AN OUTSTANDING CASED 100 GUINEA SABRE GIVEN FOR BRAVERY TO COLONEL CHARLES TURNER category: The Baron von Weyhe collection provenence: England dating: first quarter of the 19th Century Fine curved, single- and false-edged blade, with a wide fuller, engraved and gilded on a blue backgroun in all of its length, with allegory of the Britannia and Hope, George III's coats of arms, trophies, floral motifs and the inscription «FROM THE PATRIOTIC FUND AT LLOYD'S, TO COLONEL CHARLES TURNER OF THE 30th REGIMENT, IN COMMEMORATION OF HIS GALLANT CONDUCT IN SPAIN AS RECORDED IN THE LONDON GAZETTE EXTRAORIDINARY OF 3RD. jUNE 1811»; impressive mercury-gilded brass hilt with a big center guard, decorated with trophies in low relief, acanthus sheath-guard wings, massive hilt with fasces-shaped quillons, ending in buttons; Heracles' club-shaped guard with a snaked wrapped around it, the pommel-cap pictures the nemean lion used by Heracles; checkered ivory grip, with laurum-decorated ring; complete with its sword knot. Magnificent wooden sheath completely covered in copper, lined in mercury with four large openings decorated with war trophies and Hydra's head on a maroon velvet background, the upper two divided by medallions picturing Heracles fighting with the Nemean Lion and with Lerna's Hydra, surrounded by flags and trophies, the chape with sprays of dragons, snakes and spirals, the locket engraved with a drum among floral decorations; the two rings are in the shape of snakes; the upper mount with the signature of the manufacturer «R. TEED SWORD CUTTLER LANCASTER COURT STRAND». Together with a blue leather belt covered with velvet with decorations of IN CANOTTIGLIA leaves; gilded brass mounts, the buckle picturing Heracles fighting Hydra with a British shield, on the lower part the inscription «PATRIOTIC FUND 1803»; the loops are fretwork and decorated with anchors, the medallion with lion's head. This belt, together with its case, belongs to another 100 Guniea sabre given by Lloyds to the HMS Defiance captain, P. C. Durham Esq., in the year 1805. The Patriotic Fund, founded by Lloyds in 1803, gave about 160 honor sabres to valiant fighters, almost all of them Navy members (due to the strong relationship of the company to the military and civil Navy); it is, therefore, not strange that only seven sabres were given to the army's officials. The honor sabres were divided into three categories, 30, 50 and 100 Guinea. Independent judges decided whom to give the honor and of which category. The decision was often influenced by the amount of the booty. The majority of the given sabres were the 30 and 50 Guinea ones, fewer were the 100 Guinea ones, which were given only for extraordinary courageous deeds in the battle. The sabres known for the army's heroes are distinguished by the slightly longer blade and the trophies decorations on the openings of the sheaths. Lieutenant Colonel Charles Turner is one of the seven army's officials who was given this extraordinary reward. He loses his left arm, tore off by a cannonball at the San Christoval fort by Badajoz, on May 10, 1811, while he's at the head of the XVII Portuguese Regiment; while he's bandaged to stop the bleeding he receives the order to attack; having someone help him to get into the saddle, he he draws his sword and guides the regiment towards a victory. This action is described in General Count Wellington's correspondence and published by the London Gazette on June 3, 1811; subsequently, he was assigned the command of the XXX Regiment, but after he was given this sabre, he withdrew from the command due to the serious injuries. Later, he serves as a colonel in the Royal African Colonial Corps, where he reached the rank of Major General. He receives the important honor of the Order of the Bath and becomes governor of Sierra Leone. He dies in 1826. condition: very good dimensions: 93.5 cm