Sword from Custer's Brigade.

[major bill]

Company D, 5th Michigan Cavalry. I am not a sword expert, but I am sure our sword people will recognize this type of sword. This sword is tied to a known Michigan soldier in a historical unit, so some collectors would take it off the Museum's hands.

 

[Rhea Cole]

https://oldswords.com/articles/Swords%20for%20Officers%20of%20the%20Staff%20and%20Staff%20Corps-v1i6.pdf

 

[R. Porter]

Nice Tiffany sword! If I had that my daughter would expect to inherit it, because it was sold by Tiffany. I wonder if she would expect me to put it in a Tiffany green sword bag. Model 1840 with a steel hilt. There should be PDL stamped on the opposite ricasso for Peter D. Luneschloss of Solengen. It was imported. The regulation model 1840 had a brass hilt as did its successor, called the model 1860 by collectors. It wasn't until the model 1906 that the brass hilt was switched to steel, but by that time the cavalry saber was obsolete. The one in the post looks to be in very good condition. Tied to a particular soldier increases its value to a collector even more and being under the command of Custer would boost its value yet again. That would be the sort of thing that would be way out of my price range.

 

[major bill]

Nice Tiffany sword! If I had that my daughter would expect to inherit it, because it was sold by Tiffany. I wonder if she would expect me to put it in a Tiffany green sword bag. Model 1840 with a steel hilt. There should be PDL stamped on the opposite ricasso for Peter D. Luneschloss of Solengen. It was imported. The regulation model 1840 had a brass hilt as did its successor, called the model 1860 by collectors. It wasn't until the model 1906 that the brass hilt was switched to steel, but by that time the cavalry saber was obsolete. The one in the post looks to be in very good condition. Tied to a particular soldier increases its value to a collector even more and being under the command of Custer would boost its value yet again. That would be the sort of thing that would be way out of my price range.

Most Museum visitors do not know what a gem they get to see. To them this is just one rather plain sword in a case with several other more attractive swords. All the others swords are presentation swords with links to Michigan officers, However, this was a working cavalryman's sword, and at least to me, more special than a presentation sword because it is a great example of what the Civil war was all about. The Civil War was not an opportunity for brave officers to gain fame, but an example of the huge numbers of men, on both sides, that left family and friends to fight for what they believed in. The Michigan History Museum was lucky to to have received this item. One of the missions of the Museum is to protect important items of Michigan history for future generations. While a collector would love this sword, and most Michigan residents really don't appreciate it, I have to believe this sword found a good home.