USMC Staff NCO Swords

[reschenk]

I was able to acquire a rare USMC Staff NCO sword on eBay this week.  The fact I was the sole bidder on the lot shows how little knowledge and interest there is in Marine swords.  This sword was adopted by the Marines in M1859.  Usually it is worn on a sliding frog in a leather scabbard with two mounts, throat with a frog stud and a drag.  However at least from the Uniform Regulation of 1875 until the Uniform Regulation of 1937 senior staff NCOs, primarily, Sergeants Major and Quartermaster Sergeants, were authorized to wear their swords on slings like commissioned officers which of course required a scabbard with three mounts, i.e. a throat and middle band with carrying rings and a drag.  Three-mount Marine NCOs scabbards are frequently encountered on wide-bladed pre-WWI swords but are very seldom seen on the narrow-bladed versions adopted soon after WWI.  I have only found three examples, all Horstmann swords, with Marine inventory control numbers stamped on the quillon and scabbard drag which shows they were procured by the USMC Quartermaster Division rather than private purchased.  The inventory control numbers on the three swords are 340, 374, and 448 respectfully.  Because these swords are so scarce, and because they doesn’t seem to be ib any contemporary photos, I suspect despite the regs, after WWI most senior NCO used frogs rather than slings.

 

Ordinary Post-WWI NCO Sword:

 

 

Post-WWI Staff NCO Sword:

 

I would appreciate any additional information on post-WWI Staff NCO sword.  Do you have or know of any other examples?  What, if any, inventory control numbers do they have?  Do you have any photos with these swords being used?