This sword was manufactured by N. P. Ames in Springfield, Massachusetts and sold to the state of North Carolina. We know this due to the large stamped NC on the sword’s quillon. Beside this large stamping is a small W S, for William Smith, the inspector. These Model 1833 Dragoon swords were mainly made for U.S. troops but some, like the example shown here, were sold to individual states to arm their militias. Though not visible to the naked eye, under magnification I can still make out on the obverse side of the blade the remnants of the engraved date 1837.

This sword has an overall pleasing "barn find” patina, with the wood being all that remains on the grip, but it remains tight and attractive. There is a couple of cracks in the wood, but the overall look is very nice. The brass is in very good condition with a deep patina; the blade is semi-dark with a large amount of black from rust in past years. These swords originally had engraving on the blade; these are no longer visible on this example. As expected, the hilt is lacking the U.S. ordinance inspection marks seen on U.S. government purchases. This is the perfect mantelpiece sword if you would like to display one that clearly shows its age.