Stirrup hilted sword, thought to have belonged to Captain A. Hamilton (1778-1848). The hilt of the sword consists of a gilt stirrup, which is pierced near the pommel in order to accommodate a sword knot. The hilt has plain langets and an upturned disc terminal. The sword has a lion's-head pommel, the mane extending the length of the plain back-piece. The grip is five-sided and made of ivory. The lower two-thirds of the grip are chequered with a slightly striated ferrule.

The steel blade is curved, flat-backed and has a broad shallow fuller extending for four-fifths of its length. The blade is decorated with etching and gilding. The obverse of the blade is decorated with leaves, a flowering plant, and has the leafy cypher 'GR' contained between a crown, with rays above, a trophy of standard plant, cannon and shield, and a flowery and looped line. The reverse of the blade is decorated with leaves, a flowering plant and a platform which is decorated with a ribbon which bears the Latin motto 'DIEU ET MON DROIT'. Reclining on the platform is a lion and a unicorn (seated) above a quarter bearing the Latin motto 'HONI SOIT QUI MALY PENSE' and containing the Royal coat of arms, with a leafy plant around the top, a crown, leaves, a trophy of halberd, banners, a cannon, a trumpet and other military items. The scabbard is made of black-tooled leather decorated with gilt. The top locket has a stud to engage the frog and a ring for suspension. The mid locket has a ring and the chape has a narrow shoe. All the mounts are plain apart from three parallel lines. The edges of the mounts are indented.

Archibald Hamilton served in the East India Company's ship, 'Bombay Castle' as Fourth Mate in 1798. He then succeeded his brother John Hamilton in the command of that ship in 1802. His ship was part of Nathaniel Dance's squadron that defeated a French squadron in an action off Malacca in 1804 for which Archibald Hamilton was awarded a Lloyds Patriotic Fund Sword. His papers, together with those of his brother, John Hamilton (1763-1837) are in the National Maritime Museum's manuscript collection.