Non-Regulation NCO Sword

[Richard E. Schenk]

Here's one I haven't seen before. It is a photo of a Union sergeant with what is described by the seller as a "NCO sword". Obviously it is not a regulation M1840 NCO sword, but I'm not sure what exactly it is. It looks like it might be a French Mle 1821 infantry officer-style sword, but with a scabbard with a knob for wear with a frog. I don't think I've seen such a sword and scabbard in the flesh or in pictures before. The Marines used a variant of the M1850 Foot Officer sword with a scabbard with a knob for wear with a frog for its M1859 sergeant's sword, but I had not heard of Army making similar use of an officer's sword modified for wear with a frog for its NCOs. Have any of you heard of such a non-regulation NCO sword? Presume they would be worn by militia NCOs - any particular units?

 

[Richard E. Schenk]

Perhaps a picture of the Mle1821 might help. Here are a couple pictures of a Horstmann & Bros/New York officer's version of the sword with scabbard with rings for wear with slings. Have any of you seen this model with an NCO-type scabbard for wear with a frog?

 

[UCVRelics]

He is in fact wearing a model 1859 USMC NCO sword. The reg's back then weren't all that strict so I would guess he liked it better the the ugly US Army NCO sword.

 

[Richard E. Schenk]

He is in fact wearing a model 1859 USMC NCO sword. The reg's back then weren't all that strict so I would guess he liked it better the the ugly US Army NCO sword.

You may be right - they look similar. Two details made me think Mle 1821 instead of M1859 USMC: First look at the pommel top. The dome seems higher and smoother like the 1821 rather than the flatter and stepped profile of the M1859 USMC. Second, there appears to be a design device in the middle of the knuckle bow like on the 1821. (That may, however, just be light reflection - hard to tell.)

Interesting possibility: Horstmann sold both the pictured Mle 1821 Infantry and the pictured M1859 USMC Sergeant's sword. Perhaps Horstmann used the same scabbards it used for Marine swords for non-regulation Army NCO swords.