Hi Michael,

Thank you for contacting Mearto with your appraisal inquiry.

That mark is the old trademark of Weyersberg, Kirschbaum & Cie (commonly shown as W.K. & C. or WKC) of Solingen, Germany. The firm combined Weyersberg’s “king’s head”/crown and Kirschbaum’s “knight’s helmet” marks after the 1883 merger, so blades from that period often show a crowned king and a knight together with the initials W.K. & C. on the ricasso.

By the early 20th century, the firm increasingly streamlined its branding to just the knight’s head with “WKC”. The combined king + knight emblem largely disappears after World War I and is generally not seen on blades made later than the 1920s–1930s. From that point on, the company stuck with the knight’s head alone (still used today).

The inscription on the blade "2. Garde Ulanen Regt." refers to the Second Guard Uhlan Regiment (Garde-Ulanen-Regiment), a prestigious cavalry regiment of the Prussian Guard.

Other Guard Uhlan Regiment cavalry swords by WKC that have sold at auction have all sold for less than $1,000, with most between $400 and $600, though ones with distinguished provenance have realized prices between $500 and $1,000, depending on condition.

Based on the photos and information provided, and subject to examination, this is:

A Prussian Model officer's sword for the 2rd Guard Uhlan regiment
made by Weyersberg, Kirschbaum & Cie, circa 1890s
Straight nickeled blade marked with WKC king & knight mark on both sides of the ricasso, the blade etched on one side with florals, unit title and figure of a mounted Uhlan, the reverse with cavalry panoply, scene of charging Uhlans, guard star and conventional strapwork. Nickel-plated hilt of standard pattern, the guard with Prussian eagle, wrapped shagreen or bakelite hilt, with a black-painted single ring scabbard
(DIMENSIONS)
CONDITION: This appears to be in good condition.
PROVENANCE: Inherited
$400-600*
*represents a fair-market value for auction purposes; retail or asking price may vary.

Please let us know if you have additional items to appraise, or questions/concerns, and thank you again for using Mearto.
~ Delia