Help with ID - OSNE sword

T

Tom @ Snake River

Joined
Mar 19, 2011
Messages
3
I am sure someone will know the answer. I picked up a nice sword and scabbard at auction. The blade is 30" long.
There should be a good pic of the handle. Sorry about the closeup on the markings.
The markings are (G inside a triangle) A larger outer circle has inside ( ION. N.G. 62 OSNE ) At the bottom of the circle is (H-G62 )
I would like to know where it is from and what era.

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I'm out of town so I don't have my references with me and I can't say anything about it off the top of my head. My first guess would be an 1800s American light cavalry saber, but the narrowness and length of the blade makes me very unsure of myself. The fuller and grind of the edge also look unusual to me. From what I understand the fillers were normally much wider than that. Could I trouble you for a picture of the rest of the blade and maybe a close up of the tip?

Chris

P.s. Very cool looking sword whatever it is. I really like the details on the back of the grip.

P.p.s. How thick is the blade?
 
My appogies for the slightly fuzzy pictures.
The blade is exactly 1/4" thick and 1" wide, (US measurements) and tappers very nicely out to the end. The blood groove ends exactly 8" before the tip.





 
Is the blade straight? It even looks like it might have a little bit of recurve? If so on either account, I think that makes it not an american cavalry saber — someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think those were ever straight (or recurved).
This one is stumping me. I'll be home with my references tomorrow and I'll see if I can look it up.

- Chris
 
The sunflower is a Bavarian Maximilian icon. I would put this to Mad Ludwig's reign of Bavaria which could put it somewhere around the second quarter of the the 19th century. However, we also have the Maximilian period in Mexico's past as a subjugate nation. The guys at http://swordforum.com in the Antique&Military section can probably ace this one. The blade form with the longer ricasso does place it to past the 1850s. In the end, I just don't know the form exactly. It looks like the blade overall has been shortened at some point which could place it even later than mid century.

Blade dimensions and better overall pictures ( profiles both side whole sword, next to scabbard. Straight on profiles both sides of the hilt. Top and bottom of hilt. Straight on at the butt of the hilt. Profiles of the blade's tip; stuff like that)

I am thinking as I type this and even more might consider it of the Maximilian (Ferdinand Maximilian Joseph of Austria) empire and Mexico. The sunflower makes me think Bavarian though.

Cheers

GC

The Maximilian Prince that authored the use of the sunflower but neither of the two previously mentioned.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_Maximilian_of_Wied-Neuwied
 
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Mine has a very different handle on it, but the blade looks very similar.
The inscription is one "I" short of the one you have.
I have looked at the item carefully, and I would hate to bring bad news, but it is possible that we have knock-offs on our hands. I got mine from China, from an area where I was sold an "authentic ww-1 samurai sword" which turned out to have been artificially aged with chemicals.
The tarnish on the copper on this sword seems a little artificial. But I hope someone will prove that wrong. I would certainly be happy if these swords are authentic and antique.
http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hpho...0168519998108_617728107_6791795_7431625_n.jpg
 
ID'ed by some others as a Chinese fake, similar to other military swords showing up for short bucks on Ebay

Cheers

GC
 
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