AMERICAN AND EUROPEAN SWORDS 137 



These were nearly all of the same type, with curved blades bearing 

 a single medium-sized groove on each side. The grips were usually 

 made of wood covered with black leather decorated with vertical 

 grooves and surmounted by plain iron strips. The guards consisted 

 in each case of slender iron strips extending below the grip in the 

 form of a capital P reversed and terminating above the blade in 

 quillons with circular tips. Usually, a small plain shield was at- 

 tached to the quillons on each side of the blade. A number of 

 examples of swords ^^ of this type are included in the Alfred F. 

 Hopkins collection, and several others were received from the Mili- 

 tary Service Institution in 1923. A sword '^ of this type was carried 

 by an enlisted man of the detachment commanded by Maj. Francis L. 

 Dade, which was surrounded by Seminole Indians near Fort King, 

 Fla., in 1835, and defeated with the loss of their commander. It 

 was transferred to the National Museum from the Patent Office in 

 1883. 



WORLD WAR DIPLOMATIC SWORD 



The collection contains a German diplomatic sword °° of the 

 period of the World War. The blade is 6-sided and very slender, 

 and each side is etched with trophy, floral, and scroll designs. The 

 grip is mother-of-pearl surrounded by a bronze plate decorated with 

 floral designs, which terminates in an eagle-head pommel. The 

 knuckle guard is a flat bronze strip extending below the grip in the 

 form of a bow and terminating above the blade in a quillon with a 

 monster-head tip. To the obverse of the quillon is affixed a bronze 

 shield bearing an eagle displayed. This sword was acquired by the 

 National Museum from the War Department in 1920. 



WORLD WAR OFFICERS' SWORDS 



The German officers' swords of the period of the World War in 

 the National Museum include one *'^ having a very slender blade with 

 two narrow deep grooves on each side, both of which bear the large 

 initial W surmounted by a crown. The grip, which is covered with 

 black fishskin and wound vertically with 11 turns of brass wire, is 

 surmounted by a nickel-plated strip decorated with floral designs and 

 terminating in a lion-head pommel. The guard consists of a single, 

 heavy, nickel-plated strip forming a bow below the grip and termi- 

 nating above the blade in a quillon with a circular tip. The scab- 

 bard is a nickel-plated steel piece with two rings. 



58 rpjjg length of these sabers varies from 87 to 93 cm. The blades are from 75 cm. to 

 81 cm. long and from 2.9 cm. to 3.5 cm. wide. PI. 40, figs. 7-9. 



=« Marked "P. Knecht in Soliugen." Length, 93.8 cm. Blade, 81.8 cm. long; 3.6 cm. 

 wide. 



«" Length, 93 cm. Blade, 80 cm. long, 1.6 cm. wide. PI. 41, fig. 1. 



« Length, 98.2 cm. Blade, 82 cm. long, 2.3 cm. wide. 



98266—32 10 



