Solid half-basket hilted sword. Owned by Lieutenant Cornwallis Wykeham Martin (1833-1870). The hilt consists of a gilt solid half-basket guard with raised bars and crown and anchor badge; lion's-head pommel and back-piece, the mane extending all the way along the back piece of a straightened gilt ferrule; white fish-skin grip bound with three gilt wires; folding flap to the reverse side of the guard and small upturned quillons; small gilt tang button. The guard is pierced with two circular holes, just forward of the leading edge of the shoulder and with a rectangular slot near the pommel, to take the (badly damaged) sword knot.

The blade a very slightly curved flat-back with a false edge some 254mm long leading to a symmetrical point. A broad fuller near the back edge runs from the 25mm deep shoulder to within 267mm of the point. The obverse is engraved with the Star of David surrounding a brass proofmark bearing in raised letters 'H W' surrounded by a wreath, plain, foliage and scroll, an enfoliated representation of the Royal arms surrounded by the crown and rays, foliage, plain to the point. The reverse is engraved with 'HENRY WILKINSON. PALL MALL, LONDON', foliage and scrolls, plain, foliage and scrolls, foul anchor surmounted by the Crown and rays, foliage and scrolls, plain to the point. The scabbard is black leather with two gilt lockets with rings and gilt chape. The gilt parts decorated in the usual way with groups of horizontal lines and scrolls which emphasise the upper and lower edges of each piece. An angular gilt shoe is fitted.

This is a typical fighting sword of the 1847 'Wilkinson' pattern and was indeed made by that firm. The number 1018 is interesting in that when the firm began to number their blades, they started at the number 5000 so this sword may be dated fairly accurately. In a letter from the firm dated 15 September 1964, Major Latham states 'No. 5018 was a regulation naval officer's sword manufactured by this company on 14 January 1853 and (was) placed into stock on 31 January 1556'. As Martin became a Mate at the end of 1852, it seems likely that he bought the sword early in the following year and that it remained in stock for only a very short time. Lt Martin entered the Navy as a Mate in 1852; Lieutenant 1855; removed from Navy List 1861 and died 30th October 1871.