Beschreibung:

THE VERY FINE ROYAL GOLD AND ENAMEL SMALL-SWORD OF H.H. PRINCE WILLIAM FREDERICK 2 N D DUKE OF GLOUCESTER AND DUKE OF EDINBURGH (1776-1834), LONDON 18 CARAT GOLD HALLMARKS FOR 1801, MAKER'S MARK OF JOHN RAY AND JAMES MONTAGUE With slender blade of hollow-triangular section etched and gilt with small designs of scrollwork and martial trophies on a blued panel at the forte, etched with the bladesmith's signature 'I.W.M a Solingen' on a gilt panel at the base, and additionally decorated with scrolls etched on a contrasting burnished ground over a part of the forward half of its length, gold hilt cast and chased in low relief with both oak and laurel foliage variously arranged as garlands, wreaths and festoons, all set within contrasting finely pounced matted slender panels between delicate fluted and milled segmental borders, supporting trophies-of-arms on the quillon-block, the knuckle-guard and about the inner-face of the oval shell, framing two pairs of finely painted polychrome enamel plaques on both the pommel and the grip, the former pair decorated with differing trophies-of-war, the latter pair comprising the quartered arms of H.H. Prince William Frederick beneath a coronet for Younger Sons of the Blood Royal, and the monogram WF beneath the crest of a Royal Duke, in its original wooden scabbard covered in blackened shagreen, with gold locket signed 'Goldney's, St James's Street, London', and with middle-band, the two mounts each with gold ring for suspension, complete with an early officer's sword-knot of crimson and silver thread with bullion fringe, and retaining its printed ivory collection label (the scabbard chape replaced). 33 7/8 in. (86 cm.) blade