US Eagle Pommel Officer’s Sword and Scabbard, ca. 1825

Description

Brass hilt with P-guard, cast with acanthus and central rosette, attaching through the mouth
of the open-beaked eagle pommel with integral backstrap; single langets on both sides with
spread-winged eagle in relief; acanthus bloom rear quillon with button finial; carved bone
grip with brass base ferrule. Straight 29″ diamond-section blade, etched, blued, and gilt
with foliage and stands of arms covering over half of its length. Brass scabbard with twin
carry rings; engraved foliage and central eagle and shield on the upper obverse side. Very
good uncleaned condition, the brass with dark brown patina, tight crack on reverse of the
grip, 90% bright mottled bluing and 95% gilding. Overall length 34″, not including scabbard.
The hilt style is not recorded in Mowbray, but is probably the work of Frederick W.
Widmann, a German immigrant who worked in Philadelphia from shortly after his arrival in
1816 until his death in 1848. A sword with similar knuckle bow and spread-winged eagle
langets is illustrated and described in E. Andrew Mowbray’s “The American Eagle-
Pommel Sword, the Early Years- 1794-1830″, on page 184, Fig. 45. B.