Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A 1796 Pattern Infantry Officer’s Sword, the straight blade with traces of blue and gilt and engraved with the Royal Arms (pre-1801), GR cypher, fitted with original bullion and crimson silk sword knot; the leather scabbard now in two pieces but retaining all three mounts, the upper of which is inscribed, ‘J. DEAN, No. 4 STRAND’, the silver wire hand grip and all gilt sections in excellent condition, except the pommel which is worn and a possible replacement £400-600

Ex. Dix Noonan Webb, 19 September 2003, Baird Jewels and Archive.

Sold with a letter from the curator of the National War Museum of Scotland , which states: ‘This sword was part of a collection which had been on loan to this museum from the Baird family since 1932. In 2003, the collection was withdrawn and sold at auction in September of that year. According to the original descriptions which were recorded when the collection first came into the museum, this particular sword was said to be associated with a Major Lucas who had been a fellow prisoner of Baird when he was held by Tipu Sultan following the British defeat at Pollilur in 1780. According to Baird’s biographer, Theodore Hook, a Captain Lucas helped Baird while a prisoner by volunteering to wear two pairs of leg irons so that Baird could be spared further damage to a badly injured leg. It seems likely that this is the same officer although we have no further information other than that he was probably an East India Company officer. The sword is clearly of a later date suggesting that Lucas both survived his imprisonment and continued his career as well as his friendship with Baird.