Truly so, Jasper, a beautiful piece! As Jim indicated, it very well might have seen sea service, as many officers at the time carried fine hangers such as this. Brass and silver hilts were supplanting the earlier iron hilts, as they were resistant to salty air and rust. The sea monster head/dog head quillon on yours is so reminiscent of the so called 'dog head' English naval cutlasses of the same period, themselves resembling the kastane.
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