In very good original condition, a French Waterloo An XIII Cuirassier Trooper’s Sword
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The sword has clearly been on display outside the scabbard for a long time as it has aged and worn, but the Poincons, although faded, do show a K under star for director Joseph Innocent Krantz dating the blade from 9th march 1812 to 31st July 1814. The hilt / guard is most probably original to the blade which means the cuirassier that once held the sword was a long serving soldier. This may well explaian why the Klingenthal date inscription to the spine of the blade is rubbed virtually out, to remove “Imperial” for the period of Napoleon’s first exile to the Elba when new blades were marked “Royale”.
The sword is clearly a Waterloo battle trophy brought home by a British serviceman as a) the original hatchet point has been field modified to spear point, which happened just before Waterloo (all cuirassier swords with straight blades were made with hatchet points and modified only as required by French regiments), b) there are no post Waterloo French markings, which there would have been given the rack number on the scabbard is different to that on the hilt, c) neither the grip nor the hilt / guard have been replaced with the new 1816 model specifications, and d) the differing hilt / scabbard rack numbers show the sword was fallen and picked up then married up with a nearby scabbard; if the sword has stayed in French service, the regiment would have struck one or both out to have matching rack numbers.
The 37 1/2 inch blade is very good but has a light aging / inert rusting in places (showing it has spent a long time out of the scabbard) and is firm in the hilt. The heavy brass hilt / guard in good condition, some aging but that really shows it is over 200 years old. The original leather grip and twisted grip wire in very good condition, lovely. The period chemically browned heavy steel scabbard with some light inert rust is very good. The sword sheathes and draws well.
Well above average example. A superb investment at was £? (too late, now sold). Please quote item reference Z41. Further / full sized photos available upon request. Tube 1563-117×16 (3.885).
