help to ID my sword

**Georg** · 04-09-2012, 02:34 AM

I pick this sword up in a trade (with-out a scabbard) ,and would like to get some help to ID it. It appears to be an older combat German style sword with a dove type grip and guard. There are no langet and the ricasso is marked with a star over a W in shield. The grip and the quillon is marked with a royal cypher (crown over?). The blade is 30” and 1 ¼ “wide at the ricasso,the blade also have a odd grove near the middle of the blade top. It appears to be a re-issues (with two set of regimentally marking) .

**Georg** · 04-09-2012, 02:37 AM

more pic

**Eric Zentner** · 04-09-2012, 02:55 AM

Looks like a Imperial NCO dove head to me with ground off tangs and triple wire wrap missing.
But I could be wrong.
Eric

**Georg** · 04-09-2012, 03:18 AM

Thanks, you may be right, But the langet does not appear to be ground off (to me).

**Richie B** · 04-09-2012, 09:22 AM

I think this is a German sabre with a captured French blade.

In German "Preuß. Ulanen-Säbel von 1873 mit Beuteklinge"

The *W in the shield is a French poinçon de contrôle - inspection stamp.

I can also see Imperial German inspection stamps.

The sword looks to have been quite heavily cleaned - the blades often kept the original French manufacturers markings on the spine.

There are other examples shown here - hopefully visible to non members of the forum

Preuß. Ulanen-Säbel von 1873 mit Beuteklinge - Preussen - www.Blankwaffen-Forum.de

**Georg** · 04-10-2012, 01:27 AM

Thanks, I have not seen this type of sword before. By it being a German sabre with a captured French blade, would the blade have been captured from the Franco-Prussian war? Could any-one ID the royal cypher inspection stamp, I could not find it in any of the books which I have.

**davejb** · 04-10-2012, 03:42 AM

Its not only been "cleaned" it has also been sanded very heavily and not very well , a too harsh a grit has been used

**Richie B** · 04-10-2012, 09:03 AM

by Georg

Thanks, I have not seen this type of sword before. By it being a German sabre with a captured French blade, would the blade have been captured from the Franco-Prussian war? Could any-one ID the royal cypher inspection stamp, I could not find it in any of the books which I have.

The word "beute" means captured or trophy in German so it is quite likely the blade was captured during the Franco-Prussian War which ended in 1871.

The blade is probably from the French Modele 1822 Light Cavalry Sabre.

The Star/W stamp is probably that of an inspector named Wiedman used between 1836-43.

The Imperial inspection stamp is that of an individual inspector and is a letter in German script.

**Georg** · 04-10-2012, 05:04 PM

Thanks, I have learned so much from this forum.Have I been in error? I was under the understanding that the royal cypher inspection mark was related to a German state which accepted the item( not the individual inspector).