Swords

[R. Porter]

You can also go to Civil War shows and talk to dealers there. In time you will be able to recognize real swords and spot some for real cheap as long as you don't mind them a little banged up or rusty.

 

[abelec]

If you can get your money back, then go for it. A thrift store may not refund your payment. There was somebody there who set the price. Either they believed it was real and didn't have a clue what it was or what it was worth or they knew what it was and priced it a bit high. Maybe they were the one who stamped the bogus info on the blade.

If the thrift store actually puts back into the community, like raising funds for charity or provide jobs for locals or the needy, and I mean really puts back in, not give 5% to an organization just to use their name and avoid taxes; then hold onto the sword. I wouldn't change it. You have an excellent example of a fake. The distinctive pommel, the info stamped on the blade 1 character at a time, even the scabbard with its distinctive throat that looks influenced by the British. These are all things you won't see on a genuine Civil War period cavalry saber.

You should get reference books, but it wouldn't hurt to look at some of the websites of companies that sell reproduction swords as reproductions. You won't see reproduction swords in reference books (mostly, I think there are at least one or two that do show them.) seeing reproductions will help keep you from thinking a fake is a rare variation because you haven't seen one before.

Years down the road you can pick up your fake sword and see how much you have learned and how far you have come. Then you'll wonder how you could ever have been fooled into believing it was real as you explain to someone else what makes it a fake.

Thanks for the info and support. The sword actually doesn't look too bad. A bit of polish and spit shine will look good next to my stetson, dog tags and spurs. Only paid 150. So. Good find.

 

[abelec]

You can also go to Civil War shows and talk to dealers there. In time you will be able to recognize real swords and spot some for real cheap as long as you don't mind them a little banged up or rusty.

I was thinking of signing up and become a member of sons of the revolution and civil war. Have ancestors who fought in both. Good reenactment piece

 

[JoeCollector]

@abelec Don't let this discourage you! You are in good company. I dare say that almost everyone on this board has had the same experience at one time or another. I know I have -- more than one and costly, too. Just chalk it up to experience and move on.

Now to pass along age-old advice that is certainly not original to me. Your first investment should be reference books. The reason we can say this is a fantasy piece is that there is not anything that even remotely resembles the style of your sword in the standard reference books on Confederate swords. (That is far from the only reason this sword is not genuine).

So what books for reference on Confederate swords should a guy buy ? What book is the best??

 

[gjpratt]

My go-tos are:

1. Confederate Edged Weapons and Photographic Supplement of Confederate Swords, both by William Albaugh. Be sure to get the later updated edition of the Photographic Supplement; with the addendum. I am on my third copy of it, having worn out two from usage.

2. Collecting the Confederacy, by Shannon Pritchard.

3. Confederate Presentation and Inscribed Swords and Revolvers, by Dan Hartzler. I'm on my second copy.

I also regularly consult the Time Life volume Arms and Equipment of the Confederacy and Confederate Odyssey (the Atlanta Historical Society collection.

The late Kevin Hoffman maintained a comprehnsive subscription based online reference for many years but I think it has lapsed since he passed away. John Sexton (@CW Appraiser ) has an online gallery that is a very good reference site. https://civilwardealer.com/

Several good dealers include detailed information about each offering of a Confederate sword. You can learn much from just regularly browsing their websites, many of which have archives of past sales. I have limited time so I usually look at Shannon's (https://oldsouthantiques.com/) and Nick Periut's (https://www.armyoftennesseerelics.com/) sites daily. Not daily, but I am a regular visitor of Arizona Swords ( http://www.azswords.com/), Florida Confederate ( https://floridaconfederate.com/) and Shiloh Relics.(https://shilohrelics.com/) Tim Prince occasionally offers Confederate swords and when he does the write up is extensive and extremely informative. ( https://collegehillarsenal.com/) There are any number of dealer websites like these and I do not intend to slight them by omission. The ones I am listing are just my personal preferences.

A big part of understanding and identifying Confederate swords is educating yourself on fakes. Arizona Swords has an extensive compilation of fakes on its website. There are several other sites like this.