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Fraternal Swords Aren't Always Masonic

Keith C

Registered User
Various Fraternal swords are in abundance at flea markets, in antique sshops, even in some gun stores. They often look "pretty" and are often very over priced by those trying to sell them assuming "looks fancy" = Highly valuable.

A couple of "fer instances."

As a bit of a back story I was very involved in American Revoulutuionay War and Civil War re-enacting.

Story 1: I was wandering through a huge flea market. An antique vendor had a wooden barrel full of various swords. Mostly KofC, Templar and American Legion swords. They were all priced $300 to $500. In amongst them was fairly plain brass hilted sword in a somewhat rusty scabbard, priced $50. I negotiated it down to $30 as it looked so "shabby." It was an 1860 Union Light Cavalry saber, Estimeate value then $700, now $2,000.

Stary 2: A friend and I were in a gun shop, similar "barrel o'swords." Prices for the "fancy" fraternal swords $200 to $500. Amongt them, without scabbards were 2 brass hilted fairly short swords with somewhat rust blades. We got them for $50 for the pair. Gently cleaning off the rust on the blades revealed markings and engravings, including the seal of Friedrich the Great, revealing them to be 18th Century Infantry NCO swords. At the time worth around $1,000 each, now around $3,500.

It is crazy what you can find if you know what you are looking at.
 
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