Original Imperial German WWI Baron Manteuffel 5th Dragoon Regiment M1889 Presentation Sword with Fireblued Blade by Alexander Coppel of Solingen

Original Item: Only One Available. This is a beautiful classic Nickel-Plated Imperial German WWI Presentation sword, used by a member of the Baron Manteuffel 5th Dragoon Regiment. It conforms to the Model 1889 standard quite well, with a straight thrusting blade, and a basket hilt guard. The presentation version is of course quite less robust than the cavalry issue, and these were privately purchased, so there is no acceptance marking on the spine. This example has a lovely fireblued blade.

The guard is partly "fold-away", and that portion also bears the Prussian Eagle on it, with the shield of the House of Hohenzollern on the chest. The grip is molded bakelite or gutta percha, and is in very good shape, with little wear, and no cracks or chips. The felt blade buffer is still present, and in good shape.

The 33 inch blade of this example is in excellent condition, with just a few scratches and areas of oxidation where the plating has flaked. It has an incredible triple-etched design, meaning it is on both sides as well as the spine of the blade. The designs have the typical borders and floral designs.

The main panel on the right side also has a unit designation, written in German Black-Letter "Textura" type face:

Drag. Regt. Frhr. v. Manteuffel
(RHEIN) No. 5

This would indicate the soldier was a member of Dragoner-Regiment Freiherr von Manteuffel, or the 5th Platoon of Baron Manteuffel’s Dragoon Regiment. At the beginning of the First World War, the regiment marched west in August 1914, where there were isolated border skirmishes. This was followed by patrol and security duties in eastern Belgium until the end of March 1915. The dragoons were then transferred to the Eastern Front . Deployed there in mobile warfare in Lithuania and Courland , the regiment took part in the Battle of Vilnius in September 1915. This was followed by positional warfare in Russian Poland and Galicia until autumn 1916. It took part in the campaign against Romania until February 1917. It was then transferred west again and given border protection duties on the Dutch border. At the end of the year, the dragoons were trained as infantrymen and deployed to carry out rear service in the area of ​​the Siegfried Line in France. This was followed by a transfer to the east again. It was deployed in infantry combat alongside the 14th Hussar Regiment as the Prussian Rifle Regiment . In June 1918, the regiment was mounted again and undertook security tasks in the Ukraine until the end of the war.

The reverse ricasso of the blade is marked with the "Scales" trademark logo of Alexander Coppel, which was officially registered in 1903. Per J Anthony Carter's Work GERMAN KNIFE AND SWORD MAKERS, Alexander Coppel & Co. KG, Stahlwarenfabrik, (Steel Ware Factory), this company was a major manufacturer of edged weapons and tools from the end of the 19th century up until the WWII period. Unfortunately, as NSDAP-control increased, brothers Carl Gustav and Dr. Alexander Coppel, the Jewish owners of the firm, were forced out. In 1936 the firm had been "Aryanized", and started using the name ALCOSO to hide the Jewish family name. By the end of 1936 the brothers were ejected from their Solingen offices, and by 1940 the brand trademark initials ACS were changed to AWS to reflect the change in ownership and name: Alexander Coppel Solingen to Alcoso-Werk Solingen. Carl Gustav Coppel committed suicide in Solingen in 1941, and Dr. Alexander Coppel was arrested in 1942 and sent to Theresienstadt Prison camp, where he died August 5th 1942. The factory itself was destroyed by Allied bombers in November 1944.

Overall an excellent condition highly attractive M1889 Cavalry Presentation sword, ready for further research and display.

Specifications:
Overall length: 38 1/4”
Blade length: 33”
Blade Style: Straight Single Edged Spear Point
Basket dimensions: 5" width x 5” length