Rare Imperial Fire Official's Sword for Alsace-Lorraine. Back-to-back squirrels (Carl Eickhorn) TM. An example of this rare sword appears on page 104 of the 1908 Musterbuch der Waffenfabrik Carl Eickhorn Solingen as Model Nr. 533. In addition, a photograph of this page from the Musterbuch appears on page 229 of Collecting the Edged Weapons of Imperial Germany by LTC (Ret.) Thomas M. Johnson and Thomas T. Wittmann. Ornate, Nickel-silver hilt fittings show light surface wear/age patina to the oak leaf/floral embellished backstrap, pommel cap, ferrule and D-pattern knuckle-bow/cross guard. Both obverse and reverse langets feature the raised coat-of-arms of Alsace-Lorraine within a shield beneath an Imperial fire helmet crest. Black ray skin grip is perfect with no rips or tears and complete with tight, double-twisted silver wire wrap. Straight, plain, plated, single fullered blade measuring 31 ¾" in length, grades EX++ showing light surface wear/runner marks only, with no graying, lifting or nicks to cutting edge and is complete with original white leather blade buffer pad. Dent-free, nickel-plated scabbard with two suspension bands/rings retains approximately 98% of the plating showing light surface wear with some specks of lifting to obverse/reverse lower shell and drag. Nice Eickhorn example recently obtained in Germany. Exc++ (23344) $1,595.