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Description
This US Navy Model 1852 officer's sword dates to the turn of the 20th century, and was retailed by the New York military outfitter J.Bernstein. Officer's name etched on the blade is A.SEABEL. Quick search located the owner, ADOLPH SEABEL, the chief gunner on the cruiser USS MASSACHUSETTS during the Spanish-American War.

USS Massachusetts departed Norfolk, Virginia on 13 May for Cienfuegos, Cuba, where she took up blockade duties on 22 May. On the afternoon of 31 May, in company with Iowa and New Orleans, she bombarded the forts at the entrance to Santiago de Cuba, and exchanged fire with Cristobal Colon, forcing the enemy ship to retire into the inner harbor of Santiago. The battleship remained on patrol off Santiago, intermittently bombarding Spanish fortifications until 3 July, when she stood out to coal at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base. Missing the Battle of Santiago de Cuba, the battleship steamed back to her station on 4 July, arriving in time to help Texas force cruiser Reina Mercedes to beach and surrender at midnight on 6 July. Following duty in support of the American occupation of Puerto Rico from 21 July-1 August, Massachusetts steamed for home, arriving New York on 20 August.
Seabel is mentioned in several on-line sources. He resigned from the Navy in 1907. His wife Elise Seibel received a congressional pension of $12 monthly, plus $2 for each of their children, as indicated by the Statutes of the Sixty-Sixth Congress, 1920-1921. I take it that Chief Gunner Adolph Seibel died sometime between 1907 and 1920. I'm sure additional information can be sought out on the officer!
The sword is of extra-high quality, scabbard mounts were hand-chased and engraved with additional naval attributes, all very well done.
Blade is 31" long, profusely etched with naval symbols, all in outstanding condition, with only minor spotting.
Named naval officer's swords from the Spanish-American War are quite scarce!