174 - An exceptional and unique sword belonging to a senior officer of the Carabiniers, likely a gift from the Emperor; the aluminum hilt follows the standard design of the Second Empire, with the pommel adorned with laurel scrolls and, in the center, staff scepter motifs, no donkey motif, and a quillon formed of laurel and oak leaves, round pommel chiseled with a radiant sun, surmounted by a leaf-adorned knob; a two-shelled guard, fully engraved on both sides, with a hinged rear section; wooden tang covered with aluminum filigree; very light triangular blade in original mirror-polished steel, signed on the heel: “Couleau et Cie

An exceptional and unique sword belonging to a senior officer of the Carabiniers, likely a gift from the Emperor; the aluminum hilt follows the standard design of the Second Empire, with the pommel adorned with laurel scrolls and, in the center, staff scepter motifs, no donkey motif, and a quillon formed of laurel and oak leaves, round pommel chiseled with a radiant sun, surmounted by a leaf-adorned knob; a two-shelled guard, fully engraved on both sides, with a hinged rear section; wooden tang covered with aluminum filigree; very light triangular blade in original mirror-polished steel, signed on the heel: “Couleau et Cie Klingenthal”; length 89 cm. (Without scabbard; filigree loose). This sword is very light, with a total weight of 195 g, as aluminum has a density of 2.7. It is the only aluminum sword I have encountered in my career, and I am not aware of any in museums. Second Empire period, circa 1856. Very good condition. PROVENANCE: ARCOLE auction, RIEUNIER BAILLY POMMERY, February 12, 1990, lot 151, appraiser Bernard CROISSY. The secrets of aluminum were definitively unlocked and industrialized by the French chemist Henri SAINTE-CLAIREDEVILLE (1818–1885). He produced the first ingots in 1854 and was supported by Napoleon III, who financed his work. Malleable, resistant to oxidation, and very light, aluminum was now used to produce jewelry and small objects, but the cost of producing this metal was so high at the time that it rivaled the preciousness of gold, earning it the nickname “the Emperor’s white gold.” Thus, in 1856, at the Emperor’s request, the goldsmith Honoré-Séverin BOURDONCLE (1823–1893) created several personal items, including the Imperial Prince’s rattle. This metal was presented at the 1855 World’s Fair. Industrial-scale production truly began in May/June 1857. (Reference: *Revue du Souvenir napoléonien* No. 544, July/August/September 2025, article: “Aluminum, or the New White Gold” by Napoleon III).