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British Officer's Presentation Navy Fighting Cutlass, C.1830
£1,050.00
British Cutlass Navy
Ultra rare, if not unique, British Naval Officer Cutlass, Circa 1830, by Wilkinson.
Cast Iron grip.
Wilkinson's hexagonal proof slug denoting top of the range.
Straight, double edged, 29" blade. No dents or nicks, blade is dead straight, no damage at all.
Extremely detailed etching covering almost the whole blade. Blank name panel.
The point is well shaped, no metal missing from anywhere, sword has not been at all reduced
Original leather guard liner remains (mostly).
Cutlass has never been apart. It is extremely solid, no wiggles, rattles or damage at all.
34" overall.

The drawbacks...
It has aged considerably due to poor storage.
No active rust. no deep pitting at all - virtually no pitting at all.
The blade has over patinated rendering the etching faint. The leather guard liner has dried out causing loss, clearly shown in the pictures.

This sword is exceptionally rare, no one I have spoken to or corresponded with has ever seen another like it.
Officers did not typically, or rather officially, use cutlasses. This is a cutlass of superior construction and decoration, though totally utilitarian. One would not hesitate to swing it in a scrap. Unlike most cutlasses which are designed for predominately hacking with the lunge a secondary consideration, this cutlass has a thinner double edged and fullered blade, thought has gone into how to weight it, with the thrust in the forefront of mind.
Cutlasses were not typically etched, one does not see a cutlass with a brass proof slug, let alone Wilkinson's distinctive hexagonal which indicates their highest quality product.
I don't think that it ever had a scabbard.
A real collector's piece, either for Wilkinson interest, naval interest or purely historical, a piece from Britain's ascendancy to the World's first super power.
The sword is gripped like an 1845 cutlass, however has a king's crown in the Wilkinson crest, leading me to think this piece dates to just before Queen Victoria's reign.