Minor correction to my post above, it's a George IV (4th) 1820 to 1830, sergeants sword, somehow I got the Roman numerals the wrong way round. There were quite a few new patterns came in 1822 and this is one of them.
Yesterday I found and bought another of the pattern, this one a VR monogram, same hybrid pattern blade and a hinged thumb guard.... Probably pre 1850, I am told that the pierced monogram is the giveaway here. The later pattern without piercing was for Staff Sergeants only apparently, regular Sgt's no longer carrying a sword.
It has no stamps or etching, and again the later ones have Regt. issue stamps. Funny enough, these are rarer than the commissioned officers ones, apparently being an issue item they had longer service lives, and fewer were made!
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