AMERICAN MILITIA NCO SWORD C.1840, PETERSON #11

Brass hilt with slight gold plate remaining in protected areas as under the plume. Reeded bone grip with good patina, preserved without the usual minor chips. 28" straight d.e. blade, with German maker’s mark to the forte and clean with minor finger staining only. Brass mounted leather covered scabbard shows considerable use with the leather dry with scuffs. Mounts complete with minor dents as expected. Unlike officer's swords which were the personal property of the officer, or Federal Government swords which were uniformly preserved in arsenals. These were owned by state militias. As with much other militia ordnance, very diverse states of preservation are observed as they were in the care of local guard units. Likely saw Civil War service and decades after the war.