Is this an Ames Cavalry Saber?

Johnny676767

Private
Joined
Nov 30, 2020
Hello,

I am new around here and have mainly been reading and learning about rifles/muskets. However, I saw this item on a local auction site. The best I can guess is it’s an Ames cavalry saber. I asked the auction house for other pictures and this is what I got. Hard to tell overall condition and I may not even bid- I’m just curious because it’s not identified in the auction.

Thanks

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It is a model 1860 and the markings are very hard to see. There were many companies that made the model 1860 during the CW.
 
Hello,

I am new around here and have mainly been reading and learning about rifles/muskets. However, I saw this item on a local auction site. The best I can guess is it’s an Ames cavalry saber. I asked the auction house for other pictures and this is what I got. Hard to tell overall condition and I may not even bid- I’m just curious because it’s not identified in the auction.
I would answer with a qualified yes, though it could be by Roby, Emerson & Silver, and others. Regardless of maker, if you can pick it up for a couple of hundred or less it would be worth your while. You might like to look at my thread on these:

Cavalry and Dragoon Sabers by the N. P. Ames Co. | Small Arms & Edged Weapons (civilwartalk.com)

Welcome to the forums!
 
The closeup they sent of the markings is the US, Inspectors and Date side. Get them to send one of the other side. Plus in looking closer the hand guard is really bent.
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Thats the best I have of the other side. I was going to bid $250 and see if I might get it. But, it’s already at $275 and I think I’d rather put that money into an example I could better identify.

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I actually did end up winning this one. Here are a few other markings I see. Handle is loose but seems decent. One side of the base of the blade says “U S 1861” I think. I can’t see anything on the other side of the blade. Inspector marks on bottom, I believe.

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JM is a known inspector on 1864 Mansfield and Lamb sabers. I wonder if the final digit is a worn "4" and not a "1". Looks like there could be the remains of a crossbar in the middle, and a slight downward diagonal at the top.
 
Even though the maker mark is gone, it is still a very nice legitimate Civil War era saber and scabbard. If you got it for $350-$400, you did very well. I might have gone as high as $500. A beautiful original old saber!!! I like the "59" markings on it, which I don't know what they signify. Might be worth further research to find out. Thanks for showing.
 
I read some other posts here on the forum. If I understand correctly, the “59” is an armory or rack number. It seems this number could be there for two reasons. First, it served as an inventory number. Second, it was used to keep the parts together and organized when it was taken apart for repair or blade replacement. I haven’t seen anything indicating that the number itself could be used for any type of attribution.
 
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