Civil War - Confederate Reversed "Floating CS" Cavalry Officers Sword, Leech & Rigdon marked "Memphis Novelty Works" - ORIGINAL VERY RARE -SOLD

$32,500.00 $28,000.00

Description

Original Confederate "Floating CS" Cavalry Sword

- Period Correct, Leech & Rigdon -

THIS IS A GREAT CONFEDERATE KEPI - One of only three Known to Exist

This is an all Original Confederate Reversed "Floating CS" Cavalry Officers Sword - Leech & Rigdon marked "Memphis Novelty Works", One of only three known to exist. This is an extremely rare Leech & Rigdon staff officers sword. Stamped inside the branch of the guard with "Memphis Novelty Works" - William Albaugh in his noted works on Confederate swords published it as an unknown maker in his first book. Shortly after the work's publication. noted collector ken Wall acquired an example marked Leech & Rigdon - Columbus, Miss. on the blade which firmly provided once and for all that this famous floating "CS" style sword was made by this firm. Another veteran William Beard, later discovered this sword clearly marked "Memphis Novelty Works" on the inside branches of the guard, which further establishes that these early war production swords made in Memphis in 1861 before Leech & Rigdon moved their factory next to the Confederate arsenal at Columbus, Mississippi in May of 1862. Memphis fell in the spring of 1862 and Thomas Leech moved his weapons factory south to Columbus, Mississippi.

This is a superb example of the famous "Floating CS" as well having the rarity of being one of only three marked examples known to exist today. The sword has a 30-inch fuller blade and is in its original brass mounted iron scabbard. - SOLD-