Prussian M1816 Infantry Hanger / Sabre
Curved hanger blade with hatchet point, single fuller. Cast brass heart-shaped hilt with short quillon and knucklebow, brass grip with diagonal grooves on one side and smooth on the other, round brass pommel. No scabbard. Blade 25½ inches (65cm) in length, the sword 31½ inches (80cm) overall.
The M1816 was a near-copy of its predecessor the M1715 infantry sword. The Napoleonic Wars having finally concluded, the Prussian army chose in 1815 to adopt the French infantry saber as standard for their infantry – the Guards regiments however preferred the old Prussian model and so new stocks were produced. The blade is of the form the English called a ‘hanger’ although German sources consider it a sabre.
Sturdy and simple to produce, these swords had a long service life, remaining in use longest as a parade weapon with the Schloßgarde-Kompanie (guards of the royal palaces) until they units were disbanded with the end of the Prussian monarchy in 1918.
This example is very slightly non-standard, having simpler ferrules and a blade about 3/8 of an inch longer. It bears no official markings so might be a privately purchased version.
The blade has a bright polished finish. There are a few small nicks to the blade around its midsection and some very small patches of pitting in the same area. The brass of the hilt has an even patina, with the usual minor dents and some brown spotting. It has one small crack near where the knucklebow meets the hilt, but remains solid with no movement. The quillon is bent slightly to one side.