Federalist sword

[M ELEY]

Acquired through a recent trade (money being tight as usual) is this American Federalist period brass lion-hilt saber, ca. 1785-1800. This scarce type described in Harold Peterson's "The American Sword", plate 18. Many of these types were inscribed on the blade "American light horse" for the cavalry dragoons. They were discussed at length in a Man-At-Arms article from back in 1992. This pattern sems to be the first true American sword pattern after we officially became a country. The grip is cast as one piece of spiral brass with lion pommel. The hilts were made exclusively in the Philadelphia area for the numerous cavalry units throughout PA, CT, and NY. The blades were imported in the beginning (I have seen many marked Wilhelm Peter Sohn und fecit Solingen, one marked Harvey, and several with American silversmith markings), but later it is believed William Rose supplied the blades. The actual maker of the hilts remains elusive, but some theorize that it was Prahl, who eventually went on to make the solid brass eagle-head pommels that would supplant the lion hilt after 1800 (the age of the Ketland eagle hilts were soon to follow). Searching online and through 20 years worth of old auction catalogs, I've seen several examples all with similar forms, but slight differences to each. On some the lion is very detailed and formed, on others, the details of the lion face is crudely made with etched lines and punched holes (like mine). Several have very thich grips, some have separate grip and pommels, some have variations in the guard, etc. At least two I've seen are made in the classic iron form for cavalry, with backstrap and leather grips (see the Morristown Historical Society site for an example). The swords typically have the four-slotted hilts in brass with large curved blades with slight false edge. Some models lack any fuller, others have two very narrow fullers and some have a wide fuller like my example.