1944, and served in Grenadier Regiment Nr. 77 as well as Grenadier Regiment 670. Nice personalized, double-etched Third Reich lion head sword that could be further researched. EX+/EX++.
