1796 Pattern Heavy Cavalry Trooper's Sabre, 4th Royal Irish Dragoon Guards, Hadley

A complete and excellent example of a Georgian 1796 pattern heavy cavalry trooper's sabre.

Marked 4 D G on the hilt and scabbard for the 4th Royal Irish Dragoon Guards Regiment. It is rare to encounter one of these swords with regimental markings, but it is even rarer to find one with a scabbard from the same regiment. The hilt is also marked F 32 for troop F, rack number 32, and the scabbard is marked D 9 for troop D, rack number 9.

Marked "Hadley" on the sword's spine, for Thomas Hadley & Sons of 29 Newhall St, Birmingham. The shop was at that location between 1793 and 1808, or right until the onset of the Peninsular war, where heavy dragoon regiments were deployed en-masse. The 4th Royal Irish Dragoon Guards received battle honours for the Peninsular war, for having fought under General Sir John Slade at the Siege of Ciudad Rodrigo in January 1812.

This is an original unmodified example (1796 HC swords were modified at a regimental level between 1814 and 1815 to a spear point and a half-disc guard), although it has had the langets removed. 

This is the 1796 sword that has it all - a known and sought after maker, as well as an ordnance mark on the blade, is found in great, unmodified condition, and has regimental markings for a desirable Dragoons regiment. It cannot be understated how rare it is to find one of these swords with a matching scabbard.