Solid half-basket hilted sword. The hilt consists of a gilt brass, solid half-basket guard with raised bars and an oval cartouche containing a foul anchor, slightly inclined to the left, surmounted by a lion rampant guardant holding between its forepaws a crown. There is a folding flap on the reverse with a stud attached to the exterior face to engage with the hole in the top locket of the scabbard. The lion's-head pommel and back-piece has a mane extending three-fifths of the way up to the ferrule at the top of the grip. The grip is covered with white fish-skin and bound with three copper wires. There is a prominent tang button, a ferrule lightly engraved at the edges and centre and a short upturned quillon. The guard is pierced for a swordknot (missing).

The blade is a slightly curved, flat-backed with a false edge some 230mm long. A broad shallow fuller runs from the shoulder for about 460mm and it is lightly etched both sides. The poor condition of the blade makes a description of the etching difficult. Inscribed on the obverse (at the shoulder) is a brass proofmark (a six-pointed star over a pellet surrounded by the word 'PROVED', the edge of the mark is invecked which seems to have damaged what was originally a circular depression), foliage, space, foliage, a foul anchor surmounted by a lion similar to that on the guard, and foliage. On the reverse (at the shoulder) within a romantic shield, is 'GRINDLAY & CO. 63 CORNHILL LONDON', foliage, space, foliage, foul anchor surmounted by the lion, and foliage. The scabbard is missing. This is probably a fairly early example of the 1847 pattern sword which is appropriate to the Indian Navy.