EL6972 - An early numbered Wilkinson Rifles officer's sword. Sadly the number is only half legible, and appear to be 5...50. This has not been researched by me, so would require a little bit of detective work by the buyer, to see if it is possible to match the sword to an officer in the Wilkinson records. This number must date the sword to 1854 or 1855 and the blade has been extensively and well service sharpened, so it is possible this sword saw action in the Crimean War, Indian Mutiny or one of the other wars of the second half of the 1850s or the 1860s. The hilt and scabbard has some light pitting, but it is all complete and solid, with no movement. Much of the etching on the blade is very well preserved, but it is rather rubbed around the ricasso and of course where the sharpening has been carried out. A lovely quality fighting sword, top quality, with research potential.
