AMERICAN AND EUROPEAN SWORDS 93 



and the one near the top is encircled by a design representing a 

 ship's cable. This sword was presented to the National Museum in 

 1920 by the estate of Lieut. Commander Duncan Elliott, United 

 States Navy. 



A further development of the United States naval officer's sword is 

 to be seen in another specimen ^- in the Alfred F. Hopkins collection. 

 The blade is of medium length with a slight curve and a moderate- 

 sized groove. Both the obverse and reverse sides are decorated in 

 gold chasing on a dark-blue ground with designs showing a circle 

 of 13 stars between a foul anchor and an oak spray. The grip, which 

 is made of ivory, is carved in the form of an eagle's plumage, the 

 whole being surmounted by a brass strip decorated in the same man- 

 ner and ending in an eagle's head. The guard is a brass strip divided 

 in three sections separated by tulip heads. The quillons consist of 

 straight bars at right angles to the guard, and the ends terminate 

 in acorns. A large oval shield attached to the obverse of the quillon 

 bears two oak sprays in saltire, and a small plain oval shield is 

 hinged to the reverse. The scabbard is made of leather with three 

 brass mounts, the central one of which is decorated with a foul 

 anchor ^nd the one at the point with a spray of laurel. 



SWORD OWNED BY DR. NINIAN PINKNEY 



An interesting naval sword of this period in the National Museum 

 collection is one that was owned by Medical Director Ninian Pink- 

 ney. United States Navy. This sword ^^ has a straight, slender 

 blade with a broad, shallow groove on each side. The obverse side 

 bears a foul anchor between two floral sprays, and the reverse bears 

 three floral sprays. The grip, which is made of ivory, is deco- 

 rated on each side with geometrical and floral designs. The back is 

 surmounted by a smooth brass strip which terminates in an eagle- 

 head pommel. The guard is a brass strip ornately decorated at its 

 juncture with the lower quillon with a trophy of cannon and flags. 

 The quillons are flat brass strips, and a small shield on each side of 

 the blade is decorated with a foul anchor in high relief. 



The owner of this sword was born in Annapolis, Md., in 1811, and 

 was graduated at the Jefferson Medical College in 1833. The fol- 

 lowing year he entered the United States Navy as assistant surgeon 

 and was promoted to the rank of surgeon in 1841. During the 

 period 1863-1865 he was fleet surgeon of the Mississippi 

 Squadron, and in 1871 he was made medical director with the rank 

 of commodore. He died near Easton, Md., in 1877. His sword was 

 lent to the National Museum in 1928 by Miss Helena B. Pinkney. 



"^Length, 86 cm. Blade, 72 cm. long, 2.3 cm. wide. PI. 28, fig. 2. 

 83 Length, 78.5 cm. Blade. 66 cm. long, 2 cm. wide. PI. 28. fig. 3. 



