presentation of the pearl sword

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The symbolic sword that is always presented when the Royal Family heads to St. Paul’s

While members of the Royal Family are always greeted warmly whenever they visit St. Paul’s Cathedral, there is also an important tradition that takes place. 

When the Monarch enters the City of London in State, they are welcomed by the Lord Mayor of London with the Pearl Sword which they then touch. When The Queen touches the hilt, it is meant to be a representation of her authority over the city. 

The Pearl Sword is almost a metre long and four and a half centimetres wide with a 27cm hilt. The sword’s scabbard that dates back to the early nineteenth century is covered in 2500 pearls, henceforth the name. Two thirds of the sword is etched with different designs, including the city arms and a sailing ship.

Traditionally it is thought that the sword itself was a 1571 gift from Queen Elizabeth I to the City of London to celebrate the opening of the Royal Exchange. The sword would be given to the monarch when they reached the city boundary and then returned when they left.

However, in 1641 King Charles I was offered the sword but immediately returned it to the Lord Mayor. After that meeting, the ceremonial touching of the sword continued.

The Queen has taken part in this ceremony countless times, including at her DIamond Jubilee in 2012. 

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• Two Congressional Presentation Swords
• Masterpieces in Detail

Two of the fifteen presentation swords awarded by the Continental Congress during the Revolutionary War are preserved in the Institute’s collections. This example was awarded to Lt. Col. Tench Tilghman, the longest-serving aide-de-camp to George Washington.

During the Revolutionary War, the Continental Congress awarded fifteen presentation swords to officers who displayed exceptional bravery and commitment to the cause. Not all of these swords are known to survive, but two are preserved in the Institute’s collections—the only institution to own more than one of these treasured artifacts. One of these two swords was awarded to Lt. Col. Samuel Smith of the Maryland Line for his gallant leadership in the defense of Fort Mifflin in November 1777. The second sword was awarded to Lt. Col. Tench Tilghman, the longest-serving aide-de-camp to George Washington and the man entrusted with carrying the momentous news of the victory at Yorktown to Congress in October 1781. These elegant, French-made swords of silver and gold document the importance of the officers’ actions and bear rich symbols of American independence and the new American republic.

The tradition of presenting a sword as a mark of general esteem or a reward for a specific heroic act dates back at least several centuries to European and Middle Eastern precedents. The swords awarded by Congress during the Revolutionary War were the first American presentation swords in what would become a long tradition of recognizing military heroism with precious commemorative objects. Congress was the only entity to award swords during the Revolution, but beginning with the War of 1812, states, cities and private organizations commissioned their own swords to bestow on military leaders. American presentation swords were most popular from the War of 1812 to World War I, after which they went out of style.

The seventh sword awarded by Congress during the Revolution honored Lt. Col. Samuel Smith. On November 4, 1777, Congress, having “a high sense of the merit of Lieutenant Colonel Smith, and the officers and men under his command, in their late gallant defence of Fort Mifflin, on the river Delaware,” resolved “that an elegant sword be provided by the Board of War, and presented to Lieutenant Colonel Smith.” The American fort on Mud Island just south of Philadelphia, and several other patriot installations, had prevented British supply ships from reaching the city since early October, while also allowing General Washington time to move his troops into winter quarters at Valley Forge. An American force under the command of Samuel Smith still held Fort Mifflin when Congress passed its resolution on November 4, but Smith’s defense of the fort was not yet over.

Washington ordered Smith to form a garrison at Fort Mifflin on September 23, writing, “the keeping of the fort is of very great importance, and I rely strongly on your prudence, spirit and bravery for a vigorous & persevering defense.” Half of the four hundred men in the garrison were from Smith’s Fourth Maryland Regiment. Officially, Washington had named a Prussian volunteer, Col. Henry Leonard Philip, baron d’Arendt, as the commanding officer at Fort Mifflin, but Colonel Arendt was chronically ill during the siege, leaving command of the fort to Lieutenant Colonel Smith. British cannons on the mainland began bombarding Fort Mifflin in early October. Smith’s men unsuccessfully attempted to capture the enemy’s artillery and did not have the fire power from the fort’s batteries to halt their bombardment. By early November the British had added floating batteries and unleashed a ferocious, constant barrage of shells on the partially earthen fort. On November 11—a week after Congress’ award—Smith reported that “by tomorrow night everything will be levelled” and if the British should “storm us I think we must fall—however even as it is your opinion I will keep the garrison tho’ I lose mine and my soldiers lives.” Smith did indeed almost lose his life. The same day, a cannon strike hit his barracks, knocking him unconscious and injuring his hip and left arm. Smith was evacuated to nearby Fort Mercer, where he remained when his garrison abandoned Fort Mifflin four days later. The Americans’ perseverance inspired respect even from the enemy. A British officer remarked: “the behavior of the enemy … did them honor, nor did they quit the place ‘till their defenses were ruined, and the works rendered to rubbish, setting the works in a blaze when they could defend it no longer.”

Samuel Smith (1752-1839) had begun his Revolutionary War service in January 1776 as a captain in William Smallwood’s Battalion, with which he fought at the Battle of Brooklyn. By the end of the year he had become major of the Fourth Maryland Regiment, and he was promoted to lieutenant colonel in February 1777. He helped lead the regiment in the Battle of Brandywine, through the siege of Fort Mifflin, during the winter at Valley Forge, and in the Battle of Monmouth Courthouse. Smith resigned from the Continental Army in May 1779 and returned to his family’s shipping business in Baltimore. After the war he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate, oversaw the defense of Baltimore during the War of 1812 and later served as mayor of the city. He was an original member of the Society of the Cincinnati of Maryland and served as its president from 1828 until his death.

Smith’s fellow Marylander, Lt. Col. Tench Tilghman, was the recipient of the eleventh sword awarded by Congress during the Revolution. On October 29, 1781, Congress resolved to present to Tilghman “a horse properly caparisoned, and an elegant sword, in testimony of their high opinion of his merit and ability.” Rather than honoring battlefield valor, this award recognized Tilghman’s indispensable service to George Washington as the commander-in-chief’s longest-serving aide-de-camp—a relationship that inspired the general to bestow on Tilghman the honor of delivering to Congress the Articles of Capitulation signed by British general Charles Cornwallis at Yorktown. Tilghman had been with Washington through the siege, the final assaults on the British redoubts, Cornwallis’ surrender and the capitulation ceremony. The day after the British capitulation, Tilghman left for Philadelphia, arriving in the early morning hours of October 24 to proclaim the news to President Thomas McKean. Along with the Articles of Capitulation, Tilghman transmitted to McKean a letter from Washington, in which the general praised his aide: “His Merits, which are too well known to need any observations at this Time, have gained my particular Attention—& I could wish that they may be honored by the Notice of your Excellency & Congress.” Five days later Congress voted to award Tilghman with a presentation sword.

Tench Tilghman (1744-1786) joined the patriot cause in late summer 1775, when Congress appointed him secretary to a commission that traveled to New York to persuade the Iroquois Confederacy to remain neutral in the Revolutionary War. When he returned he joined a Philadelphia militia company and, in the summer of 1776, was promoted to captain in the Pennsylvania battalion of the Flying Camp attached to the Continental Army. Tilghman first met George Washington in August 1776 and volunteered to serve with the commander-in-chief’s staff. For the next seven years, Tilghman excelled drafting the general’s correspondence, distributing his orders, reporting news from the battlefield and contributing to Washington’s headquarters in any other way he could. He was at Washington’s side from the surprise attack on Trenton to the turmoil at Monmouth and triumph at Yorktown. Washington formally appointed Tilghman an aide-de-camp in his General Orders of June 21, 1780, but Tilghman would not receive a military rank or salary for another year. In supporting Tilghman’s commission from Congress, Washington wrote that his aide “has been a zealous servant & slave to the public, & a faithful assistant to me for near five years, great part of which time he refused to receive pay.” Congress appointed Tilghman a lieutenant colonel on May 30, 1781. As the war wound down after Yorktown, Tilghman received an extended leave of absence from the army to recuperate his health and to court his future wife, Anna Maria Tilghman. Lieutenant Colonel Tilghman resigned his commission on December 23, 1783—the same day Washington famously resigned his commission in front of Congress in Annapolis. Tilghman settled in Baltimore after the war and resumed his mercantile business. He became an original member of the Society of the Cincinnati of Maryland, but he died just three years later at the age of forty-one.

These presentation swords were intended as purely ceremonial and commemorative objects. Their basic design followed the pattern of the typical French small sword, which was fashionable on both sides of the Atlantic. The slight, elegant hilt compliments the small, straight, tapered blade that is triangular in cross section. The silver hilt is embellished in yellow and rose gold with symbols of the new American republic, including laurel wreaths, liberty caps and military trophies. The grip bears the arms of the United States on one side and an inscription on the other noting the recipient of the sword and the date of the Congressional resolution. The entire length of the blade is blued, with gilt etched designs of floral sprays and military trophies. The brilliant, iridescent surface—sometimes called peacock blue—was produced by the niter bluing process, in which the finished, highly polished steel blade was dipped in a molten salt bath of potassium and sodium nitrate for a period of time to produce the decorative finish. On the back side of the blade beginning at the ricasso is a gilt panel bearing the inscription of the maker, the Liger workshop in Paris. The presentation swords were originally accompanied by a scabbard of shagreen—an untanned leather made of fish skin—with silver mounts decorated similarly to the hilt. The scabbard for the Samuel Smith sword retains its original shagreen exterior, while the scabbard for the Tench Tilghman sword has a black leather exterior, probably added later as a replacement for the original shagreen.

That these presentation swords were made at all was due largely to the efforts of David Humphreys, a Revolutionary War officer from Connecticut. First serving as a captain in the Sixth Connecticut Regiment of the Continental Army, Humphreys became an aide-de-camp to George Washington in June 1780—alongside fellow aide Tench Tilghman. Like Tilghman and Samuel Smith, Humphreys was awarded a sword by Congress, in appreciation of his delivery of the British standards surrendered at Yorktown to Congress in Philadelphia in early November 1781. After the war, Congress appointed Humphreys secretary to the American commissioners in Paris—Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams—charged with negotiating commerce treaties with European and North African nations. Beyond his formal duties, Humphreys saw an opportunity to nudge Congress’ presentation swords towards completion.

Because of difficulties in allocating resources to the project during the war, only one of the fifteen swords had been made by 1784. The sword awarded to the marquis de Lafayette in 1778 was completed in Paris the following year—largely due to the efforts of Benjamin Franklin, the United States minister to France. In January 1781 the Board of War reported to Congress that “it is impossible to gratify the wishes of the gentlemen entitled to swords by Resolutions of Congress under our present embarrassments even if they could be manufactured here with sufficient neatness.” (Several years earlier, Col. Benjamin Flower, commander of the army’s Artillery Artificer Regiment, had a few swords made as models for the Congressional presentation swords, but the Board of War considered them “too badly executed to be presented as a token of National approbation.”) Congress directed that eight “plain, but elegant silver mounted small swords” be added to the list of supplies to be imported from Europe, but they were apparently omitted from the final shipment.

Before leaving for France, Humphreys asked Robert Morris, superintendent of finance, when he would receive his presentation sword. Morris—perhaps sensing an opportunity of his own—responded in June 1784 directing Humphreys to oversee the production of ten swords that remained to be procured. Morris conceded that the “Swords can best be executed in Europe” and instructed Humphreys that “the Articles when purchased you will be pleased to have shipped by some safe Conveyance directed for the Secretary at War … Be pleased also to have all these articles executed agreeably to the Resolutions of Congress respecting them”—although the extent of the description Congress provided in the resolutions was simply “an elegant sword.”

In July 1784 Humphreys sailed for France and, within several months, began making arrangements for the swords. He chose the Liger family workshop in Paris—led by master sword maker Claude-Raymond Liger (1720-1802) and his son Pierre-Ambroise Liger—for the commission. Liger had made Lafayette’s Congressional presentation sword five years earlier, which no doubt influenced Humphreys’ selection. In mid-March 1785 Humphreys proposed to Congress that the swords be “constructed in precisely the same fashion, to wit, the hilt to be of silver, round which a foliage of laurel to be enameled in gold in such a manner as to leave a medallion on the center sufficient to receive the arms of the United States on one side, and on the reverse an inscription in English, ‘The United States to Colonel Meigs July 25, 1777.’ And the same for the others.” Congress approved the design, and Humphreys arranged to pay Liger 6,500 livres to secure the contract for the ten swords.

The presentation swords were finished by early 1786, and Humphreys returned to the United States with them in late April 1786. He quickly delivered them to Secretary of War Henry Knox in New York for distribution. Knox transmitted each sword to the honoree with a letter and a copy of the Congressional resolution. In the case of Tench Tilghman’s sword, Knox addressed his letter to Tilghman’s widow, Anna Maria, as her husband had died a month earlier. Writing on May 30, 1786, Knox offered the following tribute: “death, the inevitable tribute of our system, has prematurely deprived you of the most tender and virtuous companion, and the United States, of an able and upright patriot. … Colonel Tilghman acted well his part on the theatre of human life.” Knox concluded that the sword awarded to Lieutenant Colonel Tilghman “will be an honorable and perpetual evidence of his merit and of the applause of his country.”

Mrs. Tilghman treasured her husband’s sword until her death in 1843. It descended in the family to their great grandson, Oswald Tilghman, who brought the sword to the centennial celebration at Yorktown in 1881. His son, Harrison Tilghman, inherited the sword and bequeathed it to the Society of the Cincinnati, which was finalized in 1965. Samuel Smith’s sword also remained in the family for generations. He was so proud of the award that he wore the sword when sitting for a portrait painted by Rembrandt Peale in 1817 (collection of the Maryland Historical Society). Seven years later, he allowed it to be displayed at a dinner in Baltimore hosted by the Maryland branch of the Society of the Cincinnati in honor of the marquis de Lafayette during the Frenchman’s tour of the United States. Samuel Smith bequeathed it to his son, John Spear Smith. The sword descended to Samuel Smith’s great-great-great grandson Burr Noland Carter II, who donated it to the Society of the Cincinnati in 1999.

Presentation sword and scabbard awarded by the Continental Congress to Samuel Smith

Claude-raymond liger (1720-1802), paris.

Gift of Burr Noland Carter II, Society of the Cincinnati of Maryland, 1999

Presentation sword and scabbard awarded by the Continental Congress to Tench Tilghman

Bequest of Harrison Tilghman, Society of the Cincinnati of Maryland, 1965

Hilt of the Tilghman sword

The hilt of the presentation swords followed the form of a French small sword, with an elongated pommel, D-shaped knuckle bow, graceful quillon and arched pas d’anes.

Hilt of the Smith sword

The arms of the United States appears on the back side of the grip, with other symbols of American independence adorning both sides of the bilobed counterguard and other parts of the hilt.

Inscription on the Tilghman sword

Each sword was inscribed on the front side of the grip with the recipient’s name and the date of Congress’ resolution. This sword is inscribed, “Congress to Colo. Tilghman Octr. 29 1781.”

Blade of the Tilghman sword

The entire length of the blade is blued in an iridescent peacock blue and etched with gilt designs.

Maker’s mark on the Tilghman sword

The three-inch-long gilded panel on the back side of the blade on the Tilghman sword bears the maker’s mark, identifying Liger as a fourbissier, or swordsmith, with the duc de Chartres and comte de Clermont as patrons and a workshop located on Rue Coquillière in Paris.

Detail of the Smith scabbard

The scabbard accompanying Samuel Smith’s sword retains its original shagreen surface and silver throat, which has a ring attached to facilitate wearing the sword and scabbard.

Henry Knox to Mrs. Tench Tilghman

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Congressional Presentation Sword and Scabbard of Major General John E. Wool (1784–1869)

Sword cutler Samuel Jackson American

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 372

This sword was awarded by the United States Congress to General Wool in 1854 in belated recognition of his pivotal role in the American victory at Buena Vista (February 1847) during the Mexican War. The massive gold hilt incorporates the American eagle as the pommel, an ear of corn for the grip, and a cactus branch entwined with snakes (for Mexico) as the cross-guard. The sword's elegant proportions, novel design, sculptural conception, and superb finish make it an outstanding example of mid-nineteenth-century silversmithing. As the blade is by a Baltimore cutler, Samuel Jackson, the hilt and scabbard may be the work of a Baltimore silversmith not yet identified.

to experts illuminate this artwork's story

#4427. Congressional Presentation Sword and Scabbard of Major General John E. Wool

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Title: Congressional Presentation Sword and Scabbard of Major General John E. Wool (1784–1869)

Sword cutler: Samuel Jackson (American, Baltimore, active 1833–70)

Date: 1854–55

Geography: Baltimore, Maryland

Culture: American, probably Baltimore

Medium: Steel, gold, brass, diamonds, rubies

Dimensions: L. with scabbard 39 3/16 in. (99.6 cm); L. without scabbard 38 13/16 in. (98.5 cm); L. of blade 31 7/16 in. (79.9 cm); W. 5 5/8 in. (14.3 cm)

Classification: Swords

Credit Line: Purchase, Arthur Ochs Sulzberger and Mr. and Mrs. Robert G. Goelet Gifts, 2009

Accession Number: 2009.8a–c

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Marking the arms and armor centennial.

Donald LaRocca provides a brief overview of the history of the Department of Arms and Armor, which was established in 1912.

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King Charles and Queen Camilla (in a Tiara!) Participate in the Ancient Pearl Sword Ceremony to Mark Coronation

All about the role of the Pearl Sword, first presented to the City of London Corporation by Queen Elizabeth in 1571

Stephanie Petit is a Royals Editor, Writer and Reporter at PEOPLE.

Samir Hussein/WireImage

King Charles  and Queen Camilla  are continuing their celebrate the coronation year with historic traditions.

On Wednesday, the royal couple attended a dinner at Mansion House to recognize the work of the City of London's civic institutions and Livery Companies, the city’s ancient and modern trade guilds. The King upheld the traditions dating back to 1689 surrounding a new monarch's first visit to the City of London — the square mile established by the Romans as "Londinium" around 43 A.D. that joins 32 boroughs to make up Greater London — in the coronation year before addressing assembled guests.

While King Charles adorned his suit with various honors and medals, Queen Camilla went full glam in a gown and the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland tiara. According to the Royal Collection Trust , the headpiece was a wedding present from the "Girls of Great Britain and Ireland" to the Duchess of York, later Queen Mary, in 1893. Queen Elizabeth , who was gifted the piece from her grandmother as a wedding present when she married Prince Philip before acceding the throne, wore the tiara throughout her historic 70-year reign and was depicted in the accessory on some British and Commonwealth banknotes and coinage.

Upon their arrival, King Charles participated in the Pearl Sword ceremony. Representing the authority of the Lord Mayor in the City of London, the King was presented with the sword. King Charles then returned the Pearl Sword, confirming the Lord Mayor's authority when the monarch is not present. King Charles' mother, Queen Elizabeth, performed the ceremony in 1953 following her own coronation and again in 1977 and 2022 to mark important jubilees.

KIRSTY WIGGLESWORTH/POOL/AFP via Getty

Before 1641, the monarch would take the sword for the duration of their visit, but in 1641, King Charles I immediately returned it to the Lord Mayor, a practice that continued ever since. The custom of surrendering the Lord Mayor’s sword to the monarch was first recorded in 1392 when the Lord Mayor offered his sword to King Richard II. The Pearl Sword, adorned with over 2,600 pearls on the scabbard, is believed to have been first presented to the City by Queen Elizabeth I in 1571 for the opening of the Royal Exchange.

The City of London has five swords in total. In addition to the Pearl Sword are the State Sword, the Mourning Sword, the Old Bailey Sword and the Mansion House Justice Room Sword.

Inside the Mansion House, King Charles, 74, and Queen Camilla, 76, had the chance to view the Anointing Screen , which was gifted by the City of London Corporation and City Livery Companies for the most sacred moment of the coronation ceremony, the anointing . The screen combines traditional and contemporary sustainable embroidery practices, and the couple met those involved in the screen’s creation, including its designer Aidan Hart and members of the Royal School of Needlework and the Worshipful Company of Weavers.

The King and Queen then joined a reception where they met representatives of the City of London Corporation, the Common Council, the Livery Companies and the City’s finance sector.

And like many royal engagements, the visit wasn't complete without King Charles and Queen Camilla signing the visitor’s book.

Chris Jackson/Getty

Can't get enough of  PEOPLE 's Royals coverage?  Sign up for our free Royals newsletter  to get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more!

After processing into the Egyptian Hall for dinner, the head boy of Christ’s Hospital School, Zaphaneth Puplampu, gave a Loyal Address, traditionally given during the first official visit of a new sovereign to the City of London. The Lord Mayor then made a Speech of Welcome, before the King gave a Speech of Reply.

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• Show Us Your Pearls!

The pearl sword

• Thread starter pearlescence
• Start date Jun 5, 2012

pearlescence

Purveyor of pearls uk/eu.

• Jun 5, 2012

Some of you may have watched the service at St Paul's cathedral to mark the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, today. If you did and watched the procession out of the cathedral you may have noted that the man (Lord Mayor of London) preceeding Her Majesty was carrying a sword. This is the Pearl Sword - The Pearl Sword was used according to legend, by Elizabeth I at the opening of first Royal Exchange in 1571. The scabbard contains over two thousand five hundred pearls sewn on both sides. The sword is now used when the reigning Sovereign comes in state to the City of London. The Lord Mayor offers the sword to the Sovereign who touches it. The Lord Mayor then bears the sword aloft in front of the Monarch. This ceremony used to take place at one of the City boundaries but now takes place at the location the Monarch is visiting. (pics available on google images)  

Well-known member

More about Queen Elizabeth II can be found here: http://www.webhistoryofengland.com/?p=1230 I'm an exile - staying at my parents' house for the weekend. We can't go home until the road closures reopen!  

Perpetual Pearl Student

Will the whole event be rebroadcast in the States? Does anyone know? I've missed all the live events from GB due to the time difference and could just kick myself!  

The country has been a-party for four days. You should be able to get at least highlights from Piers Morgan's coverage on CNN (and yes, she wore her pearls the whole time!)  

Don't watch the BBC coverage, it was abysmal  

You went camping! Yeah!!!!!  

Did you know to extra inflate your tires to accommodate the tow?  

Super! We made the mistake of not extra-inflating our car tires while towing. What an awful trip, I'm sure we took some years off our poor tires.  

• Jun 6, 2012

Wendy - is there a photo of that sword somewhere online? Must be stunning with 2500 pearls in it's scabbard!  

I put it on the Pearlescence facebook page, or just check google images  

Thanks Wendy!  

Pearl Scholar

Wendy!!! That is so cool that you got an immediate answer! Fab pearls!!  

Your facebook page isn't under your signature.  

• Jun 7, 2012

Caitlin, I think if I put everything on it will take up a whole page...for sword hunters the fb page is http://www.facebook.com/pages/Pearlescence/145917434737?ref=ts but the four pix are only in my Pearlescence blog  

Wendy, that's fabulous of them to respond so fast. And I LOVE the pictures - now I can really see what that sword is all about. Pretty magnificient.  

Joyful Grow

Community member.

• Jun 18, 2012

Pearls are one of most important jewelry of crown. Anybody show crowns next time?  

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EXTRAORDINARY MOTHER OF PEARL GRIPPED OFFICER'S PRESENTATION SWORD.

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Presentation Sword

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Exploring London

A blog about london and its history…, pearl sword, treasures of london – the pearl sword….

One of five City of London swords, tradition holds that the sword was given to the City Corporation by Queen Elizabeth I when the Royal Exchange opened in 1571.

It takes its name from its pearl-encrusted scabbard – there’s said to be 2,500 of them sewn onto it – and was traditionally used in celebrations. These include a ceremony which takes place when the reigning monarch comes in State to the City.

Interestingly, the tradition of the monarch touching the sword hilt is said to date from the reign of King Charles I when the king entered the City in 1641 and just touched the sword given to him and handed it back to the Lord Mayor. Prior to that, the sword was handed over to the sovereign for the during the visit.

The City’s other four swords include the State Sword, the Mourning Sword, the Old Bailey Sword and Mansion House Justice Room Sword.

Guided tours of Mansion House – official residence of the Lord Mayor of London and where the Pearl Sword can be seen – are conducted on Tuesdays at 2pm (although it’s closed for August for refurbishments and on selected dates after that). Head here  www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/mansionhousetours  details. PICTURES Courtesy City of London.

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Where is it? #31…

The latest in the series in which we ask you to identify where in London this picture was taken and, importantly in this case, what it’s of. If you think you can identify this picture, leave a comment below. We’ll reveal the answer early next week. Good luck!

Well done to Jameson Tucker, this is indeed a relief on the Temple Bar Memorial, which stands where the Strand turns into Fleet Street. It depicts Queen Victoria on a royal progress to the Guildhall in 1837, a few months after her accession, when she was met at this spot by the Lord Mayor and Aldermen and presented with the sword of state and keys to the city.

According to a tradition said to date back to 1215, the Temple Bar is the only place where the monarch may enter London after first seeking permission from the Lord Mayor and being presented with the City’s Pearl Sword (one of five City swords, this is said to have been first given to the City by Queen Elizabeth I).

The monument itself was designed by Sir Horace Jones and erected in 1880 to mark the location where the Temple Bar – the ceremonial entrance to the City of London – originally stood (the last incarnation of the Temple Bar, designed by Sir Christopher Wren, is now located near in Paternoster Square near St Paul’s – see our earlier post for more on Wren’s Temple Bar).

On top of the granite and bronze monument stands a rearing griffin (actually it’s supposed to be a dragon), one of the city’s official boundary markers, sculpted by Charles Birch while on either side are bronze statues, by Sir Joseph Edgar Boehm, of Queen Victoria and Edward, Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII), who in 1872 were the last of the Royal family to pass through the Temple Bar gateway before its demolition in 1878 (they were on their way to St Paul’s to attend a thanksgiving service following the prince’s recovery from typhoid).

This is depicted in a relief on the north side of the monument by Charles Kelsey. Charles Mabey’s relief showing the Queen’s progress is located on the south side of the monument; he also designed one on the east side which shows a curtain being drawn over the old Temple Bar.

LondonLife – The ‘Royal River’ celebrated at the National Maritime Museum

Curated by historian David Starkey, the exhibition, part of the Diamond Jubilee celebrations, focuses on the use of the river across five centuries covering events including Anne Boleyn’s coronation procession and Admiral Lord Nelson’s stately funeral through to the evolving Lord Mayor’s pageant and the ‘Great Stink’ of the mid-1800s.

Highlights include the oldest known copy of Handel’s Water Music , the sixteenth century Pearl Sword (which the monarch must touch on entering the City of London), a stuffed swan, treasures from the City’s livery companies, and another Canaletto work – this time his famous view of the river filled with boats getting ready for the Lord Mayor’s Day, seen as an inspiration for this year’s Diamond Jubilee Pageant and on show in the UK for the first time since its completion.

As well as celebrating the Diamond Jubilee, the exhibition also marks the 75th anniversary of the opening of the National Maritime Museum by King George VI on 27th April, 1937. The king’s speech from that day and his Admiral of the Fleet uniform also feature in the exhibition.

WHERE: National Maritime Museum Greenwich (nearest DLR station is Cutty Sark); WHEN: Daily 10am to 5pm (opening times may vary during the Paralympic and Olympic Games) until 9th September ; COST: £11 adult/£9 concession/family ticket £24.50; WEBSITE: www.rmg.co.uk .

PICTURE: © National Maritime Museum, London

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The History of the Sword

The “white arm” of weaponry, the sword, went through many designs to make it ever more lethal on the battlefields of Europe.

This article appears in: December 2006

By William J. McPeak

Perhaps no other weapon in human history has lent itself so well to so many combat adaptations as the sword. From its first modest appearance 5,000 years ago, the “white arm” has remained the military’s Queen of Weapons. At no time was the functional variety of the sword more apparent than during Europe’s Middle Ages and in the early 17th century.

Evolution of the Sword

Beginning with the learning curve of making soft-metal swords—bronze was the only practical success—that preceded the Iron Age in about 1000 bc, swordsmithing grew into an assembly line process by around the 14th century. The bladesmith made the blade by repeatedly tempering and hammering into shape an iron blank in a bellows-driven fire. The characteristic groove, impressed down the middle of the flat of most blade surfaces in the late stage of tempering, was a clever stylistic means of decreasing weight at the center so that structural strength would not be sacrificed. (It was never some sort of gutter to let the blood flow more freely off the sword, as some have claimed.) The smith punched one or several maker marks onto the blade and sent it along for market distribution. Great sword centers of Europe shipped stock blades all over, and although trade with Islamic countries was forbidden, demand kept a steady flow of contraband shipments moving eastward, where western sword blades were highly prized for their variety and size.

A sword needed a handle or hilt to hold the blade. The hilt maker was next in the assembly line, fitting an appropriate combination of cross guard, grip of bored-out wood wrapped in leather or metal wire, and pommel and nut to hold it all together. He might leave an additional maker mark on the blade. Medieval hilts had the simple cross shape to the guard, but by the early 15th century the cross guard was being modified to meet the needs of sophisticated swordplay and to better protect the hand. A hook-shaped branch, sometimes called a finger ring, appeared from one side toward the blade, followed by a second branch from the other side of the cross guard. From these so-called “arms of the hilt” sprouted a perpendicular arc. Adjacent to the grip, a branch curved upward out of the cross guard to become the knuckle bow or knuckle guard. Diagonal branches came up to meet from the cross guard and others began looping around the arms and ring on the blade side. These guards and counter guards—the “swept” hilt—would take on a progressive cage-like look that would continue to transform into a solid shell, triangular sail, and eventually the basket- and-cup hilts familiar in 17th-century swords.

A Variety of Blades

In terms of the blade, there were basically two diverging paths: curved European swords were for the most part adaptations, while straight swords were not. In either case, combat functionality drove the designs. Horsemen usually needed a longer sword to reach down and smite foot soldiers or trade strokes with enemy horsemen. In the press of close-quarter combat, a shorter sword was worth its weight in gold to a foot soldier with nothing but a staff weapon or something like a two-handed sword. A short sword was always a sure-fire backup.

On the eastern borders of Europe, the curved sword was the usual product of Asian cavalry warfare. An arcing stroke—the slashing draw cut —of a curved blade was the most efficient means of striking an opponent, especially while on horseback, with the blade quickly removed from the victim by simply following through on the stroke. Contrary to the notion that the saber was an exclusive cavalry weapon, it was also used extensively by foot soldiers. On the western side of the border, European sword makers adapted the basic curved blade of the east into forms less curved to make them more functional for thrusting.

The European Curved Blade

There were many variations on the western curved blade, but like the eastern designs, it was a single-sided blade and mostly a short sword. An early medieval European means of providing a crude curve to a blade edge was to simply clip the front at an oblique angle. For the common soldier, wielding this early chopper sword was easier to master than the finesse of thrusting. Out of a variety of such weapons came the early 13th-century falchion (from the French, to mow) with its refined can opener-like point, convex back edge, and cleaver-like fore edge, highly effective for hacking or thrusting at the thick contemporary armor of infantry and cavalry. The form would get a reconfiguring by the 15th century with other styles, often resulting in straighter and longer blades, sometimes with little or no clipped point for more of a saber look, known as the saber-falchion.

The falchion, which continued to be used into the 17th century, was a popular adaptation for the seagoing cutlass, something of a short saber. Another variation on the falchion kept the wide, short blade but traded the clipped point for a straight-back edge; this was the dusack (or dusagge) of the later 16th and 17th centuries, also used as a cutlass. From the same general family of the falchion came a typical infantry soldier’s sidearm of the 15th century, which retained the curved fore edge but sported a narrower straight blade. This was called simply a “hanger,” and continued as a typical sidearm throughout the 18th century and notably in the New World.

Another short sword of the falchion variety was erroneously linked to the name of a mercenary Scottish lord and his demise. The man was George Sinclair, lord of Caithness, a colonel of 300 mercenary Scots who crossed Norway on his way to hiring out to the Swedes in their ongoing war with the Danes. But Norway was under Danish rule at the time, and the Norwegians were watching the intruders’ passage. They planned an ambush in a steep mountain valley called Gudbrands. On August 26, 1612, the Scots marched into the trap, and Sinclair and most of his men were wiped out by the superior Norwegian force.

Sinclair was described as having carried an unusual short sword of his own design. The sword was called a Sinclairsabel ( sabel being German for saber). The blade had the thick, curved fore edge of the dusack or cutlass. The back edge toward the point was raised slightly to provide a straighter back edge, a modification seen on contemporary saber blades to give them a better thrusting function. The full blade was only about 25 inches long, which made it very efficient in close-quarter combat. The hilt used a sail guard that would become familiar on 17th-century dueling daggers.

The European saber did not have the severe arc of its eastern cousins, the Turkish kilij and the Persian shamshir , and came in both longer cavalry lengths and a shorter infantry version. Again, it was not just a cavalry weapon but was very popular for infantry throughout Europe. Usually, European blades with lengths 30 inches or less were reserved for foot combat, but not always. The 16th century also introduced an essentially straight-bladed saber, the single-edged backsword. The Swiss particularly favored this weapon, which they used as a long sword but often with a curved fore edge and sharply pointed upper portion called the Sweitzersabel . This sword was often relatively narrow because all the force was concentrated on the fore edge, with little or no point. Both cavalry and infantry used the backsword.

The Broadsword

The relatively long, straight, and slightly tapered blade that became the broadsword was basically a European original that appeared in rudimentary form in the hands of the Celts 3,000 years ago. It moved on with the barbarian invasions and gained further reliability and distribution by Norse invaders from the 9th century on. The broadsword’s beveled, double-edged blade would be the foundation of many variations to follow in the later Middle Ages.

The basic broadsword blade stayed a functional favorite well into the 17th century. The classic, slightly tapered medieval broadsword blade is perhaps the most recognizable form. With a little more thinning down, it was essentially the blade for the heavy rapier of the 16th and early 17th centuries. More sophisticated plate armor appearing in the early 15th century brought another form of full tapering to provide a sharper point for thrusting and puncturing the weak points in armor.

If there was much of a change in the overall broadsword configuration, it was in length. Already by the mid-13th century, longer swords began appearing for better reach and a more forceful swing. Blade lengths were moving up to and beyond 40 inches, and required a grip of at least six inches to serve as a counterbalance. Both increases required at least a hand and a half to effectively wield these swords. The later version of the weapon became known as a hand-and-a half, or bastard, sword. Blade length alone did not define it, for a shorter, thicker blade that required extraordinary handling was also known as a bastard sword.

By the late 13th century, the basic two-handed sword entered the battlefield with a blade of 45 inches, but its use as a knightly sword was limited. However, for the common mercenary, the two-handed sword provided a new means of bringing down noble cavalry. Early in the 14th century, the Swiss took up the weapon and became the most sought-after shock troops in Europe, using the two-handed sword to disrupt attacking cavalry or infantry for the next 100 years. After the mid-15th century, the Germans adopted the weapon as the Swiss began to discard it in favor of the 18-foot pike spear. By the 16th century, the blade had grown to 55 inches and required a 10-inch hilt with a 16-inch cross guard for proper balance. It would continue into the 17th century as yet another specialty sword of the European battlefield.

A dull selection of hangers and the ever-present saber would remain battlefield staples through the 19th century in Europe, but the tactical worth of the varied swords had run its course and passed from the battlefield into history.

A Note For Collectors

A final word should be said about patina, the naturally aged color of an old blade. This color can vary—usually various shades of gray or brown—and there may be dark blotching from impurities in the steel and wear. Patina is part of a blade’s provenance and should never be polished or buffed away like simple rust. Nor should one try to resharpen an old blade. Another point to keep in mind is that the hilt on an early sword is seldom original. A single sword was often re-hilted several times through its life from necessity or for stylistic reasons. Many styles of early blades were copied with great detail during the 19th century British crafts movement—even patina and aging—so that sometimes these swords have been mistaken for much older originals.

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( Ab ove ) Examples of Militia Officer's Swords

( Left ) Plain, fluted bone grip, Militia Model 1840 NCO sword

The bulk of the fighting force of the newly-formed nation of America, consisted of State Militias.  As such, there is a varied and comprehensive assortment of this type of sword available to the collector.  That said, finding examples of these swords in great condition is difficult.  Historical attrition has claimed many of them.  We also find that because grip materials tended to be made from relatively fragile materials such as bone, ivory, and mother-of-pearl, it is common to find these swords with chipped, cracked, or split grips. The multitude of styles and designs in this field could engage a collector for a lifetime.  Currently, one may expect to pay anywhere from $450 to $900 for one of these Militia Officer's Swords in average condition (much higher for presentation and "fine" examples).  Regular NCO militia swords with knights head pommel and fluted bone grips could probably be found for much less; anywhere from $80 to $200 for an average specimen.

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Royal Air Force Claymore

Aviation presentation and other ceremonial occasions can be sanctified by this Royal Air Force Sword which is highly influenced by the much older, large cross hilted swords. This is a version of The Scottish Claymore style sword.

The sword begins in an urn-shaped design. It is a two handed sword with an eagle winged cross guard. It has a leather bound grip bound in silver wire. An embossed pommel enhances its construction.

Specifications

•  Blade length: 895 mm
•  Blade width at hilt: 29 mm

Royal Air Force Poignard

This sword serves as a gift, an award or memorable presentation piece for all Royal Air Force personnel. It has been recognized as a mark of achievement or esteem by the Air Training Corps and the RAF Benevolent Fund.

The sword is hand forged and designed. It has a firm leather grip bound by wire around it. This sword is even used on occasions like promotion or retirement of squadrons and RAF stations.

• Presentation box: 20" x 6/½"
• Poignard: 16" in length
• Blade length: 275 mm
• Blade width at hilt: 17 mm

Fleet Air Arm Claymore

This presentation style sword is influenced by the large cross hilted swords of a much earlier ages; the two handed swords, the Scottish Claymore style, being the chief one. This stylised version of the Claymore and two handed sword features the eagle winged cross guard and a leather grip wrapped in wire. The embossed pommel makes this Fleet Air Arm Claymore Sword an apt sword for commemorating any kind of aviation presentation or anniversary.

• Blade length: 710 mm
• Blade width at hilt: 29 mm

Fleet Air Arm Poignard

A valuable gift, an award, a memorable presentation piece for all Fleet Air Arm Personnel; this sword suffices all purposes. It has had the honour of being awarded by the Air Training Corps and the Fleet Air Arm Benevolent Fund as a mark of achievement or esteem. It has a similar appearance to Fleet Air Arm Claymore sword. However it has fewer windings on the hilt. It is a hand forged and finished dagger. This sword can be used on various other occasions as well, such as promotion of officers or retirement of squadrons and stations.

• Presentation box: 20" x 6½"

Police Commanders' Sword

This is a Modern long bladed sword designed in the late 1960's as a presentation and commemorative Sword. The design of the sword is slightly similar to those carried by the Crusading Knights of the 11th and 12th centuries. The grip begins in an urn-shaped metallic design and continues further in hardwood. The cross guard of the sword is brass plated. There are delicate engravings on the blade.

• Blade width at hilt: 26 mm

Police Superintendents' Sword

This sword had dissolved in it, the pride of a police superintendent. Designed in late 1960, it is a modern long bladed sword. It is used a presentation sword for various occasions.

The grip of the sword is made in hardwood. The layout of the sword traces the style of Crusading Knights' sword borne by them during the 11th and 12th centuries.

The Masons' Court Sword with Scabbard

The swords used by masons boast of simplicity. These are basic and simple cross hilted daggers carried by masons and other friendly societies in accordance with rituals that have been prevalent since time immemorial.

The sword has a leather grip which is wrapped by wire around it. Colour of the scabbards varies depending upon the position and status of the member.

• Blade width at hilt:13 mm

Diamond Jubilee Commemorative Sword

In the commemoration of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee, the cross hilted Mameluke Sword which owes its introduction in England to the Duke of Wellington, has been aggrandized by the Windlass Sword. This majestic sword is used by Field Marshals and Generals till date.

The blade is etched with "To commemorate Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee 1952-2012". The words "God Save The Queen” enclosed by two Crowns and the Royal Arms at the base of the blade add to its glory. The flowers of England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland appear on both sides of the blade. The cross piece is gold plated.

An optional presentation case is also available.

Mary Rose Sword

This sword has a great legend associated with it. The Mary Rose sank off Portsmouth in 1545. It remained there for nearly 450 years. When it was raised in 1972, a basket hilted sword was found under the hull. Fortunately it was still intact even after all those years under the seabed. This full scale replica is used by the Mary Rose Trust as a presentation piece for their Flag Officers.

• Blade length: 915 mm
• Blade width at hilt: 34 mm

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