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IDENTIFIED HISTORIC MODEL 1852 CIVIL WA

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles Start Price:1,250.00 USD Estimated At:2,500.00 - 5,000.00 USD
IDENTIFIED HISTORIC MODEL 1852 CIVIL WA
IDENTIFIED HISTORIC MODEL 1852 CIVIL WAR NAVAL OFFICER'S SWORD. Unmarked Naval Officer's sword with 29" slightly curved blade, 1-1/8" at ricasso, wide & narrow fullers with various naval theme decorations. It has brass hand guard with oak leaf & acorns with "USN" incorporated & a dolphin head quillion with another dolphin at rear end of hand guard. It has brass wire wrapped sharkskin handle with oval pommel cap with stars & eagle. It has its orig leather & brass scabbard with dolphin drag showing moderate wear & two braided knot hangers with brass throat. Accompanied by an oval framed photograph of a young naval officer wearing his cap with his frock coat & what is probably this sword. Bottom is inscribed in period ink script "JOS. W. CONGDON. / U.S. NAVY." Also accompanied by a January 1980 dated booklet titled "HISTORIC NANTUCKET", which has a 3-1/2 page article on pp. 27-31 regarding Mr. Congdon, who was a commander & sailing master of the 1,200 ton screw steamer, Housatonic, in 1864. Commander Congdon reported the incident of Feb. 17, 1864 in which his ship, the Housatonic was attacked & became the first ship in history to be sunk by a submarine, the ill fated & now famous H.L. Hunley. It is unclear whether Commander Congdon was wearing this sword at the time. Commander Congdon was the son of a Nantucket whaling master whose family resided on Nantucket Island for over 200 years. Prior to Civil War Commander Congdon was also involved in whaling but then joined Navy & later, Coast Guard Revenue Service. After war he rejoined the Coast Guard & became Master of the Salmon P. Chase, a fine sailing ship. CONDITION: Good. No orig finish remains on blade, being a mottled, unsharpened, gray finish. Most of etching is clear with some scattered pitting. Hand guard is a little loose & handle shows heavy wear. Scabbard is complete, missing screws from drag & middle band. Leather is crackled with some loss of finish but appears complete. Photograph is yellowed with a couple of scratches & some soil but fine. 4-56606 JR652