The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #63574 Message #1033233
Posted By: Rapparee
10-Oct-03 - 01:15 PM
Thread Name: BS: Help in identifying a saber
Subject: BS: Help in identifying a saber
Another thing for the display that the American Legion dropped off is a saber -- old, rusty, and the wood/leather for hilt is gone and the tang is exposed. They said that it was picked up on a battlefield in France in WWI and it once belonged to a German officer.
I was examining it today and found the following:
on the blade, in the forte, is engraved what appears to be "ART[superscript]A TIR[superscript]A DE TOLEDO 1879" -- or, "ARTA TIRA DE TOLEDO 1879" with the last A's on the first two words superscripted.
The cup guard of the saber is slightly lipped out, and on the lip is engraved the number 105.
The weapon is completely black, but I suspect that's from age, dirt, and rust.