Description
This one is a PURE BEAUTY to behold…a MASSIVE tri fullered blade, a near flawless ivory grip and a stunning, well executed hilt with the Eaglehead motif. This is one of the finest examples of this early pattern known and it is a beast! The balance is simply incredible, too, and the ivory grip is always cool to the touch. Manufactured in the late 1700s to perhaps as late as the early 1790s, this American beauty is unquestionably Revolutionary War to War of 1812 era and was EXPENSIVE for the era. The craftsmanship is spectacular as well and traces of the original red felted throat washer is still intact. Clearly custom made for an officer, this one qualifies as a MOUNTED sabre rather than the standard and far more common infantry patterns. This sword came in a grouping that was sold in the 1960s by noted historian and author Harold Peterson and was later sold in the 1990s by William H. Guthmann of Westport, Connecticut.
While working as an executive at a manufacturing company, Mr. Guthman began collecting artifacts of the French and Indian and Revolutionary Wars. In 1966, he quit his job to become a full-time dealer in Americana of the Colonial and Federal periods, specializing in items from America’s earliest militias. He also began writing books and articles on the artifacts and their times.
He established Guthman Americana in Westport and exhibited his collections at New York’s Winter Antiques Show for 32 years. He was also a guest appraiser on the Public Broadcasting Service’s “Antiques Roadshow” for five seasons.
