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Originally Posted by Battara
So Jim are you saying that this blade is older than the basket?
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No, actually much 'newer', it is a M1788 light cavalry saber blade, which were being made in Birmingham by Thomas Gill and James Wooley, but this one is unmarked. At the time there was considerable friction in the industry (mostly initiated by Thomas Gill) about the ever present dominance of German blades in British swords. With this these makers push to present the quality of thier blades, they distinctly marked them, even to the level of such pronouncement with 'warranted' marked on them. I think Samuel Harvey also made blades.
The hilt is a munitions grade style made in London by Jeffries around 1757, and these were mounted typically with German made straight backsword blades for use by the British army, usually infantry.
It seems this hilt was remounted for use, probably by a 'flank company',
using a M1788 cavalry blade, in circumstances unknown, but flank companies tended to favor curved saber blades on swords used by them.