M1860 Ames Naval Cutlas

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Hello All
I recently picked up this cutlas. One side of blade is stamped USN DR 1862 other side reads Ames copee Mass ( Chi ) worn away. This one does not have a pommel stamp like (22m 300). I've read that some do and some don't any reasoning behind this?
Thanks

 

[UCVRelics]

Originally they were used by Ames as serial # but this went by the wayside late in the war. It has been discussed that some shipd used the # as rack numbers.

 

[Richard E. Schenk]

The pommels were often stamped with the initials of inspector Daniel Reynolds ("D.R."), but not always. The quillon was stamped with the serial number, in your case 22M/300. The "M" indicated "thousand", so your cutlass was number 22,300. Some cutlasses are found without a serial number. These are believe to have been purchased for the Revenue Marine Service (predecessor of the Coast Guard) . The 300 cutlasses purchase for the Army also lack the serial number. The serial numbers were used throughout the war and were not supplanted by rack numbers. If your cutlass grip is original, and not a rewrap, it is quite unusual. Shortly after the end of the war, The Navy had the wire removed from the grip and the leather jacked and coated with a tar-based substance to protect them from corrosion.

 

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Thank you for the info. Mine does not have a number on the quillon. Not sure about the wrap. I will get some better pics and post.
Thanks again.

 

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A few more close ups.

 

[UCVRelics]

Looking at the condition of the wrap, the seam and the tang on the pommel I'm leaning rewrap.