gunbb Posted April 10, 2022 Share #1 Posted April 10, 2022 Just picked this up. It's in great shape as shown. I just wondered if anyone has information on who used them . Thanks . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wartimecollectables.com Posted April 10, 2022 Share #2 Posted April 10, 2022 I have always liked these! Commonly referred to as the Peterson #75, from his noted sword reference number. Imported in large numbers from Germany and apparently made by several German makers. I have only seen them attributed to Yankees but certainly plausible some were carried by Confederate officers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
illinigander Posted April 10, 2022 Share #3 Posted April 10, 2022 Private purchase for US foot officers & cavalry. A quick look through both of Thillmann's sword books, and I could not find the makers mark listed. illinigander Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gunbb Posted April 10, 2022 Author Share #4 Posted April 10, 2022 So what you're saying is there's no way to tie them to a certain outfit . I don't have enough pictures of soldiers with swords to reference. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sundance Posted April 10, 2022 Share #5 Posted April 10, 2022 I know they are non-regulation but I'm guessing they were popular. They are a favorite of mine. At least one Union general, maybe Sheridan, is photographed with a Peterson 75. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sundance Posted April 10, 2022 Share #6 Posted April 10, 2022 Could you show pictures of the etching on the blade? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
USMC_COLLECTOR Posted April 10, 2022 Share #7 Posted April 10, 2022 I don't know why they said it was made in Germany for a Civil war officer's sword... This probably would have come out of Prussia, or maybe a smaller state. Just a little detail since Germany wasn't a country yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gunbb Posted April 10, 2022 Author Share #8 Posted April 10, 2022 I don't see anything but it does have pitting. The one in the book doesn't show engraving either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sundance Posted April 10, 2022 Share #9 Posted April 10, 2022 Thanks for the pictures of the blade. I thought there would be etching but I guess I'm wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gunbb Posted April 10, 2022 Author Share #10 Posted April 10, 2022 Do you have the picture of Sheridan with the Prussian Sword? I'd like to see it. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sundance Posted April 10, 2022 Share #11 Posted April 10, 2022 Let me see if I can dig it up. It may not have been Sheridan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sundance Posted April 10, 2022 Share #12 Posted April 10, 2022 Gunbb, I have yet to find a picture but it was General Sheridan who had a German made non-regulation British pattern 1827 sword which I believe is AKA the Peterson 75. If you have a copy of Thillmann's "Civil War Army Swords" it is mentioned on page 399. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gunbb Posted April 10, 2022 Author Share #13 Posted April 10, 2022 No I don't have that book. Where I live, you see so little of this kind of stuff. All the gun shows are black plastic crap or 3 tables of new leather, jewelry, coins , ammo and just about everything but Militaria from ANY period. I came across this along with a bunch of good leather stuff . The original finder got all the swords and sold me this one and the 1833 Staff Officers. typical story, guy died, wife had kids come over, they took the modern guns and left the "smelly old junk". I paid $300 for this one . They have an 1850 Staff officers but I can never tell CW from IW . The maker is D Klein& Bros. , Phiadelphia, PA and Richard J. Gerity on the blade . Here are some pictures I took with my phone. Any ideas?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sundance Posted April 10, 2022 Share #14 Posted April 10, 2022 If you purchased the Peterson 75 for $300. with a scabbard I'd say you did really well. I've paid over $200. just for an original scabbard to go with a sword missing a scabbard. Have you posted the 1833 sword? I'd love to see that one. I'm no expert on prices which seem to vary greatly in different parts of the country. ... but I know what I like and that's what I find most important, I can't swing the pristine examples but I'm partial to the "been there, done that" look, perhaps by necessity. The other pictured sword (I believe an 1860 model) appears to be post Civil War. I believe that model was used right up to the introduction of the 1902(?) "sword for all officers". You can probably look up that maker and zero in on some dates. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gunbb Posted April 10, 2022 Author Share #15 Posted April 10, 2022 I posted the 1833 in the first category before the CW . I thought it was post CW also. So many are. I need a pommel nut for the 1833 . I may have to make one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sundance Posted April 10, 2022 Share #16 Posted April 10, 2022 I just saw a note in the Ridgeway Civil War Research Center site that said all D. Klein & Bros. model 1860 swords were made post Cicil War. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gunbb Posted April 10, 2022 Author Share #17 Posted April 10, 2022 That's great info, sundance. I tried to look up "D Klein & Bros, " and all I got was some gut who's a lawyer named something else Klein. Frustrating. Thanks again. I just posted some cabinet photos of CW Generals in a new post . Take a look if you want. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sundance Posted April 10, 2022 Share #18 Posted April 10, 2022 Thanks, will do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikie Posted April 22, 2022 Share #19 Posted April 22, 2022 Here is my sword. I didn't know it was referred to as a Peterson 75. Just for the record, I took pictures of the blade engraving for future reference. It was tricky taking the photos since the engraving is hard to see unless you look for it and hold and light it just right. If I remember, I paid about $250 for it about 20 years ago. I don't have the scabbard for it. Mikie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sundance Posted April 22, 2022 Share #20 Posted April 22, 2022 Very nice sword. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gunbb Posted April 23, 2022 Author Share #21 Posted April 23, 2022 1 hour ago, mikie said: Here is my sword. I didn't know it was referred to as a Peterson 75. Just for the record, I took pictures of the blade engraving for future reference. It was tricky taking the photos since the engraving is hard to see unless you look for it and hold and light it just right. If I remember, I paid about $250 for it about 20 years ago. I don't have the scabbard for it. Mikie Very Nice. You can still see the maker and the engraving. Mine looks like it went through a rough life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikie Posted April 23, 2022 Share #22 Posted April 23, 2022 Something that always confused me about these swords is that some people describe them as a Foot Officer's sword, and others as a Staff Officer's sword. I know it is non-regulation, so it probably doesn't matter much. But anyone have any idea if it was actually used more by one or the other? Or how the sellers described it back then? Mikie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodymyster Posted April 23, 2022 Share #23 Posted April 23, 2022 3 hours ago, mikie said: Something that always confused me about these swords is that some people describe them as a Foot Officer's sword, and others as a Staff Officer's sword. I know it is non-regulation, so it probably doesn't matter much. But anyone have any idea if it was actually used more by one or the other? Or how the sellers described it back then? Mikie The regulation 1850 Infantry Officer sword was officially known as the M1850 Staff and Field Officer Sword. Although this was the official name, there are plenty of swords engraved as presentation pieces to Lieutenants and Captains. So it usually covers all officers during the war. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sundance Posted January 21, 2023 Share #24 Posted January 21, 2023 I'm resurrecting this 9 month old post to check something out. The 5th picture in the initial post shows a maker's mark with Solingen written below it. I'm trying to figure out who that maker is. I have one book about German sword makers but that maker's mark is not shown. USMC Collector mentioned in a post above that Germany was not yet a country at the time of the Civil War so maybe referring to it as a German made sword is incorrect. Perhaps looking for a Prussian sword maker would be more precise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
illinigander Posted January 25, 2023 Share #25 Posted January 25, 2023 The sword pictured was made by Clauburg, a major swordmaker in Solingen, which at the time of the US CW was part of Prussia. The April 23, 2022 post is correct as far as it goes, however overlooked is the US m/1850 Foot Officers sword, that was intended for Lt's & Capts. The US m/1850 Staff & Field Officers sword was correct for Major and above. illinigander Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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