1852 Commodore Morris's Naval Officer Sword
GUEST: I brought in a, uh, Navy sword, a dress sword, and belonged to Commodore Morris, who was a distant relative of mine.
APPRAISER: He's got a very interesting history. He went to sea at the age of 15 in 1799.
GUEST: Mm-hmm.
APPRAISER: And is immediately made a midshipman. He served during the Barbary Wars, he served during the War of 1812, and most importantly, during the War of 1812, that battle between the Constitution and the Guerriere, he was the first lieutenant under Captain Isaac Hull, who was the ship's commander at that time. Dealing with the Barbary pirates, that was one of the very first times the American Navy had an opportunity to sort of flex its muscle and prove that we were a power to be reckoned with on the sea.
GUEST: Mm-hmm.
APPRAISER: When he passed away in 1856, he had 57 years of service in the U.S. Navy...
GUEST: Wow.
APPRAISER: ...and was the second-highest ranking still-serving U.S. Naval officer at that point in time.
GUEST: Huh, wow.
APPRAISER: And this sword is a U.S. model 1852 Naval officer sword. In fact, this is the pattern that is still in use with the U.S. Navy to this day. This is one of the very first U.S. model 1852 Naval officer swords.
GUEST: Oh.
APPRAISER: You've got a wonderful etched Ames Manufacturing Company mark on the ricasso that tells you who made the sword. And then stamped at the base of the ricasso, you have the date 1852. Only 500 swords were in that initial order. The sword is decorated with the typical naval motifs. You've got the sea serpent on the quillon...
GUEST: Mm-hmm.
APPRAISER: ...the USN and a ribbon on the face of the guard. You've got the knots on the, uh, mounts, and you also have the sea serpent on the drag.
GUEST: I love him.
APPRAISER: And on the reverse of the blade, we've got the etched USN and a ribbon, and we've got the fouled anchor motif that is so associated with naval arms. Now, the sword is in pretty darn good condition. We have some of the gilt still on the brass hilt. We've got a lot of the polish and frosty etching on the blade. There is some surface oxidation and a little bit of light surface rust. Because it is a first-contract Ames model 1852 Naval officer sword, very scarce sword, if it had absolutely no historic association, it would be worth at least $2,000 to $3,000 at an auction setting.
GUEST: Mm-hmm.
APPRAISER: But you have this amazing family history for a very iconic U.S. Naval officer. If this sword were to be offered in a retail setting, we think the asking price for the sword would be in the neighborhood of $25,000.
GUEST: Wow, that's amazing.
APPRAISER: We would probably insure it in the neighborhood of $50,000.
GUEST: Wow.
APPRAISER: Because it is absolutely irreplaceable. You could go find another first-contract 1852 Naval officer sword, but you couldn't find Commodore Morris's sword.
GUEST: (chuckles) Gosh, that's really wonderful information.
$25,000 Retail
$50,000 Insurance
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Understanding Our Appraisals
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