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Originally Posted by Jim McDougall
Victrix, I had hoped to add more, but now realize that these resources are not presently at hand here in the bookmobile! I know that these are pictured in the huge Wagner volume (1967), and the paperback by Moudry on Hapsburg swords.
Sabres of this form and styling (yours is a wonderfully wide blade) are known distinctly as Austrian of the 18th c. and used by hussars. There are so many campaigns and wars in the Continent in which these saw use it is hard to say.
War of the Polish Succession (1733-38; Russo-Turk War (1735-39); and most importantly War of Austrian Succession (1740-48.....then war against Prussia.
A sabre remarkably similar in mounts (brass with scabbard openings) was used by the well known Count Hadik von Futak ( Andreas Graf Hadik)...a notorious pain in Frederick the Great's 'you know what'! 
These blade decorating motifs were well known through the 18th century and it seems many of these blades were from centers in Styria, as well as of course Solingen.
Maybe others will have these references at hand, but this is what I can recall offhand.
Incredibly stunning example! |
Yes thank you once again, Jim. I don't have Moudry's book unfortunately, but this sabre looks similar to the one on p.402 in Wagner's book but without the FRINGIA inscription. The blade might have had this inscription once, but it's now quite worn as mentioned previously.
I heard about the exploits of Count Hadik when I was in Budapest (their National Museum is highly recommended, by the way!). King Frederick was so humiliated that he allegedly refused to speak to Hadik after that.