EL6678 - A good Edward Thurkle Indian Army Officer's Sword (either for a British or Indian officer serving in India under the British Raj). In good clean condition with extensive branding - more than I have seen on such a sword, the blade being etched to Edward Thurkle, additionally being stamped 'London Made' and 'Thurkle'. Even the guard is stamped Thurkle on both sides of the ricasso. I can only presume that this is related to the strict laws that came into effect for importing swords into India after the draconian India Arms Act of 1878, which prohibited the import, ownership and manufacture of weapons in India, except with a new permit. Various sources at the time noted that it had made importing swords lawfully into India, even for officers, quite problematic. This might explain the unusual level of branding. In any case, this sword was accepted into the government arsenal and stamped with ISD (India Stores Depot) for use in the Indian Army (my guess being for an Indian officer). The sword is all in very good condition, the only flaws to note really being that the etching is a big rubbed in places and the scabbard is a bit rusty on one side (easy to remove). Everything is firm and tight, and it's a nice chunky example of the 1845 pattern.
