Another basket hilt with military marking

[Jim McDougall]

Originally Posted by NeilUK

Thanks, Jim, for your thoughts. I too had considered and dismissed 'Mounted Dragoons' for the same reasons, but I suppose a bit of tautology is not beyond the military mind and the sequence of elements (regiment-company/troop-rack number) would fit. As you say, an officer's sword would not be so marked so we could assume that a quality sword from c.1730 had come into the hands of a common soldier in a militia/fencible regiment (perhaps by inheritance) by 1780-90s. Interesting to ponder these things.
Neil

It truly is Neil!! and that has always been my obsession. I have been working at trying to learn more on these basket hilts with all these great examples lately, and have spent quite a few hours going through notes and references. I'm afraid sometimes my 'pondering' becomes Tolstoyean rambling and I fear I over speak in these posts, but all those hours of searching and scribbling notes have to go somewhere
Thank you for the patience and well shared thoughts .
Jim