German Cavalry Sword?

[Jim McDougall]

Hi Brian,
Thank you for posting another of your swords!
I have always thought these heraldic cartouches on sword hilts are most attractive, and as Kisak notes, the form is widely seen on a number of Continental European hilt forms.
I very much agree with yours and Kisak's assessment, and the eagle emblem is essentially the Prussian arms, as seen in the hilt of M1889 cavalry swords, and certainly some others of the period. This is not that pattern, and I have not seen this type hilt before. The folding hilt is familiar to me from similar officers 'gothic' style hilts in British swords of about mid 19th c. and the styling of this hilt has some similarities.

It would seem your sword is probably a Prussian cavalry dress sword of possibly turn of the century. The various German states such as Saxony etc typicaly of course had thier own arms in cartouche the same way.

I hope we get more response from someone who might have references that would give us a more defined identification.

All the best,
Jim