You're very welcome jman, I only wish I could have found something more helpful.
I did continue with an online search after exhausting my resources here in the bookmobile, and I did find one of these illustrated but with a curious ribbed and apparently leather covered grip. It had a strange pommel, but most important it had the M1827 blade and the odd jian like guard.
I agree that this blade is an 1827, and the wood grip most resembles the Austro-Hungarian M1862.
The one similar I found was on another website, 'Bladesmith Forum' and a thread from May 21,2006....the example was posted by a 'Svet' 1/16/07.
While 'Svet' identifies this as Russian, he offers no particulars and that he had already sold it.
I wonder if the example you have posted might be composite with the 1827 blade, the Austrian grip and one of these unusual guards. This guard reminds me of 19th century and later Chinese jian guards, but cant recall for certain where I had seen them .
All the best,
Jim
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