1845 PATTERN BRITISH INFANTRY SABER
British 1845 Pattern "Gothic-hilted" infantry sword, 32" blade, 38" overall. Both sides of the blade bear an engraved floral pattern along approx. three-fourths of its length. The reverse ricasso is acid-etched with the maker's name "Hamburger Rogers & Co. [...] Covent Garden London". The obverse ricasso is hallmarked with an inset brass medallion bearing indistinct markings. The hand guard, pommel and backstrap are all of brass. The handguard is formed of a series of fluted bars resembling the arches found in Gothic architecture, giving rise to the pattern's colloquial name. The handguard bears the monogram "VR" ("Victoria Regina"), with a folding flap on the opposite side, neatly dating the sword to the period 1845 to 1854. The grip is wood covered with fish skin, wrapped with braided brass wire. The sword is housed in an unmarked brass scabbard. The engraving on the blade is well-worn, the cutting edge bears many nicks along its length, the handguard shows some distortion, the grip covering has worn away in areas, the backstrap is loose, and the scabbard is heavily dented.