National award saber from the Manufacture de Versailles, beautiful, sober hussar pattern:
Single-branch hilt in gilt brass, adorned in the middle with an oval medallion bearing the signature: "Manufe A VERSAILLES", shuttle-shaped mounts decorated with a quarter-circle fillet around the perimeter, quillon chased with foliage, nicely cut German-style cap, leather-covered, filigree spindle; strong curved blade, engraved and gilded one-third with motifs in the style of those by Cassaignard; wooden scabbard with two large gilded brass fittings, ending in a gadrooned ring, and two splints, leather-covered crevices, two ring-holder studs fixed to the back of the fittings, the chape bears the inscription: "Le Mtre de La Guerre AU C. FALCONETTI LIEUT", iron stinger. This saber has seen a lot of use, as can be seen by the number of blows on the edge of the blade and the dents at the end of the scabbard; length 106 cm.
Late Directoire, early Consulate period. Good condition.
This saber is listed in Captain BOTTET's book on : La Manufacture de Versailles, Boutet directeur-artiste,
J. LEROY Fils éditeur, 1903. "PIÈCE ANNEXE N° 1" (page 62).
"ÉTAT DES ARMES DE LUXE DE LA MANUFACTURE DE VERSAILLES LE 29 NIVÔSE AN XII, FAISANT SUITE À CELUI DU 29 VENTÔSE AN IX, QUI FINIT PAR LE N° 149 (F. V. M. A.).
Given by the Minister of War: N° 167, a copper saber to citizen Falconetti. Estimated at 90 fr."
On one of the plates in the same work, number XXI shows a saber very similar to ours; the text of this plate is on page 55 and reads: "N° XXI. Sabre de récompense nationale décerné au citoyen FLEURIOT par le Directoire exécutif. Gilt bronze mount and fittings; basane-covered spindle. Klingenthal blade. This model is the 90-franc model noted for national awards". (See appendix, condition no. 1).
In the Livre d'or de la gendarmerie 1791/1812, in the year 1794, we quote: "À l'attaque des Anglais en Corse du 5 février au 5 mars" is named: "M. FALCONETI (FALCONETTI), lieutenant à la 28e division".
After the siege of Toulon, a large number of English ships and frigates surround Corsica.
On 17 pluviôse (February 5), two ships and a frigate came within sight of the small port of Centuri, where the people's representative had sent Lieutenant FALCONETI with 21 gendarmes. The English claimed a Genoese ship that had taken refuge in the port.
FALCONETI replied: "That there was no Genoese boat in the port, that the one they were asking for was in Saint-Florent, and that it was there, in Calvi or Bastia, that the threatening demands should be made; that, as for him, he had few people, but that if they wanted to send him two boats full of Englishmen, he would show them the way".
The English then began to machine-gun the gendarmes and landed two hundred men. Aided by the two PIETRI AGOTINI brothers and the mayor of Centuri, FALCONETI and his gendarmes attacked the English with such impetuosity that they fled, leaving him with one dead and several wounded.
Estim. 15,000 - 18,000 EUR
