Scottish Basket Hilt Broadsword (WWI era)

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

Puffer, thanks for posting the side by side photos. Looking at the close up of the hilt of the sword on the left (something I hadn't seen before) leads me to believe that this is probably a factory "second" that came out of Sheffield or Birmingham -- or possibly India-- and was intended for Highland dancing or hanging on the wall of a pub. Certainly the basket is about as crude a job as I've seen for a "British Made" sword. The blade is what we used to call "white", meaning it hadn't received its final polish. I suspect that the blade may not be original to the hilt-- it looks like it may have gone through a fire, or failed to pass proof, either of which would result in the proof plug being absent from the blade. But then that is what you would expect of a cobbled together sword. I've no idea what they are asking for the sword (and I shudder to think) but in my view it's not worth much more than about $100 for the sum of its parts.

Actually, I've just looked at the sword on the "Collectors Arms" web site, and note that they are asking an astronomical $895.00 for this sword. As mentioned in my earlier post two extremely nice broadswords sold on eBay this past week for around $600 each. This one's a junker, and as a wall hanger (that appears to have been though a fire) it's worth about $100. Sussex Sword in the UK currently supply broadswords to HMs forces, and for about the same price you could have a new one, with your name on it!