A Rare Special Pattern 1857 Engineer Officer's Sword by Johnstone.
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38” overall, 32" blade etched with foliage and Royal cipher and ‘Royal
Engineers’ with lightning bolts, forte with ‘J.B. JOHNSTONE OF SACKVILLE STREET LONDON & DAWSON STREET DUBLIN’ and owners crest and initials (C.W.E.M). Steel bowl 1857 pattern hilt of scrolled form with engraved foliate designs. Brass back strap and chequered pommel. Gilt wire bound fish skin grip, bullion cord and acorn sword knot. Plated steel scabbard.
Circa 1862
Sword in very good condition, sword and scabbard silver plated. The rare steel hilt is normally found on example belonging officers destined to served in India.
Major Cecil William Esmonde Murphy Born 1842, Commissioned 1862 in Royal Engineers transferred in 1864 to Royal Artillery and later to Scind Horse. Served in his whole career in India from 1864 to 1882, was in the Abyssinia Expedition in 1868 and was third in command of the Dr David Livingstone East Coast Relief Expedition in 1873-74.
Sold with a great deal of research and a book on the expedition to find Livingstone.