Dressed to Kill, Dressed to Till

An English Silver-hilted Smallsword w/ Scabbard, 1723.

The auction will start in __ days and __ hours

Start price: $1,000

Estimated price: $2,000 - $4,000

Buyer's premium:

Handsome silver-hilted smallsword, of a form favored by both military men and gentlemen for both defense and fashionable display.  It has a straight, three-sided blade 32 5/16 inches long and 1 ¼ inches wide at ricasso.  The crossguard is a double-clamshell form and the knuckle-bow is D-shaped, with a ball-shaped quillon.  The pommel is rounded and resembles an urn in profile, while the grip is wrapped with 2-strand, silver wire.  There are numerous touchmarks on the hilt knuckle-bow and pommel, as well as the face of the cross-guard, including touchmarks for London and the year 1723 and a maker’s mark that is indistinct.  Its original leather scabbard survives, with silver throat with hook and tip, both decorated with incised lines.