Fake of a Find

An Antiques Roadshow appraiser and militaria expert blows the whistle on a Civil War sword reproduction frequently passed off as authentic.

by Christopher Mitchell

  Collectors of swords, beware:  Today's militaria market has absorbed a supply of bogus cavalry sabres manufactured in Asia.  These reproductions bear various markings attributing them to Confederate  production.  You'll find them on the Internet as well as at flea markets, antique malls, antique shows, and even the occasional Civil War trade show.  Over the past four years, in fact, many of these fakes have arrived at Antiques Roadshow events in ratios of two fakes per every real Confederate specimen.

  As an appraiser for Antiques Roadshow, I find it disheartening every time I inform the owner of one of these swords that his treasured Civil War antique is actually a modern reproduction and has very little market value - and absolutely no historical significance.

  Fortunately for collectors, the majority of these particular fakes are marked in a manner that's completely inconsistent with Confederate manufacture - hence they're easy to spot.  In this story, I'll point out the telltale signs of these reproductions.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR

  While there are differences in construction that separate the real sword from the fake, these nuances might be hard for the beginning collector to recognize.  The main identifying factor on these reproductions is in their markings and the construction of their scabbards.

  Most of these fakes have markings that claim southern manufacture.  They include the following:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  (While all of these markings can be found on original Confederate swords, we've seen one type of fake that's marked "Cook and Brothers, New Orleans."  Cook and Brothers never manufactured cavalry sabres, so if you ever encounter their name on one, you'll know without a doubt that it is not genuine.)

  The fact that the markings in the box above appear on legitimate Confederate cavalry sabres makes it especially difficult for the beginning collector to discern authentic from fake pieces.  However, there's a second set of marks on the reverse of the blade that'll help you easily identify the fakes.

  The giveaway marks normally consist of the stamped letters "CS" or "CSA" and/or a corresponding date from the Civil War years (commonly used: 1861 or 1862).

  With only one exception, authentic Confederate swords are never stamped with a date.  Not one of the manufacturers listed in the box ever marked a sword with a stamped date.  If an authentic Confederate sword was dated, it was done so in an etched presentation panel on the blade, or it might have been included in a presentation engraved on the scabbard.  Therefore, if you encounter a sword stamped with "CS" or "CSA" or a stamped date - or any combination of the two, rest assured that it is not authentic.

  One other way a beginning collector can readily identify a modern reproduction of a Confederate sword is through close examination of its scabbard.

  Current reproduction scabbards consist of a perfectly made tube with no seam.  During the Civil War era, manufacturers didn't make scabbards that were perfect tubes.  Instead they took a piece of sheet metal, folded it over in the shape of the blade, and then closed it with a soldered or brazed seam.  On the genuine article, this seam should be visible to the naked eye.

  With original Confederate swords realizing sale prices in the thousands of dollars, it's important that the beginning collector be armed with all this information.  I know of one person who paid $9,500 for one of these reproductions, and I have seen them bid into the thousands on Internet auction sites.

  Owning an original Civil War sword is an opportunity to reflect on an event that ripped our nation apart - and also to appreciate the construction techniques of mid-19th century military items.  While there are more sophisticated fakes on the market than what we've described in this story, the information here will help collectors - beginning or experienced - avoid paying real prices for one particular kind of fake.