This is a tough to find sword! It is an original 1818 pattern United States sword for the Non-Commissioned Officer. This is the pattern illustrated at the top of Page #70 of the Historic American Sword book by Howard Crouch. They have the straight 26-1/4th inch blade with a single edge and a wide fuller. This blade is full length and is beautifully marked at the base It has the "N.STARR" maker marking. These were made by Nathan Starr of Middleton, Connecticut. He was one of the premier sword makers in early U.S. history. It also has the "US" stamping and the "ET" stamp where it was approved for the inspector Elisha Tobey. The grip of the sword has the original wooden core present with the black leather. The grip on these swords never had the wire wrapping. They were intended for the ribs on the grip to suffice. The iron hand guard still has nice curves and an attractive look. One thing that makes this sword special is that it is accompanied by the original metal scabbard. The scabbards are almost always missing with this pattern of sword. The scabbard has the original stud style top mount intact. It also has the internal throat remaining as well. The drag of the sword is present as well. This is a good looking non-commissioned officer's sword and it still has the original scabbard accompanying.