18/19C Prussian made British marked Briquet sword, sold

In good condition, a contentious Prussian made British marked briquet, possibly a British naval cutlass.

If you want a strange and contentious sword, this is the one for you. A French An XIII model briquet, made by the Prussians in Solingen, marked to the British crown! These exist fairly regularly but not too often onto the market, so we can be sure quite a number were made. But that is where collectors and dealers divide, as to why. Some claim it was some dirty trick by the Prussians to sell swords to the USA on the basis they were quality British swords, but why would a newly independent country want swords with the British crown mark on them? Others say the Prussians made them for the British army but they were rejected; as the British army never used the An XIII model / pattern of sword, why then would they have ordered them in the first place? Others, like me, believe this is a cutlass, made in Solingen for British ships where the captain required cutlasses that could store better than the bulky hilted British made items of the early 1800's. I do not believe the facts of design (the model) and where it was made are in doubt, and so naval service seems the most likely explanation, as sea captains basically could decide upon which weapons their ships carried for many years after the army were regulated.

So, anyway, an interesting sword; I 100% guarantee it is period, the blade aging confirms this; the scabbard I suspect is a later French replacement (how it came to be in a French made scabbard only thickens the plot). In any event, a sword that invokes so many opinions and questions is well worth the price tag, well worth it. Further / full sized pictures available upon request. Please quote item reference number A86 (544).