Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post

Jim McDougall · 12th May 2016, 07:11 PM

In the concurrent thread on British East India Co. pistols, I got to thinking about the swords of the Company. Many years ago when I was researching the EIC bale mark it was suggested that the only thing so marked as far as weapons were firearms.
Naturally I was wondering if these marks ever occurred on sword blades, as it is well known the VOC, Dutch East India Co. mark was well known.

I have a socket bayonet which has the EIC mark, the usual quartered heart with initials topped by the '4' , but that would fall into place with the firearms denominator.

I just noticed in Egerton (1880, p.118) a sabre blade with EIC mark and the date 1823 in gold, and from the Deccan.

I have seen M1788 British light cavalry sabre blades mounted on Deccani style tulwar hilts, having koftgari but no such markings.

Has anyone either seen or own examples of swords with EIC marked blades?
Anyone with Harding's reference or others which might have more info on this?

12th May 2016, 07:11 PM	#1
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 9,738	Sword Blades with EIC markings In the concurrent thread on British East India Co. pistols, I got to thinking about the swords of the Company. Many years ago when I was researching the EIC bale mark it was suggested that the only thing so marked as far as weapons were firearms. Naturally I was wondering if these marks ever occurred on sword blades, as it is well known the VOC, Dutch East India Co. mark was well known. I have a socket bayonet which has the EIC mark, the usual quartered heart with initials topped by the '4' , but that would fall into place with the firearms denominator. I just noticed in Egerton (1880, p.118) a sabre blade with EIC mark and the date 1823 in gold, and from the Deccan. I have seen M1788 British light cavalry sabre blades mounted on Deccani style tulwar hilts, having koftgari but no such markings. Has anyone either seen or own examples of swords with EIC marked blades? Anyone with Harding's reference or others which might have more info on this?