I DON'T KNOW WHAT SMALL FEATURES SEPARATE THE DIFFERENT COUNTRIES WHO USED THIS FORM OF CUTLASS PERHAPS WE HAVE A MEMBER WITH THAT KNOWLEGE (COME IN JIM!
).
I HAD A 1870 MODEL USA CUTLASS THAT HAD THE BEST FEEL IN HAND OF ANY SWORD I OWN. UNFORTUNATELY I LET A FRIEND BUY IT TO PUT IN HIS PIRATE MUSEUM. I BOUGHT A FANCY WELL MADE NEWER VERSION TO WAVE AROUND, THOUGH IT LOOKED BETTER THAN MY ORIGINAL THE FEEL WAS MORE LIKE A FIREPLACE POKER THAN A SWORD.
WHAT YOU HAVE WOULD LIKELY HAVE BELONGED TO A CAPITAN OR HIGHER RANKING OFFICER OR COULD BE A REPLICA. TRY THE FEEL IN HAND AND SEE IF IT HAS AN EDGE THAT SHOULD TELL YOU SOMETHING. THE CONDITION SHOWS LITTLE WEAR OR USE BUT THOSE USED BY HIGHER RANKING OFFICERS USUALLY DID NOT AND WERE WORN MOSTLY FOR DRESS ON FORMAL OCCASIONS NOT FOR EVERYDAY USE. MOST OF THE TIME THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN STORED AWAY IN THE SEA CHEST AND WELL MAINTAINED BY THE OFFICERS MAN.
THE SCABBARD SHOWS AGE AND TYPICAL DETEORIATION FOR AN OLDER ITEM SO IF ORIGINAL TO THE SWORD IS A GOOD SIGN. VICTORIAN REPLICAS WERE MADE AND OFTEN EMBELLISHED SIMULAR TO YOUR SWORD. I DON'T KNOW IF THESE REPLICAS WERE MADE BY THE SAME SWORD MAKERS AS THE STANDARD MILITARY GRADE OR NOT BUT LOOK FOR A MAKERS MARK AND IF IT MATCHES PERHAPS INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND OF OFFICER GRADE SWORDS AS WELL AS STANDARD ISSUE. I LIKE IT EITHER WAY AS IT IS A BEAUTIFUL EXAMPLE OF ONE OF MY ALL TIME FAVORITE SWORDS. GOOD LUCK