ENGLISH OR AMERICAN PRIVATE PURCHASE CUTLASS C.1805-15

Iron hilt with “melon slice” guard and reeded cast iron grip, retaining near all original black paint finish. 25 3/4” curved wedge section blade, narrow fullered for half its length. Blade shows old smooth dark staining with a few isolated small areas of pitting, negligible for its age and use. The most identifiable type with examples well represented in literature. Meeting the demand for shipboard arms on merchantmen as well as privateers and pirate vessels during the turbulent Napoleonic Wars and War of 1812.