In good / incomplete condition, a scarce British RNVR Named Officer’s Sword
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The WW1 RNV / RNVR (Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve) sword of British actor / producer George Grossman Jr; provenance by descent (see additional photos).
Incomplete: The folding guard section of the hilt is absent. The new owner could buy a poorly RN sword, remove the pin, replace the folding guard and insert the pin (caveat: no guarantee given as to fit). How or why the folding guard section became removed is a matter of speculation. In our oprion, givem the scarcity of the sword and provenance, it is worth attempting.
Very Scarce sword: RNVR swords tend to have standard Royal Navy blades with RNV / RNVR to the guard’s cartouche. This is one of the very few that has “RNV” etched to the blade. RNV (no “R”); not a reserve officer, but one serving alongside RN officers.
No maker’s or retailer’s etched details to the blade. Given it can be dated to 1917 (the final nasty years of WW1), when George Grossman Jr was commissioned into the RNVR, it is likely to mean that it was bought through a naval outfitter with no time to spare for such detail.
There is a Wilkinson Sword label attached but the sword was not made by them and we have no idea as to why it is present.
Everything in photos is included (sword, scabbard, knot, all weather carry bag).
The 31 inch blade in very good condition and firm in the hilt. The gilt brass guard / hilt good but for missing folding section. The white fishskin grip in very good condition; the associated twisted grip wire bindings are good but a lesser strand is slightly astray in places. Sword knot aged and worn, the “acorn” separated. The scabbard has split in two just above the chape and has age / wear elsewhere. The black all weather carry bag is aged and worn.
Great sword with provenance open to improvement, yours for £600. Please quote item reference ZW85. Further / full sized images available upon request. Box?
