G.R. Halberdiers Sword, 1848.

Very rare sword made of nickel-plated steel for the Royal Corps of Halberdiers. This sword is model 1848 and dates from 1849. It was manufactured for the Royal Corps of Halberdiers of Queen Isabel the 2nd from Spain, and is really beautiful and elegant. The hilt is finely engraved with fleurs-de-lis and the Castille and Leon shield. On the blade, near the rain guard we can see this inscription: Real Cuerpo de Alabarderos (Royal Corps of Halberdier). This sword has a curious history behind that turns it into a very special piece. It seems that Lieutenant General Francisco Martinez Campos thought that the Royal Halberdiers swords were not elegant enough so as to be carried with the gala uniforms, and in June 21st, 1848 he suggested the Queen that they could be replaced for a new and more refined model. On the 26th on June the making of the new swords was approved and on July the 16th the Duke of Bailen asked for 325 units, of which only 320 were produced. When Isabel the 2nd was dethroned and went to France, the Royal Corps of Halberdiers gave 109 swords to the royal armory, while 53 more were left in the frontier zone. A hundred and fifty-eight swords disappeared. They were probably kept by the own guards or robbed during the battles and raids. This is one of those missing swords, which turns it into a very rare and exceptionally interesting piece. Its ancient age and historical value joint with the beauty of its making, as delicate as attractive and powerful, and also with its good condition. This sword is a real testimony of Spains military history and so it is a first class article, meant to be part of the most prestigious collection of antique weapons. Measurements: 1.000 mm largo.