EL6684 - This is a scarce example of a type of Napoleonic era infantry officer's sabre, which has had the guard undated in around 1822 to make it more similar to the new pattern for infantry officers (with George IV's cypher). I feel quite certain that it would originally have been made around 1805-1810 and had a stirrup hilt, with this later guard being added around 1822. Unfortunately the 'scimitar' blade (as they were called at the time) got very rusty, and while I have removed the active rust and stablised it, it remains pitted. It has some small edge nicks, so it's possible this saw action in the late Napoleonic Wars or in India or North America. The George IV guard is in quite good shape, but the hilt as a whole is quite loose on the tang, and while the grip surface is okay, with much leather remaining (though some loss of wood at the bottom, pictured), I suspect that the wood underneath is rather rotten and weak. Therefore the purchaser has the choice to preserve this as is, as a respectable and interesting piece to treat with care, or it could go in for full restoration.
