Sword handle for ID

Jim McDougall · 8th March 2017, 07:20 PM

It seems extraordinary to see an eagle head pommel type hilt entirely cast in this fashion, though of course the pommels themselves were cast, sometimes to include a backstrap. In addition to these hilts not being cast to include the grip, as with munitions grade swords of late 18th early 19th, the ribbing resembling rope is also atypical to anything I can place.

The eagle is of the crested variety, and as such not strictly proper used as symbol of United States (as observed by Andrew Mowbray, "The American Eagle Pommel Sword", 1988, p.95). However there were British makers providing swords and pommels of these kinds of eagle heads, and the rather short beak on this resembles the Bolton/Upson form (Mowbray, p95) in some degree and is also crested.

It is hard to say where a fully cast eagle pommel hilt like this may have been produced, but clearly it is a munitions grade product perhaps for other ranks or militia of unknown nationality. It is unclear exactly which style eagle head was used in Mexico as a symbol or on some of the eagle head swords which did exist in the early years of the Republic c.1821. It does seem the crested eagle did occur in the symbol, but not sure on the hilts.

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8th March 2017, 07:20 PM	#4
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 10,459	It seems extraordinary to see an eagle head pommel type hilt entirely cast in this fashion, though of course the pommels themselves were cast, sometimes to include a backstrap. In addition to these hilts not being cast to include the grip, as with munitions grade swords of late 18th early 19th, the ribbing resembling rope is also atypical to anything I can place. The eagle is of the crested variety, and as such not strictly proper used as symbol of United States (as observed by Andrew Mowbray, "The American Eagle Pommel Sword", 1988, p.95). However there were British makers providing swords and pommels of these kinds of eagle heads, and the rather short beak on this resembles the Bolton/Upson form (Mowbray, p95) in some degree and is also crested. It is hard to say where a fully cast eagle pommel hilt like this may have been produced, but clearly it is a munitions grade product perhaps for other ranks or militia of unknown nationality. It is unclear exactly which style eagle head was used in Mexico as a symbol or on some of the eagle head swords which did exist in the early years of the Republic c.1821. It does seem the crested eagle did occur in the symbol, but not sure on the hilts.