Orders, Decorations and Medals

A fine and rare regimental pattern trumpeter’s or band sword of the 1st Life Guards, circa 1830, the deeply curved 85cm blade by Reeves & Greaves, with single wide fuller, back-edged and spear-pointed for the last 25cm, undecorated but for the maker’s details which appear within a small cartouche on the back edge of the blade at the shoulder, fine quality cast and chased gilt-brass hilt plain stirrup knucklebow, slotted for a sword-knot, the back-strap and pommel cast and deeply chased within the form of a dragon’s head and foliate designs, the langets filled with the regimental device of the 1st Life Guards ‘I LG’, wood grip covered with fish-skin bound with twisted copper wire, complete with its steel scabbard with two hanging rings, blade retaining almost all original burnished finish, gilding to mounts worn but overall in very good condition and a fine sword £700-800

Reeves & Greaves are recorded as working in Birmingham circa 1829-1831.

Although Brian Robson, ‘Swords of the British Army’ refers to this pattern of sword as a Band sword, their rarity would suggest that they were perhaps worn by trumpeters of the 1st. Life Guards, the establishment of which in 1829 was eight.

Sold with some further research and photographs relating to the sword.