Can you tell me anything about this sabre?

Fred.Rowe

Fred.Rowe

Joined
May 2, 2004
Messages
6,848
I inherited this sabre a couple of years ago and would like to know something about it. It is marked both sides of the guard, 1920 on one side and A/R.R.11.88
The scabbard is marked with the same A/R.R.11.88
The spine of the blade is marked just ahead of the guard but I can not quite make it out.

thanks, Fred

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ard.jpg


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Hi Fred,

Nice pictures. It does look like one of the German states mounted artillery swords. is there any marking up under the langets on the ricasso? The numbers are probably unit and rack numbers but I'd be lying if I said I knew for sure. Does the grip seem like bakelite, or other plastic type?

There is quite a continental contingent and others with the right books that can probably identify it over at the A&M room of SFI.
http://forums.swordforum.com/forumdisplay.php?f=11

To the best of my knowledge, single ring scabbards tend to imply mounted use. There are other countries that used very similar patterns, so it may not even have been issued to a Germanic state. The sword does bear all the earmarks of a Solingen (or similar German source) made piece though.

A nice clean and unmessed with piece.

Cheers

Hotspur; Richard Bezdek has a large volume on German swords and swordmakers, somewhat browsable if registered at Amazon
 
horseclover said:
Hi Fred,

Nice pictures. It does look like one of the German states mounted artillery swords. is there any marking up under the langets on the ricasso? The numbers are probably unit and rack numbers but I'd be lying if I said I knew for sure. Does the grip seem like bakelite, or other plastic type?

There is quite a continental contingent and others with the right books that can probably identify it over at the A&M room of SFI.
http://forums.swordforum.com/forumdisplay.php?f=11

To the best of my knowledge, single ring scabbards tend to imply mounted use. There are other countries that used very similar patterns, so it may not even have been issued to a Germanic state. The sword does bear all the earmarks of a Solingen (or similar German source) made piece though.

A nice clean and unmessed with piece.

Cheers

Hotspur; Richard Bezdek has a large volume on German swords and swordmakers, somewhat browsable if registered at Amazon
Click to expand...

Upon inspection with a glass, the name Alex Coppel is stamped on the ricasso under the langets.
Fred
 
Congratulations! You have a blade from a very reputable German maker! And - it is in an outstanding condition!
 
Also, I wonder if there is just the name of Alex Coppel or any images also present on the ricasso? This may tell us something about the age of the sword.
One has to be very careful especially when purchasing swords, knives and daggers from the "reputable" eBay dealers. Not to go too far for the example, look at the current auction for the eBay item #180163603133 - it is all nothing but a shameless fake! The year is shown different on the blade and on the grip. The "arsenal mark" is the most weird type of forgery I've ever seen: it pretends to be "Russian" with the "hammer and sickle" symbol, which was NOT introduce until AFTER the rebellion of 1917... . What else? Oh, yes - the blade's shape is not of an army issue shashka and the scabbard's suspension ring is positioned as it should be on a saber's scabbard, not on the shashka's one (should be turned 180 degrees to have the sword with its blade up). The images speak for themselves. And - not surprisingly, the names of the bidders are hidden so no one can open their eyes! I wish there is a way to warn the bidders!
 
fudo said:
I believe you have a Prussian 1796 Light Cavalry Saber.
Click to expand...

Are you thinking of the British 1796 Light Cavalry sabre? This one is certainly similar, in a generic sort of way. Many countries used similar sabres, eight up to the 20th century. Here is what was discussed elsewhere about this one.
http://forums.swordforum.com/showthread.php?t=83423

Cheers

Hotspur; the Napoleonic era blades are quite a diffrent shape.
 
Whoever made it, that's a treasure. Beautiful piece!
 
If it is German made and German issued, there should be a crown with a two digit number on the spine about an inch from the guard? The number is the year of issue. '98' would be 1798 or 1888 depending on the pattern.

A/R.R.11.88 on the hilt would represent the Regiment, battalion number and issue number. The fact that you sword and scabbard have the same numbers is a bonus and means that the sword was surrendered, or taken off someone who no longer needed it. After decommissioning swords and scabbards were greased and packed in cases separately. Sometimes, swords and scabbards in one case, sometimes in separate cases. It was up to the buyer if they tried to marry them back together!

I have a sidearm (not a sword and not a bayonet) marked 12 R.A. 14. 88 which is 12th regiment of artillery, 14th battalion, issue number 88 (from memory).

Yours is in beautiful condition. Look after it!
 
I have seen several. They are German. Probably something like M1885 or M1881. I have seen them with plastic and leather grips. They were made 1880's up to WWI. The pattern dates back much further, but this model is later.

I think any time you see a R AR one of those R's means Reserve. Like Reserve Infantry Battalion, Reserve Artillery Battalion. These units were front line in WWI, just had the name reserve.

Regards, Sam Patch

There ain't no mistake in Sam Patch!!
 
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