Late 18th Century Highland Foot Regiment Officer's Sword (Sold)

Exceptionally rare circa 1793-8 Highland infantry officer's backsword with Andria Ferara blade.

This is such a rare sword that even the example illustrated in "Swords of the British Army" (Brian Robson) is in worse condition (the reference book example has a broken hilt) than the sword I have here. This sword was a result of an attempt to regulate British Army swords in the late 18th Century. This sword would have been carried by an officer in one of the highland foot regiments, though not the 78th Highlanders (the Brian Robson example is from that regiment and has a slightly different hilt design). This pattern of sword was carried by Scottish Highland officers in the Napoleonic Peninsula War.

What makes this sword so nice is the fact it has the officer's family blade from around 1720-1730. The blade is marked to "Andria Farara" a famous blade smith originally from Toledo Spain who used this type of blade and spelling of his name in that period. So the blade may well have seen the battlefield of Culloden, either yielded by this sword's ancestor as a loyalist highlander or taken from a rebellious Jacobite.

The 77cm backsword blade is firm in the hilt. The stunning ivory grip and its associated ring bindings (grip wire) is in excellent condition. The hilt has lost some of its gilt and out most bar is bent inwards a little (can be corrected with care). Further pictures available upon request.