Original Item. Only One Available. There are few weapons that carry such cultural significance as that of the Scottish Basket-Hilted Broad sword. "...frequently a family heirloom-often in its second or third hilting-the Highlanders 'sword was far more than just a weapon. The great symbolic value of these arms was not lost upon the Duke of Cumberland. A bounty was paid from the royal purse of one shilling for every broadsword picked up from the battlefield".

Just as intriguing are the sheer number of baskets absent from the field of Culloden after the battle. In other words, despite the massive numbers of fallen Scots, others retrieved their baskets and hid them away. Those that were recovered, perhaps 150 or so, were taken as war trophies or chopped up/destroyed. Of the 190 swords recovered from the field, 150 of them were given to the master of ordnance, John Hay, 4th Marquis of Tweeddale, who then had points broken off and hilts removed, taking these amazing blades made into a travesty of poor taste of a fence at his estate at Twickenham House. The ultimate insult!

This is a tremendously preserved example of a Mid-18th Century Scottish Basket-Hilted Broadsword with a lovely sharkskin shagreen grip wrapped with three strands of twisted copper wire, with braided wire bushels at the top and bottom of the grip, otherwise known as Turk’s head knot ferrules. This example also retains much of the original red wool and leather interior liner in the basket, something we never see on examples this old. The absolute scarcest part of this sword is its original leather & iron-mounted scabbard, which is in great condition with the patterns still visible on the leather surface.

This example bears several lovely designs in the basket, namely the oval sections with cross patterns, with one oval which is left empty with a corresponding hole stitched into the leather lining. Another interesting aspect of this basket is the separate heart-pierced forward guard which is attached with three screws. The hilt ends in a British bun pommel with an integral capstan. Rarer still, this example miraculously has retained its original leather blade buffer. 

The blade of the sword is well-retained, with light double fullers still intact along its length. It has seen some heavy wear but retains a smoothly-pitted grey patina, with the last ⅛” of the tip having a very slight bend. The left side of the ricasso bears some very faint markings which may be a maker’s mark, but could also be a Scottish or Gaelic phrase as were sometimes engraved into the blades of these swords. The blade is in fantastic condition for its age, and has definitely been cared for a great deal over the years. The basket of this example is one of the nicest and most well-preserved examples we have seen. 

The 32⅛” scabbard is in phenomenal shape for its age, as the vast majority of basket-hilted broadswords from this period are without their original scabbards, many being given replacements in the 20th century. In some ways, the original scabbards have become rarer than the swords themselves! The leather face of the scabbard is still embossed with X & I patterning, with an X followed by six I’s repeating. There is loss to the leather as shown, but the majority is intact, and the stitching on the back of the scabbard appears to be intact as well. The throat is intact and its decorative engravings are still in good order, but there is heavy rusting as is expected from iron of this era. The throat has a long “hidden” strip of metal which folds over through the leather to keep the throat in place. The original drag is intact as well, but is also covered with areas of oxidation. The patina & wear of the sword is matched by the scabbard, making this a set that has been together for at least 275 years.

This is a tremendously preserved piece of Scottish history, one that was lucky enough to have escaped the fate of becoming part of the fence at Twickenham House. This is the first example from this period that we’ve offered with its original scabbard, and it may truly be the last. Don’t miss out on this one! Comes ready for further research and display.

Specifications:
Blade Length: 32"
Overall length: 37 1/2“
Crossguard: 5 ½”
Scabbard Length: 32⅛”