Ames Manufacturing Co. Presentation Sword & Scabbard
date: label: date made
content: ca 1850
label: date made
content: ca 1863
name: label: recipient
content: Grant, Ulysses S.
label: maker
content: Ames Manufacturing Company
notes: label: Description
content: Sword: The blade of this sword is straight and double edged. It is also diamond-shaped. The obverse of the blade features ornate silver relief work, including the initials "USG" inside a sunburst surrounded by four long floral sprays. The reverse of the blade is similar, and also has four floral sprays. This time, however, instead of initials the sprays surround two military trophies. The grip of the sword is gold plated and features eight sections of tortoise shell. There are three heads on the gold portion of the grip. The pommel is shaped like a vase, and on the obverse it features a shield reading, "Sic floret respublica" surrounded by laurels. There is an eagle on the pommel's reverse. The upper part of the pommel is encircled in 14 diamonds of varying size, and there is a star on the very top. Six of the diamonds are Rose cut, 7 are Brilliant cut, and the cut of the final diamond is unknown. At least two of the diamonds are fake. The knuckle guard is golf plated and decorated with military trophies, laurels, and, in the center of the obverse, the head of Mars. The knuckle guard continues and turns into a quillon in the shape of a knight's head. The counterguard is double-heart shaped and features an inscription reading, "Jo Daviess County, Illinois, to Major General Ulysses S. Grant, U.S.A., the Hero of the Mississippi." This inscription is surrounded by laurel wreaths, and the initials "U.S.G." can be seen behind the inscription. The counterguard on the reverse is a simple gold plated oval shape.
label: Description
content: Scabbard: The scabbard is gold-mounted with scrolls, flowers, and shields which are ornately engraved with the names and dates of the battles in the Mexican American War that Grant participated in. There are mounts on the scabbard's reverse, but they are much less intricate and bear no inscriptions. There are two carrying rings, each on the top half of the scabbard.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: Place Made
content: United States: Massachusetts, Chicopee
label: presented
content: United States: Illinois, Jo Daviess
label: Associated Place
content: United States: Massachusetts, Chicopee
topic: label: Subject
content: Edged Weapons
label: related event
content: Mexican War
setName: label: See more items in
content: Military and Society: Armed Forces History, Military
label: See more items in
content: Military
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Julia Dent Grant and William H. Vanderbilt
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: AF.2990
label: catalog number
content: 2990
label: accession number
content: 18528
label: collector/donor number
content: AN 74 A
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 (hilt material)
label: Physical Description
content: metal, steel (blade material)
label: Physical Description
content: metal (scabbard material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 38 1/2 in x 4 1/2 in x 2 3/4 in; 97.79 cm x 11.43 cm x 6.985 cm
label: Measurements
content: blade: 32 1/2 in x 3/4 in; 82.55 cm x 1.905 cm
label: Measurements
content: scabbard: 33 in x 1 5/8 in; 83.82 cm x 4.1275 cm
label: Measurements
content: overall, scabbard: 5/8 in x 2 in x 33 in; 1.5875 cm x 5.08 cm x 83.82 cm
label: Measurements
content: overall, sword: 2 3/4 in x 4 3/4 in x 38 1/2 in; 6.985 cm x 12.065 cm x 97.79 cm