[Jim McDougall]

This is excellent David, and thank you for posting this beautiful saber which truly does offer compelling evidence to Napoleonic French for your saber.

I have been pondering over Glen's well presented rebuttal concerning some of my previous comments concerning my thoughts toward possible U.S. provenance for this, and the close ties between American and French swords both during and post Revolutionary War. As noted, I was drawing on somewhat distant recollections, but wanted to illustrate the sources as well as points for consideration which led me to my comments.

I looked to H.L.Peterson's "The American Sword" and found interesting notes concerning swords of the U.S. Marines, who of course still use the Mameluke sabre adopted from thier exposure to these during wars with the 'Barbary Pirates' in 1801-1805. These same type ivory hilted sabres were adopted by the French and British after thier campaigns in Egypt.
Interestingly, Peterson (#142, p.165) notes one of the early swords used by the Marines from 1804-1818. While most Marine swords seem to have followed artillery officers swords of the time, this interesting sabre (which apparantly belonged to Francis Wharton, the commandant) .."illustrates a type of French sword which was quite popular among American officers of the period".
On p.192 (Peterson, op.cit. #159) the eaglehead sword presented to to Lt. Presley O'Bannon of the Marines for his valor at the action at Derna in 1805 has the distinct knucklegard feature of the drop down semi arc seen on the Napoleonic sabre posted here. This sabre was Baltimore made and reflects again the French influence on American swords.

Another interesting case illustrating the common thread between French and American swords brings in, as noted, the British. The British infantry officers sword known as the pattern 1786 (or commonly 'five ball hilt') has the five bead pattern on the knuckleguard as well as on the raised crossguard. Brian Robson ("British Military Swords", p.107, fig. 4) notes that around 1790 a "...similar hilt in either gold or silver, described as a'l'anglaise (in the English style) was in use in France from about 1800, mainly by naval and dragoon officers. A hilt of the same kind was prescribed for infantry officers in the American army between 1812-1840".

Returning to the mameluke sabre of the USMC, it cannot be stated that the style was taken from either the French or the British, but interestingly seems derived from separate influence with the Barbary pirate wars noted despite being contemporary with those used by French and British officers in these times. The mameluke sabre was described in Marine regulations of 1825, but it is noted that Marine officers were likely wearing them prior.

With these notes I would qualify my reference to French influence in military fashion and weapons as being in considerable degree rather than typical, and avoid implying 'dominant'.

It seems that post Revolutionary War the neoclassicism in Greco-Roman themes of French style of the times was in distinct accord with America's growing national identity, and well received in conjunction with other American patriotic symbolism. After France joined the United States in the war naturally many numbers of French swords such as the M1767 grenadier sabres and others were well represented. Peterson notes, concerning the NCO sword adopted in 1840 (p.13) that the form was "...based principally on a type used in the French army", but that it was also reminiscent of a model used in England.

With regard to the comments on the long, parabolically curved blades I wanted to add the references I was thinking of in suggesting this sabre might be of the type of early U.S. form. Peterson (op.cit. pp.26-27) discusses the Virginia Manufactory sabres of 1803-1820, known collectively as types #1, #2 and hunts at a third, with variations on hilt and somewhat blades. I had noted that these were later altered by Confederate officers during the Civil War from the dramatic 40 1/2" curved blades, shortened to 35".
The notes to 18th century cavalry being 'dragoons' and actually mounted infantry who dismounted and fought on foot usually are well placed. It was in the latter 18th century when the fast moving light cavalry concept was being adopted from East Europe and Continental forces that the use of the sabre became prevalent for cavalry in England. On the Continent the use of the sabre for cavalry was around considerably before this.
By the end of the 18th century there were indeed similarities in the swords/sabres used by cavalry, infantry officers, and artillery officers. in many cases as well, naval officers used sabres of cavalry type, shorter of course.

All of this does not necessarily offer more to the identification of David's fascinating sabre, and I simply wanted to reinforce the connections between U.S. and French swords from the Revolutionary War into the 19th century.
The vertically lined shield type langet to me was quite reminiscent of Federal period motif, though the 'halbrundschild' type heater (shield) is more Austrian or Swiss via heraldic standards. The 'Phrygian helmet' style pommel (Peterson, p.44) is as noted known quite early in French neoclassic hilt features and used in many U.S. sword forms through the 19th c.

Anthony North notes in his "18th and 19th Century Europe" ("Swords and Hilt Weapons" , ed. M.Coe, 1989, p.92), that "...in France, in the Directoire and Consulate periods, French officers were presented with simple brass stirrup hilted swords, inscribed on the scabbard with details of the campaign in which they were won. A number of scabbards are inscribed 'Armee d' Italie' for example, commemorating Napoleons campaign against the Austrians in 1796. Boutets Versailles factory made silver hilted sabres for presentation".

This presents the texture of Napoleonic presentation sabres, and the kinds of weapons which were clearly given to officers in varying circumstances. Is it possible that this sabre may have been self commissioned by a patriotic officer in Napoleons service?

The deeply curved blade as noted was to augment slashing power in the drawcut, delivered from a fast moving mount...in noticing the unusual rounded blade tip, I would point out that these type blades are seen also on broadswords to increase cutting potential in slashing cuts. Would these together reinforce a cavalrymans sabre?

All best regards,
Jim