Battle of Waterloo Trophy, French Grenadier Officer's Sabre, sold

In aged condition, though the blade is in good condition, a rare Napoleonic French Grenadier officer's sabre, almost certainly a Waterloo battle trophy.

This sabre has been in a loft in Wales for a long, long time. The hilt pitting is pronounced enough to know that this is not some collector's or tourist's item brought back from a holiday in France, it is a Waterloo battle trophy. It is a Napoleonic French Grenadier officer's sabre / sword. OK, the condition of the hilt and scabbard is not so good, but this does in effect certify that the sword came to Britain a long time ago.

The 30 1/4 inch single slim back fullered blade is in good condition, with the etching still visible (in the fuller you can see traces of the gilt etching); the blade is the best part, for sure. Blade firm in the hilt. The steel stirrup hilt has suffered the passage of time and damp air. The pitting in places is deep; this is the type of pitting that takes years and years and years to develop like this. The walnut grip is in good shape. The steel scabbard has also suffered the effects of damp air and time; fortunately not as much as the hilt, otherwise there would be nothing left. It was a light weight scabbard to begin with; now, it is even lighter! There are some rust holes but the scabbard is still sound enough, and the wooden liners are still there, so ironically the sword sheathes and draws quite well! We have treated all the steel, so what you see is basically sound and can be preserved.

You will not find many of these on the market, to say the least. Sure, it has rust pitting but this has the flip side of basically guaranteeing this is a Waterloo battle trophy, brought home by a British officer. In any event, snap it up quick at only £? (too late, now sold), as Napoleonic items like this normally sell for a premium. Please quote item reference number H85 (1034). Further / full sized pictures available upon request.