18thC Austro-Hungarian hussar sabre

[Victrix]

I brought a souvenir back with me from Vienna, Austria. It’s an 18thC Austro-Hungarian hussar sabre with scabbard. The sword is overall 90cm in length, the blade is 76.5cm long and 3.8cm wide at the forte. The blade is sharpened on one side with a false edge on the other. On one side the blade has a picture of a Madonna standing on a half-moon with the inscription ”Maria Mater Dei Patrona Hungariea sub tuum Presidium Confugio.” The other side of the blade shows a two-armed cross with the inscription ”In hoc Signo vinces” and ”Deus Exercituum Belator Fortissime estomecum.” Wagner’s Cut & Thrust Weapons shows a similar sabre on p.407, which is engraved ”Pottenstein” on the back edge. This sabre has four dots engraved there instead. The pommel shows a peened tang which I haven’t seen before, as the end is usually covered by a little brass shield. This could mean that the hilt has been reworked? The blade is firmly attached to the hilt with no movement or gaps. The sabre hilt and blade show obvious wear.

Any comments are welcome.