Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A scarce regimental special pattern solid patent tang cavalry sword for a native officer or trooper of the 3rd. Bengal Cavalry, Skinner’s Horse, the heavy wide straight 91.5cm blade by Henry Wilkinson, Pall Mall, numbered on the back edge 469, fully 40cm wide at the shoulder, back-edged and spear-pointed, solid steel guard undecorated but for the regimental device ‘3 BC’ in the form of a large brass badge secured to the guard by three small internal rivets, the number 469 again struck on the guard, plain domed pommel, chequered leather grips rivetted on to the solid tang, leather grips damaged and lacking scabbard £200-250

The Wilkinson sword proof books record sword numbers 28431 to 28458 as ‘28, 3 Bengal Cavalry Officer’s Swords, with pat. tang, solid guard, plain round top and back, gilt cypher, steel scabbards, h and s nickel-plated, for H S King & Co. for 3rd. Bengal Cavalry, 6th. January 1888’.

Henry S. King & Co. are recorded at No. 65 Cornhill, London, and appear to have been sword-cutlers.

Presumably the native officer’s and trooper’s swords were supplied at the same time to Skinner’s Horse, and can thus be dated to 1888, an example exists within the National Army Museum collections which is numbered 462 the steel mounted wood scabbard mounts of which are numbered 463.

See Illustrated London News for a photograph of a duffadar and two sowars of Skinner’s wearing this pattern of swords and scabbards.