Possibly one of the most beautiful and collectable of all the patterned British swords. “The general form of this sword is … fairly elaborate … and there are numerous variations. The royal cypher on the knucklebow is sometimes moulded but also pierced or chased, and the bugle or grenade [not present in the examples below, but would be located on the knuckle guard above the royal cypher] is by no means common. Some specimens have a slit for the sword knot in the guard near the pommel; in other cases, there is a small loose ring for the knot near the pommel.”
Brian Robson, Swords of the British Army, page 150.
“ By 1800, this type of curved sabre had already been unofficially adopted by many light infantry officers, and it was only a matter of time before official recognition came in 1803… Although apparently unsuited to fighting on the ground (its curved blade would have been more effective when slashed from the saddle), style over substance seems to have one the day”.
Harvey Withers, British Military Swords 1786 – 1912, page 26.
