Sword from the Civil War era
date: label: Date
content: 1861-1865
name: label: Created by
content: Ames Manufacturing Company, American, founded 1791
notes: label: Description
content: A plain single-edged model M1840 steel sword without decoration and a distinctive turned-down reverse guard. The hilt has an urn-type pommel and single branch counterguard. The keystone mark on the ricasso is an Emerson & Silver keystone. The 26-inch blade is five or six inches shorter than a standard 31- or 32-inch NCO blade. A short blade normally identifies a sword as one carried by an officer of short stature, cadets, etc. The number “54” is stamped into the interior of the double clamshell guard. The sword shows no signs of wear.
topic: label: Topic
content: African American
label: Topic
content: Military
label: Topic
content: Slavery
label: Topic
content: U.S. History, Civil War, 1861-1865
setName: label: See more items in
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
label: Classification
content: Slavery and Freedom Objects
label: Classification
content: Weapons and Ammunition
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture
identifier: label: Object number
content: 2011.4.4
objectType: label: Type
content: swords
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: No Known Copyright Restrictions
label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
physicalDescription: label: Medium
content: brass (alloy) and steel
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D: Handle: 7 x 4 1/2 x 2 1/2 in. (17.8 x 11.4 x 6.4 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D: Overall: 32 x 4 1/2 x 2 1/2 in. (81.3 x 11.4 x 6.4 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D: Blade: 26 x 7/8 x 1/4 in. (66 x 2.2 x 0.6 cm)