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Swordsman Badge


B-17Guy
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The

"Compilation of General Orders Circulars and Bulletins of the WAR DEPARTMENT

Issued between February 15, 1881, and December 31, 1915"

published 1916

describes the award criterias

 

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post-8324-0-60984300-1500221387_thumb.jpeg

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  • 11 months later...

As rare as this badge is and as few as I have seen in 25 years, believe it or not...for six months I owned two!

The badge in this thread has continued its journey and has been passed on to a good friend and advanced Cavalry collector, (sale endorsed by my wife of course, lol).

My new acquisition is biographical with a photo of the trooper wearing it.

I will post pics to this thread as time permits.

 

Cheers, John

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  • 5 months later...

Finally had some time to show a few images.

Here is a partial on the grouping, showing the ID'ed Swordsman Badge.

There is a lot more paper with the lot, this is just a partial display.

 

John

post-12439-0-73061600-1545587102.jpg

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Thank you for bringing this thread back up and your sharing the group with this EXTREMELY rare badge. I am glad that you were able to "upgrade" your badge to the one with provenance and accompanied by other memorabilia from the veteran. To me, it means so much more when you can put a name and even better, a face, to the artifact.

 

I hope that you cherish this piece and grouping for many years to come.

 

Allan

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  • 4 months later...

That is a nice badge. I have 3 Sword bars for the shooting badge type badge. They are all sterling .

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  • 1 year later...

Just thought that I would bring this Swordsman Badge post back to life again.

 

The lower badge is an original, while the upper badge is a reproduction.

IMG_6118.JPG

IMG_6119.JPG

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The Swordsman badge was awarded in its original form from its inception on January 15, 1914, until September 1, 1922. 

 

In 1922, Change 5 to Army Regulation 600-35, (Specifications for the Uniform), altered the form of the Swordsman Badge from the previously distinct design to that of a suspended bar with the word "SWORD" across its face. The bar was provided with attachments so it could be hung from the basic qualification badge. 

 

Two grades of swordsman skill were authorized in the 1922 Regulation: Swordsman, and 1st Class Swordsman. The grade distinctions in the awards were indicated by the design of the basic badges, from which the "SWORD" bar was suspended. The Swordsman bar was suspended from a white metal badge of "a cross patee" while the 1st Class Swordsman bar was suspended from a white metal badge of "a cross patee, with the representation of a target placed on the center thereof." 

 

A third and higher class of swordsman achievement was created when AR 600-35 was republished on December 31, 1926. The new badge was titled 

"Expert Swordsman". It was also of the badge and suspended-bar design. The Expert Swordsman badge was made of white metal in the form of "a cross patee, with the representation of a target placed on the center thereof and encircled by a wreath." The bar was the same as that for the other two classes of the badge, the word "SWORD" appearing on the face of the piece. 

The designation of the intermediate badge, which had been called "1st Class Swordsman" under the 1922 Regulation Change was altered in the December 31, 1926 republication of AR 600-35. Under the new regulation this award was called "Excellent Swordsman". Its design, however, did remain as prescribed in the earlier regulation. 

 

Reference to all three Swordsman Badges was dropped from AR 600-35 in the November 10, 1941 publication. It would therefore seem apparent that a large number of the badges with "SWORD" bars should have been issued over the nineteen years issue was authorized. The earlier badge, (which is displayed above) is that of a pin displaying a sword and the word "SWORDSMAN", which was in use only eight years and not nearly on as wide a basis, would be of comparative rarity among the U.S. Army badges. 

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  • 2 months later...

Tolbert, thanks for adding the image of the reproduction Swordsman badge for comparison and narrative.

It is also always nice to see another original, as there are so few (I know of less than ten in collections).

Sorry I didn’t notice your post sooner.

 

John

 

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  • 1 year later...

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