British Pattern 1822 Infantry Officer’s Sword for an Officer of the East India Company
This is a pretty standard iteration of the P1822 Infantry Officer’s Sword, this example is etched very faintly to two different sword cutlers; John Prosser and Henry Tatham. I think it is likely that Prosser made the sword and that Tatham was the retailer, but it is possibly that one made the blade and the other assembled the sword.
The brass guard has the cypher of George IV, so this sword can be dated to 1822-1830. The grip material is leather, so it is likely a later replacement since fish skin was the standard material for grips of officer’s swords.
As mentioned above, the blade is etched to Prosser on one side, and to Tatham on the other. Their maker info was very hard to capture on camera, so you’ll have to take my word for it. Also etched on each side of the blade is the rampant lion of the East India Company (EIC), which is what tells us that this was for an EIC officer rather than a British Army officer.
The blade is a very standard form of the pipe back blade. Although this narrower version of the pipe back may not have been ideal, I can see why it caught on. This sword feels incredible in the hand since the sword assembly is still quite tight and solid. It feels like a capable fighting sword, although I’d hate to receive a blow from a heavier sword on the thin brass guard.
Unfortunately this sword no longer has its scabbard. It probably would have had a black leather scabbard with brass fittings like many others of this pattern would have had.
The Pattern 1822 Infantry Officer’s Sword was probably designed by John Prosser (also the “inventor” of the pipe back blade), the favorite sword cutler of George IV. This pattern (with the pipe back blade) was in use from 1822 until 1845, when a new fullered blade was introduced. Officers were allowed to use their current pipe back bladed swords until they were no longer serviceable. While some no doubt opted to buy new swords, many continued to carry their P1822s into at least the 1850s. This pattern would have seen service in numerous wars like the Anglo-Sikh Wars of the 1840s, the 1st Anglo-Afghan War in 1842, the Opium Wars in China, the Crimean War, and the Indian Rebellion (aka Indian Mutiny). My sword, being used by an EIC officer, could have seen service against the Sikhs or in Afghanistan.
