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      The non-commissioned officer’s sword shown here was manufactured by Boyle & Gamble in Richmond, Virginia.  Boyle & Gamble was the Confederacy’s most prolific maker of officer’s swords. 

     The earliest non-commissioned officer’s swords made by Boyle & Gamble utilized a scabbard designed for use with the over the shoulder sword belt.  The over the shoulder sword belts were already on their way out by 1861 and actual war speeded up the process.  Old swords like the Virginia Manufactory cavalry swords were altered for use with waist sword belts.  Newly manufactured swords were designed to be used with the now standard waist sword belt.

     The Boyle & Gamble N.C.O. sword shown is sheathed in its original Boyle & Gamble scabbard and is designed for use with the standard waist mounted sword belt.  The scabbard looks identical to Boyle & Gamble’s standard top seamed officer’s sword scabbard, but it is made on a smaller scale.  The mounts and drag are smaller in diameter both inside and outside but it is standard length.  You can tell if this model is in its original scabbard by trying to insert another model into the scabbard; no other Boyle & Gamble pattern will fit through the throat except for this or Boyle & Gamble’s musician sword.

     This example is in near pristine condition; other than the dent in the top scabbard mount it is virtually perfect.  This sword was found in Maine a few years ago.  At that time there was a paper label on the scabbard which read “Taken from a Rebel Officer outside of Richmond”.  The label’s shadow can still be seen, but unfortunately the label was lost in shipping.  This is an extremely rare pattern.  It is believed that no more than five to ten of this pattern survive. 

     This is the exact sword shown on page 206-207 of Collecting the Confederacy and comes with a copy of the book.