CIRCA 1775-80, LONDON STERLING SILVER HALLMARKS

Details

AN ENGLISH SILVER-HILTED SMALL-SWORD
Circa 1775-80, London sterling silver hallmarks
With colichemarde blade of hollow triangular section etched at the forte with panels of scrollwork involving human heads (all rubbed), the hilt with pierced oval shell, struck underneath with the marks and decorated throughout with faceted studs in imitation of contemporary cut-steel work, the ground partly gilt, and wooden grip bound with twisted silver wire and gilt silver ribbon alternately plain and crimped, in its original vellum-covered scabbard with silver chape and two lockets each carrying suspension-rings and chased with multi-pointed stars, silver maker's mark of John Fayle
31¼in. (79.4cm.) blade

Provenance

J.D. Aylward

Literature

J.D. Aylward, The small-Sword in England, pp. 100-101, fig. 46

Special notice

No VAT will be charged on the hammer price, but VAT at 17.5% will be added to the buyer's premium which is invoiced on a VAT inclusive basis

Lot Essay

According to Aylward this sword is dated 1775-6, by which he presumably means that it bears the London hallmark for that year. This does not, in fact, seem to be the case. John Fayle (recorded 1772-82), a member of the London Cutlers' Company, registered the mark on the sword at Goldsmiths' Hall in April 1772.

See Leslie Southwick, London Silver-hilted Swords, p. 106

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