Here is a truly rare sword. This is an 1843 dated Ames Short Sword or Heavy Artillery sword. This one is a bit special and in its day must have been glorious to behold. The blade is etched on almost half of its surface with foliage. Although the last few inches of the blade is pitted on both sides, it's still a very rare variation and these are seldom seen on the market or in any collections. This sword was found a few years ago with a disintegrating sheath that was thrown out and obviously the cause of the corrosion. The hilt is in heavy gold gilt and almost perfect.