United Kingdom. An Officer's Dress Sword with GRV Knot, by Philip & Samuel Firmin of London

This sword features a polished nickel-plated steel blade, magnetic, with an extremely sharp tip. Both sides of the blade are etched with an ornate floral pattern, which flanks a large thistle appearing in the centre. The obverse ricasso bears an icon with three columns of leafing surmounted by a semi-circular arch housing a series of vertical rules, the arch with a spike-like item protruding from it, while the reverse ricasso is maker marked "P. & S. FIRMIN Sword Cutlers & C. TO THE Royal Family 153 Strand & 13 Conduit St. LONDON". It exhibits surface wear near the tip, with some contact marks evident on the remainder of the blade, along with surface rust on the reverse where it butts the grip, measuring 780 mm in length. The blade is embedded into the hilt and is firm to it, with a thin oval gray leather washer surrounding the blade and resting upon the guard. The guard is in brass, the obverse designed with ornate swirls and leafing, its front bearing a silver cluster of oak leaves and thistles, the reverse designed with fourteen large emanating rays, with five smaller thin emanating rays appearing in between each of the large rays. Both protruding quillons are designed with a cluster of berries, the ferrule engraved in a series of repeating chevrons, the handle with three floral motifs at the midpoint. The grip is wrapped in thirty-two rows of silvered bullion wire, each row consisting a large row of rolled wire flanked by two rows of twisted wire, the pommel designed with vertical ribbing and finished with an ornately designed button, the entire sword inclusive of its blade and handle measuring 920 mm in length. Wrapped around the handle is a very large knot, its wide cord tied in the appropriate fashion to the handle, the cord in gold-coloured fine bullion wire interlaced with maroon threading, the knot itself formed by twenty vertical coils in rolled gold-coloured bullion wire, encompassing ten maroon coils in the centre, with three horizontal rows in fine gold-coloured wire at the base of the vertical coils. The top of the knot is covered in forest green felt, the obverse bearing the GRV (George V) monogram in gold-coloured rolled and beaded wire, the reverse illustrating a thistle in gold-coloured rolled bullion wire interlaced with sequins, the edge on both sides that butts the cord trimmed in sequins. The sword is housed in its original scabbard, the stiff-framed body wrapped in smooth black-finished leather, the three ornate floral designed fittings in brass that includes the locket, the mid-piece and the chape, the locket with an ornate raised post on the obverse, with a brass plate affixed to the reverse of the locket illustrating the Victorian crown above the inscription "P. & S. FIRMIN SWORD CUTLERS & C. TO THE ROYAL FAMILY 152 STRAND & 13 CONDUIT St. LONDON". It exhibits crazing and wear spots in the leather wrapped body, with light contact marks on the brass fittings, the scabbard measuring 810 in length. Better than very fine.