Fakes

[paulwillcocks]

Yes indeed. This 1798 sword looks more like a letter opener than the real thing ! I was stung by this same rogue some 20+ years ago. A perfectly presentable 1803 with a blue and gilt blade with on one side a panel for the 13th Regiment and on the other a presentation inscription to a Captain Miller of the Somerset Regiment. There were a few tell tale signs that my naivety managed to miss:

1) the lettering font was Victorian at the earliest 2) there were 2 spelling mistakes in the inscription and 3) there was no such captain in the Regiment during the time
We all live and learn !

[Will]

Who is this mystery rogue? He has only managed to damage perfectly good examples of swords.

[Richard]

PM sent

[Juan J. Perez]

Hi Juan
I believe the sword itself might be genuine. However, the etching is certainly not - another example undertaken by using acid-resistant Letraset, probably in 1980s or 1990s.
Here is the link to the auction so you can see better photos (lot 327):

https://www.cowanauctions.com/auction/1 ... rmsPremier

Richard

Well, in any case our rogue went quite far regarding aging, because in higher resolution pictures it can be seen that there are dark patches even in the areas were acid operated. That staining had to be artificially done after etching, and the whole blade cleaned trying to impart it an homogeneous finish. The scratches can still be seen as a result, but a good job regarding aging, anyway.

However, the use of Letraset is evident, as you say, and not only because of the font used. There are many sections of letters missed or broken (a leg here and there, and such), surely because a not proper application of the letters, something that would not have happened using other means for acid engraving.

Juan J.

[Will]

I sent a message to Cowans but it appears unheeded.

[Will]

https://www.ebay.ca/itm/British-English ... Sw7q5d0e25
I sense warning bells here.

[MikeShowers]

https://www.ebay.ca/itm/British-English ... Sw7q5d0e25
I sense warning bells here.

No kidding. Amazon sells them.

[Will]

I never thought of looking on Amazon for repro swords.

[paulwillcocks]

So I thought I would send a friendly message to the ebay seller on this sword. I asked him if it is a genuine period piece or a high quality reproduction. His answer was:

Hi
Check the 12 picture. I am is seller not expert. I’m start $ 399.

This roughly translates as fake !!

[Richard]

Relatively speaking (i.e. compared to other fakes), this one is a pretty good copy. So, before the ebay listing disappears, here are photos of that sword compared to the real thing