Bailey & Co. Presentation Sword, Inscribed "The City of Philadelphia to Major General George B. McClellan 1861"
date: label: date made
content: ca 1861
label: associated date
content: 1861-07-31
name: label: recipient
content: McClellan, George B.
label: presenter
content: City of Philadelphia
label: maker
content: Bailey and Company
notes: label: Description
content: Sword: The blade of this presentation sword is long, straight, and double-edged. It has a deep narrow groove that runs down the center of both sides, and is decorated in silver chasing with United States Army trophies and floral sprays, eagles, and scroll designs. The grip of the sword is gold mounted and encircled spirally with a long chain of laurel sprays. These leaves are set with pearls. There are 67 pearls total, (there are supposed to be 69, but two are missing), on the grip alone. The space between the sprays on the obverse is set with 13 (fake) diamonds. The pommel features a gold plated eagle fighting a snake which is curled around the end of the grip and part of the knuckleguard. The knuckleguard is decorated with oak leaf scrolls and beadwork, and the center of the obverse features a medallion set diagonally with six pearls, (there are supposed to be seven pearls, but one is missing). The knuckleguard terminates in a quillon that features and oak leaf scroll. The hinged counterguard on the obverse bears McClellan's monogram, "GBMC," in a fancy script and is surrounded by oak floral sprays. The reverse of the counterguard is more simple, and features an oak scroll branch with two acorns.
label: Description
content: Scabbard: The gold plated scabbard bears three gold mounts and three carrying rings. The two mounts closest to the top of the sword bear a coat of arms. Under the coat of arms, the mount has been designed to look like tree bark. The last mount, at the tip of the scabbard, is the drag. It is covered in floral sprays. The top three quarters of the scabbard itself is also covered in ornate floral sprays and scroll designs. The reverse bears the maker's mark and the back of the mounts. The two mounts closest to the top are decorated like the bark of a tree, and the drag (bottom mount) is covered in floral sprays.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: Place Made
content: United States: Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
label: presented
content: United States: Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
topic: label: Subject
content: Edged Weapons
label: related event
content: Civil War
setName: label: See more items in
content: Military and Society: Armed Forces History, Military
label: See more items in
content: Military
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: AF.30804
label: catalog number
content: 30804
label: accession number
content: 65865
objectType: label: Object Name
content: Sword
label: Object Name
content: sword
label: Other Terms
content: Sword; Edged Weapons; Presentation
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: metal, gilt (scabbard material)
label: Physical Description
content: metal, steel (blade material)
label: Physical Description
content: metal (hilt material)
label: Measurements
content: blade: 31 in x 1 1/4 in; 78.74 cm x 3.175 cm
label: Measurements
content: overall: 37 1/2 in x 5 1/4 in; 95.25 cm x 13.335 cm
label: Measurements
content: scabbard: 33 in x 2 1/2 in; 83.82 cm x 6.35 cm
label: Measurements
content: overall, scabbard: 1 in x 3 1/2 in x 32 7/8 in; 2.54 cm x 8.89 cm x 83.5025 cm
label: Measurements
content: overall, sword: 3 5/8 in x 5 in x 37 3/4 in; 9.2075 cm x 12.7 cm x 95.885 cm