I offer for sale, a superb, British, Georgian era, Naval Officer’s Sabre by (James?) Dudley of Grand Parade, Portsmouth, who was listed as trading as a Silversmith and Jeweller from that address in c.1790. This lovely sabre was quite possibly issued to a Navy Surgeon, as the Back-piece of the hilt is beautifully decorated with two entwined Serpents which strongly hints at this being the case.
 
The highly curved, plain flat blade is unfullered and single edged. The blade measures some 28 inches long, by 1 inch across at the Ricasso, and no signs of damage to the blade edge, although there are some slight patches of black oxidization present on both sides of the blade (due to being kept for a long time in it’s leather scabbard). The blade is nice and tight with the hilt, no noticeable lateral movement between the two.
 
The gilded bronze hilt is very much in style of the P.1796 LC pattern, and is quite beautifully decorated on nearly all of the hilts parts with Georgian neo-classical motifs, including those two intertwined serpents on the Back-piece. All the original gilding is present on the hilt and the wooden grip is covered in white Shagreen which is nearly all intact except for one small area which is missing. The grip binding wire is all present and correct.
 
This lovely Naval sabre dating to the 1790’s, comes complete with it’s original black leather scabbard, which is in good condition complete with it’s gilt bronze, throat, secondary suspension mount, and extremely long chape. The throat piece bears a wonderful cartouche comprising of a coiled serpent within which it reads “Dudley, Grand Parade, Portsmo.”