Late 1800s M.C. LILLEY Style Military Officer’s Style DRESS Sword SCABBARD TURN OF THE CENTURY Officer’s Dress Sword

Product Description

Late 1800s M.C. LILLEY Style Military Officer’s Style DRESS Sword SCABBARD

TURN OF THE CENTURY Officer’s Dress Sword

Here we present an Officer’s Style Dress Sword, made in the style of M.C. Lilley & Co. of Columbus, Ohio. During the period from 1870-1910, over 20 percent of men in the United States belonged to a fraternal organization, which served various purposes such as mutual aid and insurance, political interests, social functions, and the comfort of stability and belonging in a dynamic post-Civil War society that was rapidly industrializing.

M.C. Lilley & Company was a Columbus, Ohio business that would benefit greatly as a manufacturer of ritual costumes and attire, including military themed dress swords after the war. By 1870, the company already occupied an entire four-story building on S. High Street, with a glass-fronted showroom and retail store on the first floor. This size of an operation positioned the company for tremendous growth and success in the coming “Golden Age of Fraternalism.” The most demanded and most commercially profitable form of military regalia, however, was the military-style uniform, which the company also produced for state militias, telegraph operators, and railway workers. This large-scale production of military regalia for fraternal organizations led to M.C. Lilley & Co. becoming one of the largest and most successful manufacturers in the world.

The overall condition is very good. Bright blade. Some wiggle is present in the hand guard around the tang. Both the grip and wire wrap are tight. Leather has chipped away from the grip. Good scabbard, although the blade does not properly fit.

Overall length is 37-1/2 inches.

Blade length is 32 inches.

Own the original! This is a legitimate antique and not a reproduction.

Overall condition as seen in photos.

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$900
#230745