Original Item. Only One Available. This is a scarce M1852 Naval Officer’s dress sword with a gorgeous triple-etched Weyersberg-Made blade, distributed by Horstmann & Sons, Philadelphia. These swords are scarce in their own right but to have a foreign-made blade made this example a real treasure. The sword is contained in a fine leather scabbard that is brass mounted, with knotted rope base fittings for the suspension rings, which are both present. There is also an entire sea serpent wrapped around the bottom mount, the drag.

The sword's hand guard is elaborately molded with a sea serpent as part of the bow. The hilt is absolutely gorgeous and the grip is wrapped sharkskin and was originally brass wire-bound, but the majority of the wire is gone, with a very small bit retained. 
The sharkskin wrap is still in great condition for its age. The part basket is embossed with Oak leaves and acorns and displays the letters U.S.N.. The pommel shows an eagle surrounded by 13 Stars. All the brass mounts were originally gold washed or plated and much is still evident after so many years.

The blade is clearly marked on the ricasso in script letters:

W.H. Horstmann
& Sons
Philadelphia

It’s marked on the reverse with the Weyersberg king’s head which was used until 1883 when that company merged with Kirschbaum. The blade itself is gorgeous with a lovely patina that highlights the phenomenal etching, with floral motifs around a Navy flag, with an eagle perched upon a Naval Cannon & anchors with shields. A phenomenal design, with floral decor even on the spine. The leather blade washer is no longer present.

The scabbard of this example is beautiful but the leather is in very rough condition for its age, with the stitches almost completely gone and crazing evident on one side. The leather has also shrunk a bit, so the sword doesn’t fit entirely into the scabbard anymore. Extreme caution should be taken when removing the sword from the scabbard as some of the brass fittings are loose on the leather. The scabbard droops down when the sword is removed which verifies this as 100% real. The top brass mount is also loose on the scabbard, but this shouldn’t be an issue for display.

This is a downright beautiful German-made sword with a gorgeous patina that will only get better with age. Comes ready for further research and display.

Specifications:
Blade Length: 26” 
Blade Style: Single Edged Saber with Double Fullers
Overall length: 31⅞”
Crossguard: 5” wide x 5 1/2” long
Scabbard Length: 29⅛”