AMERICAN" AND EUROPEAN SWORDS 95 



The Alfred F. Hopkins collection includes a cutlass '^^ somewhat 

 similar to the one just described but of greater dimensions and with 

 a very broad, shallow, grooved blade. The blade is decorated in gold 

 with a trophy between two floral and scroll designs. The grip, like 

 that of the cutlass just described, is made of hardwood and is deco- 

 rated with parallel horizontal grooves. The pommel is a brass 

 eagle's head with plumage in high relief. The guard consists of a 

 plain, narrow, flat, brass strip, which expands with a graceful curve 

 into openwork diamond-shaped quillons with two rectangular open- 

 ings on each side of the blade. The scabbard is made of black 

 leather with three brass mounts, two of which are fitted with small 

 rings. 



NAVAL SWORDS, 1850 TO 1900 



The present regulation type of United States naval officer's sword 

 was formally adopted about 1850 and has been changed very little in 

 design since that time. In general form it resembles to a marked 

 degree the foot officer's sword adopted for use in the United States 

 Army in 1850, already fully described. Though the general form 

 of this naval sword has remained the same, the size of the blade and 

 the designs borne by that portion of the weapon have varied greatly 

 in character. 



SWORD OWNED BY REAR ADMIRAL CHARLES WILKES 



One of the earliest swords of this type in the National Museum 

 collection was carried during the Civil War by Rear Admiral 

 Charles "Wilkes, United States Navy.^'' The blade is of medium 

 length, with a broad, shallow, central groove and a narrow, deep 

 groove near the back. The obverse is decorated with the United 

 States shield superimposed on a foul anchor, an oval containing 31 

 stars, a naval trophy with trident and lances, and a pennant inscribed 

 " U. S. N." The reverse is decorated with an eagle on a naval gun 

 carriage, a foul anchor, and a cable entwined about an oak spray. 

 The grip, which is unusually large, is covered with shark's skin and 

 is wound with 16 turns of copper wire. The pommel is covered 

 with a brass cap of Phrj^gian helmet shape, the lower part of which 

 is decorated with oak sprays and the end with an eagle with out- 

 spread wings within a circle of 13 stars. The guard is a circular 

 brass strip, which expands into a broad oval counterguard and ter- 

 minates above the blade in the curved head of a marine monster. 

 The counterguard is divided into two portions, the one on the reverse 

 of the blade being solid, and the one on the obverse consisting of an 

 openwork oak leaf and scroll design crossed by a scroll inscribed 



"' Length, 86.5 cm. Blade, 72.5 cm. long, 3.8 cm. wide. Inscribed " Edwards Upson 

 & Co., N. Y." PI. 29, figs. 1, 2. 



"'' Length, 83.8 cm. Blade, 70 cm. long, 2.8 cm. wide. Inscribed "Ames Mfg. Co., 

 Chicopee, Mass." PI. 29, fig. 5. 



