Original Item: One-of-a-kind. This is just wonderful, and typical of mid-18th Century accessories for the well to do, such as any officer in the armed forces. Silver hilted small swords were fashionable attire for 18th century gentlemen, and despite the stylish delicate construction, they were formidable dueling weapons. This is a fine silver-gilt small sword by the famed blade maker William Kinman. It measures 39 3/4″ in overall length, with a triangular colichemarde blade of 32 3/4″ length. It was originally adorned with engraved and etched panels, however, these are now partly-obscured due to age and cleaning.
The hilt was at one time “silver-gilt” and generous traces of the gilding are still visible in the protected areas of the silver mounts. The double-shell guard has relief chased borders with panels of gadrooning. The grip is spiral-wrapped with alternating twisted strands of silver wire and ribbon, and its globular pommel finely gadrooned and with an integral turned capstan. The D-shaped guard features a panel of gadrooning in the center and on the reverse of left side, bears London Hallmarks of “Lion” “Gothic C” “Crowned Leopard”, which indicate 1758. To the left of these is the maker’s mark W K for William Kinman, a famous silversmith and cutler in London, near the pommel. Near the crossguard…
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