help with marking on a blucher sabre

[ilvalto]

Hi Folks

I just got my hands on a blucher sabre - it got to me in a fairly bad/rusty state, and just spent the afternoon giving it some well overdue TLC, and all kind of marking are now popping up, which is exciting.

thing is, I know nothing of prussian markings, as I normally collect frecnh blades, so I was hoping someone could help me interpreting these?

marking on the blade - there's a 26 marked on the spine of the blade...would that be the manufacturing year? i.e. 1826?

marking on the crossguard "2.T.P.3.24" and further down, closer to the hand guard 726. 81?

marking on the quillon - ther's a single "W"

finally, and the marking that puzzles me the most (and struggle to get a good picture), on the guard, next to the blade, there's a double WW, underneath what appears to be a 2-ponted crown.

Finally there's a bunch of markings on the scabbard, suggesting the scabbard has been around a while, as several of these are crossed out. the only one not crossed out (2.T.P.4.67), is similar to the one on the guard (assuming they belonged to the same units, but probably there was a last minute swap of scabbards).

there is also another marking on the scabbard, away from the other (on the spine of the scabbard) "3.E.21LR 57"


thanks in advance for any help

[Anderson]

What you have is an interesting record of service. Based on the British 1796 Light Cavalry Sabre, the 1811 "Blucher" version didn't actually begin production until 1815, Solingen was in the hands of the French until 1814. When made it was the preferred Cavalry sabre but by the late 1820s was already obsolete, an so these weapon were relegated to support regiments and reserves further to the rear.
The first R.P.C.7.106 means "Reserve Proviant Colonne" (Reserve Provision Column) No.7. Weapon 106. Basically a supply column.
The next; 2.T.P.5.74 means "Train Bataillon, Proviant,5, weapon 74. Train in this context means the rear not railway.
3.E.21 LR 67, "E" refers to Eisenbahn Regiment, so a Railway protection unit.

[AndyB]

Major units are here from 2.Train Batallion which was located in Pommern since 1853. Or mainly non striked units is of this unit, the previous units were too from Trains from various Collumns or Supply units.
About the unit on scabbard, firstly is not typical place, and not typical form for german unit of that period, hard to believe its from Eisenbahn Regiment, more real when its LR its from Landwehr Regiment. The other restriked units, should be dated too by searching the history of each one.

[ilvalto]

Thank you botg, that's very interesting.


Any idea what the 26 on the spine could be? I.e., is that likely to be another inventory / weapon number, or could that indixare the year?

Thanks

[Anderson]

I'm thinking more likely an inventory number rather than a date.

[AndyB]

Same opinion as Anderson, the last unit on crosspiece and scabbard is not identical, on crosspiece so 3.Proviant kolonne, on scabbard 4.Proviant Kolonne, also different end serials of exact weapon, from this it means the scabbard is not matching with sabre, and was mixed in unit after rearming, the 26 could be inventory stamp of previous refurbish of the sabre with scabbard, which should be identical serialed.

[ilvalto]

excellent, thanks both.

I am very puzzled by the single W I see on the quillon and the double WW under what appears to be a 3-points crown...any idea what that might be?

thanks

[AndyB]

Could be production or repair stamp, is not visible on Your pictures, there is other digit 726.81? on crosspiece, which could be part of reserialing or repair stamp and corespond partly with 26 on blade.

[ilvalto]

you can barely see the WW and crown in one fo the picture, I'll try to zoom in - loses a bit of quality, but yeah its' a very faint logo, and very hard to get a good picture - but as you can see , it does look like a 3 pointed crown - underneath it there's two WW

[AndyB]

It looks strange to me, the crown is certainly not german type. Under laps of crosspiece on blade should be maker of blade or complete sabre.