Original Item: Only One Available. This is a rare, totally original German Weimar Period Reichsmarine Naval Officer's "Lion Head" dress sword, which really looks the business. We have never had one of these before, and they are definitely hard to find any concrete information on. There is no maker marked on the blade, just the M / Anchor Reichsmarine Naval proof, with no identifying markings anywhere else on the sword or brass fit leather scabbard.

The hilt is made from lovely gilt brass, and it still retains much of the gilding, especially in the recessed areas. It has a lovely fold down "Scallop" shaped guard, as well as a fold down scabbard lock on the other side, and it really is a beautiful design. The pommel and backstrap consist of a finely detailed lion head cat, with the "mane" going all the way down to the ferrule. The eyes do not have jewels inserted, which seems to be typical for Naval swords that we have seen. There is nice detail throughout his whiskers, chin, and muzzle. 

The guard is the standard shape, with some lovely engraved and embossed designs, and it matches up perfectly with the fold down portion, which has a "Fouled Anchor" inside a foliate border. The grip ferrule is the classic German style, showing embossed "Oak Leaf and Acorns" designs. The handwork is beautifully rendered throughout hilt. The grip is lovely bone bound with twisted brass wire, which now has matured to a lovely amber color. There are no cracks or major damage to the grip, and the hilt as a whole is still tightly attached to the tang.

The 31 3/4 inch long carbon steel blade on this sword is a lovely gently curved "pipe back" saber type, which has an iconic look. Towards the tip the "pipe" moves to the center of the blade, which becomes double sided. Truly an elegant design, credited to John Prosser of London, who started using the design circa 1810. The edge is correctly unsharpened, as this is a dress sword, and the surface shows just a bit of light oxidation and staining, so it has been well cared for during its life.

The scabbard is a beautiful leather example with gilt brass art deco style fittings, which still retain much of their original gilt finish. There is some wear to the finish on the leather, which has turned a bit brown in areas. There is a bit of a crease in one area, but it does not look to be from a bend, and there is no major damage to the leather that we can see. The scabbard has a button that locks into the fold down left side of the guard, both holding the blade in the scabbard, and also making for a more comfortable fit against the hip.

A beautiful Lion Head dress sword from the inter war period, ready to research and display!

Specifications:
Overall length: 36 3/4”
Blade Length: 31 3/4"
Blade Style: Slightly Curved "Pipe Back"
Guard: 3”
Scabbard Length: 32 3/8”

The Weimar Republic (Weimarer Republik), officially the German Reich (Deutsches Reich), also referred to as the German People's State (Deutscher Volksstaat) or simply the German Republic (Deutsche Republik), was the German state from 1918 to 1933. As a term, it is an unofficial historical designation that derives its name from the city of Weimar, where its constitutional assembly first took place. The official name of the republic remained the German Reich as it had been during the German Empire because of the German tradition of sub-states.

Although commonly translated as "German Empire," Reich here better translates as "realm" in that the term does not necessarily have monarchical connotations in itself. The Reich was changed from a constitutional monarchy into a republic. In English, the country was usually known simply as Germany, and the Weimar Republic name became mainstream only in the 1930s.

The Reichswehr (Realm Defense) formed the military organization of Germany from 1919 until 1935, when it was united with the new Wehrmacht (Defense Force). At the end of World War I, the forces of the German Empire were disbanded, the men returning home individually or in small groups. Many of them joined the Freikorps (Free Corps), a collection of volunteer paramilitary units that were involved in suppressing the German Revolution and border clashes between 1918 and 1923.

The Reichswehr was limited to a standing army of 100,000 men, and a navy of 15,000. The establishment of a general staff was prohibited. Heavy weapons such as artillery above the caliber of 105 mm (for naval guns, above 205 mm), armored vehicles, submarines and capital ships were forbidden, as were aircraft of any kind. Compliance with these restrictions was monitored until 1927 by the Military Inter-Allied Commission of Control.

The Reichsmarine was the Navy Division of the Reichswehr.