Upon further review, it does seem to share similarities with a published reference I have to a French cavalry officer's sword dated c. 1870. It, too, has a 4-bar decorated brass hilt, horn grip, and a personalized monogram on the backstrap near the pommel...
However, it differs in the treatment of the quillon (lacking on my example), and I still have the question re: the Kligenthal manufacture - were French cav. officers allowed the option of private purchase?
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