A174
Double row .30-40 Krag caliber loop cartridge belt of tan woven web with three dark blue horizontal lines has brass
C-closure and flat brass keepers, brass end pieces with captive wire loops. Faintly marked and just legible on the
interior "100 LOOPS / 30 CALIBER." Shows only light wear, very good condition with good strong color. II+
$225
Spanish-American War Hurlburt Contract Web Krag Double Loop Cartridge Belt
A175
Large 41cm x 41cm x 2.5cm thick (~16" x 16" x 1") replica of the United Spanish War Veterans medal planchet is
made of bronze colored stamped metal with composition material interior filler; reverse has stamp "Made by the Arts
&
Crafts Shop / Menlo Park, N.J." Has two irregular shaped holes near the top where someone was attempting to rig
it for hanging on the wall, but failed. The support mechanism appears to have pulled through the thin metal backing.
Best to display supported on a stand, I believe. Very substantial and interesting item! II
$295
Spanish-American War Veterans' Wall Plaque
A176
Khaki covered cork pith helmet has brown leather sweatband, top has ventilation cap, interior crown has 1899 patent
sticker, and size "7-1/8." Interior visor has green cotton lining with light wear. Complete with chinstrap. Has water
stains but the khaki cloth retains good strong color, helmet has none of the normal dents or weak spots. II
$195
Philippine Insurrection Era Tropical Pith Helmet: 1899
A177
One of the most intriguing and mysterious swords that we have had quite some time: a French sword engraved to a U.S.
Army officer. That sounds straightforward enough.. but wait, it gets tricky from here on. The sword itself was
difficult to properly identify, as it is clearly of French manufacture, and so marked with "deposee" and French maker
poinçons, but it does not match any official model French or Belgian swords. We discovered that the hilt is an exact
match for a new Cavalry sword proposed by chef d'escadron Dérué in 1890, but never adopted by the French military.
The difference between this and a purely Dérué saber is that his utilized a quillback blade, and this is a fullered blade.
The sword itself is 106cm overall, with 89.5cm gently curved fullered blade in excellent polish with a French maker's
stamp on the ricasso. Has a bit of light oxidation on the other side of the ricasso, but the blade is otherwise in near
perfect condition. Primary feature of this sword is the massive seven-branch guard that is distinctive to the Dérué
pattern. Has black composition grip with wire wrap intact, and Phrygian helmet pommel. Steel scabbard retains 90%
matte nickel finish. Underside of the guard is inscribed in flowing script: "HH Benham U.S. Army". This officer is as
interesting as the sword itself. Henry Hill Benham was the son of Henry Washington Benham, a distinguished
Engineer officer who was wounded at Buena Vista, and brevetted a Major General during the Civil War. 'HH' was a
graduate of West Point class of 1879, serving with 2nd US Infantry and detached service with Indian Scouts and
Sharpshooters in 1880. He studied for two years in Europe, returning for service in New York. In 1889 he was in
command of the Indian Mounted Police at Pine Ridge, South Dakota. During the Spanish-American War, he was made
chief ordnance officer of volunteers, and served as acting adjutant-general for the western district of Puerto Rico in
1898,
then served as chief advocate and adjutant-general for 2nd Division, 2nd Corps in 1899. He commanded the
district of Trinidad, Cuba, then Donsal and Lucena in the Philippines. He was promoted to Major in 1902, taking 3rd
Battalion 23rd Infantry. His service included Japan and China, and ended at Fort Ontario, NY in 1907 when he retired
due to health complications. He died March 21, 1911 in New York City. His document archive is held at the St. Louis
Mercantile Library. From the scope and content document accompanying that collection we learn that in addition to
his government-sponsored study in Europe early in his career, being a man of means he was able to travel to Europe
on vacation with his wife during the time period when the French Army considered, then passed on the Dérué saber
design. In all probability, (then Captain) Benham visited a sword retailer, selected this hilt with a blade more in
keeping with American tradition, purchased it, and had it engraved. The sword did see some success elsewhere; it
appears (though not in brass) as the Dutch M.1895, and examples have been found with various national crests
indicating that the basic design was adapted for export by the makers who wished to capitalizing on their investment in
tooling. A very interesting sword with an abundance of research potential. II+
$975
US Army Officer's Private Purchase French Dérué (Experimental) Cavalry Saber
A178
One of a very limited production run (approximately 1000 pieces), with hilts made by Springfield Armory, fitted with
Ames Sword Co. blades. 97cm overall, with 80cm fullered blade in fair polish with light gray age patina, has minor age
discolorations and a few spots of 'salt and pepper' pitting. Ricasso is marked "U.S." on one side; "A.S.Co. / (ordnance
bomb) / 1906" on the other. Hilt has iron oval counterguard and single branch knuckle bow, ribbed for extra strength
in a relatively light piece of metal. The distinctive long grip is wrapped entirely in gray sharkskin, with twisted wire
wrap. Grip has worn spots but remains good overall. Metal portions of the hilt have an even dark brown patina.
Pommel is also unique, described in Peterson's reference as a "pistol grip" pommel, with tapered iron pommel cap.
Scabbard is wood and iron with a russet leather covering that has darkened with age and fractured where it was stretched
over the attachment rings. Has faint "1906" date stamp. Unsupported leather drag has also suffered from the
deficiency of it's design. Moving away from the long-serving Model 1860, and with the iconic M1913 'Patton' saber
right around the corner, we are tempted to wonder: "really?", when confronted with the M1905/06 Experimental, but
bear in mind this was an era of sweeping change throughout the US armed forces. The ordnance types were seeking a
new saber that was lighter, easier to manage, and geared more toward a thrust than the hacking and clanging of 19th
century cavalry tactics. Some profoundly robust, innovative, and useful gear came out of their experimentation.
This... well, wasn't one of them, and after waiting a few respectful years for plausible deniability, the British Pattern
1908
was changed ever so slightly to become the US Model 1913, demonstrating once again that plagiarism is the
foundation of all creative thought. Though there is serious wear on the scabbard, this is actually one of the nicer
surviving examples of the Experimental Cavalry saber that I have seen on the market in recent years. II
$1250
M1905/06 Experimental Cavalry Saber
A179
Essentially identical to the M1860 Cavalry Saber, but with an iron hilt rather than brass. 103cm overall, with gently
curved, fullered blade in fair polish with normal age blemishes and dark spots, concentrated on the 1/3 of the blade
nearest the tip, with some very slight surface pitting in that area as well. Ricasso has "U.S." and "JHC" inspector
stamp; Ames "A.S.Co. / ordnance bomb / 1906" maker's date stamp on the reverse. Iron hilt retains 50% red-brown
painted finish as you normally find on the metal fittings for Cavalry gear during this time period. This blends with
dark patina on the worn areas. Steel scabbard is lacking the throat attachment but is in otherwise good condition with
a dark gray age patina and a few normal service dents. These are interesting swords, and considerably more difficult to
find than their Civil War ancestors! II
$725
M1906 Cavalry Saber
