Two US Civil War Naval cutlasses era cutlasses, mid 19th Century, With possible association to the USS Constitution.
I have a pair of swords, that I'm told were from the U.S.S. Constitution. They are stamped with a date and initials (I'm assuming the craftsman's initials) one is from 1862, the other from 1865 (I think, the markings are hard to read). My grandfather obtained them from the Springfield Armory in the 1969's. My father passed them to me a few years ago. They have been displayed and are in good condition for their age.
32" length
Inherited
Yes
Hi John,
Thank you for contacting Mearto with your appraisal inquiry.
These are two Civil-War era Naval cutlasses, which would - in their current condition, which is fair-poor with corrosion and wear/eroding to the stamped inscriptions - be worth about $50-75 each, or $100-150 for the pair.
If you could verify their connection with the USS Constitution, that would certainly make these much more desirable to collectors and increase their value. By verifying, you'd first need to get information from the Springfield Armory as to who they obtained these from. You'd then need to trace that back to who these swords were originally owned by. In some cases, it's possible to do this but in many cases, the trail goes dead. If I were you, I'd start with the Springfield Armory and their records. They'd certainly have kept receipts of weapons they were selling off, if not at the Armory than in another archival repository.
Based on the photos and information provided, and subject to examination, this is:
Two US Civil War Naval cutlasses era cutlasses
mid 19th Century
With possible association to the USS Constitution.
with brass hilts and wooden grips, indistinctly marked
each 32 inches long
CONDITION: With oxidation (rusting) and wear throughout. Apparently lacking scabbards.
PROVENANCE: Inherited; once in the collection of the Springfield Armory
$50-75 each or $100-150 for the two together*
*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
