I was perusing Civil War swords on eBay when I came across the following auction: AUTH. CIVIL WAR UNION US ENGRAVED DECORATED BLADE CAVALRY SABER SWORD W/SHEATH. The sword at auction looked a little odd, it had an 1850 foot officer looking hilt but an etched saber blade. I took a closer look which cast more doubt on the sword. While it had the "E" of "E PLURIBUS UNUM", which is always a good sign, it also had something else that I have never seen on a Civil War Sword, "U.S." over "PAT PEND". That got me to thinking, when did PAT PEND start being stamped on things. I did some searching of the Web and finally found this web page:
Apparently "patent pending" dates things to after 1940. So, problem solved, it's a fake meant to deceive. However, I could have seen that right away if I had looked at the seller's ID: secondhandcollectibles Also, the scabbard, which I hadn't paid attention to, is an obvious fake. The up side is that I found a helpful page for dating some antique and vintage items.
Date Guide Links : Inkspotantiques.com : Inkspot Antiques and Collectibles, An eclectic assortment of antiques and collectibles
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Apparently "patent pending" dates things to after 1940. So, problem solved, it's a fake meant to deceive. However, I could have seen that right away if I had looked at the seller's ID: secondhandcollectibles Also, the scabbard, which I hadn't paid attention to, is an obvious fake. The up side is that I found a helpful page for dating some antique and vintage items.
Bringing the