AMERICAN AND EUROPEAN SWORDS 37 



and the lower part is fringed with oak leaves. The guard terminates 

 above the blade in a plain disk, and the scabbard is made of leather 

 with three brass mounts. The small decorated shield formerly 

 attached to the obverse of the blade is in this case lacking, but its 

 other characteristics indicate clearly that it belongs to this group. 



A saber *^ of unusual interest in the Alfred F. Hopkins collection 

 belonging to Group 3 has a blade of the regular curved type, the 

 obverse of which is decorated in gold and silver chasing on a dark- 

 blue ground with the United States coat of arms, the shield bearing 

 18 stars and flanked by floral sprays. The reverse is similarly dec- 

 orated with the figure of Liberty, a pole surmounted by a cap resting 

 on her left shoulder. The grip, which is made of ivory, is decorated 

 with horizonal, diagonal, and vertical parallel grooves, and the whole 

 is surmounted by a plain brass strip terminating in an eagle-head 

 pommel with plumage in relief. The knuckle guard is a brass strip, 

 half of which is plain and the other half is decorated on the lower 

 side with oak leaves. The quillons are plain, the one above the blade 

 ending in a disk decorated with scroll work. To the obverse of the 

 blade is attached a small shield decorated with two sprays of oak 

 leaves separated by a horizontal bar. The scabbard is plain brass 

 with two rings. 



A saber ^ of most unusual design in the Alfred F. Hopkins collec- 

 tion is one with a blade very similar to those described above, bear- 

 ing on the obverse in gold on a dark-blue ground the United 

 States arms surrounded by 15 stars, the whole being flanked by floral 

 and trophy designs. The grip, which is unusually large and heavy, 

 is made of ivorj^ and is decorated with very fine crossed diagonal 

 lines, which divide the entire surface into small diamond-shaped 

 designs. The grip is surmounted by a brass strip terminating in a 

 horse's head, which is connected with the brass quillons below the 

 blade by a slender iron chain. The horse-head feature of the pom- 

 mel of this sword renders it a specimen of unique interest. The 

 shield is missing from the obverse of the blade. 



MILITARY SWORDS, 1830 TO 1850 

 GENERAL OFFICERS' SWORDS 



Prior to 1832 the officers' swords used in the United States Army 

 were nearly all of light and ornate design, but subsequent to that 

 time they included weapons of a heavy substantial type. A sword of 

 regulation design was adopted in 1832 for the use of the major gen- 

 eral commanding the Army. The use of this sword was soon extended 



« Length, 90.5 cm. Blade, 76.3 cm. long, 3 cm. wide. PI. 10, fig. 6. 

 « Length, 88.7 cm. Blade, 75.2 cm. long, 3.8 cm. wide. PI. 10, fig. 4. 



