French moving bar hilted sword, once owned by Captain Louis L'Heritier of L'Hercule (active 1798). The hilt is brass, was a flat pommel and plain back-piece. The guard has scalloped edges and where it widens to form the shell has a broad slot cut in on each side of the grip. An auxiliary guard 9/16 inches wide with scalloped edges and lightened by slots and holes is pivoted in the pommel and on the shell where a spring catch retains it in the out position. The grip is bound with wire. Three standards were used, a brass between two copper, and these were then overlaid with a stand plaited from brass and copper wire. When in 1964 this sword was reconditioned the three thins strands were found broken into short pieces and were renewed.

The blade is slightly curved, flat back, with one broad groove throughout its length and one starting 6 and a half inches from the hilt and running to within 3 and a quarter inches of the point, which is a double edging spear point. The inscriptions are, on the obverse, 'MR' within an oval of dots and on the tang '15'. On the reverse there is engraved on the tang '7'. There are two deep indentations, one in the form of a crescent and the other a bar with central circle. The scabbard is black leather with a brass chape. The lockets are missing and though there are signs that there was originally a top locket this has been replaced by a leather belt, with slings which end in loops through which the scabbard was passed and so suspended.

This sword is traditionally the one which was brought to Captain Alexander Hood of the MARS as he lay dying after his great fight with L'Hercule 21 April 1798. It has every appearance of already at that time being a well worn weapon. Though said at the time to have been the sword of Captain L'Hertier, it may either have been a weapon he used as a fighting sword or that of one of the ship's company. The form of the belt however makes it certain to have been worn by an officer. The same type is illusrated by Bottet 'Monographies de l'arme blanche (1789-1870) 1959, Plate iii, Fig 2 where he describes it as Sabre a branch mobile. Dr Paul Martin states that these swords were in use before the French Revolution, both in the Navy and Army, those used by the Navy having short, broad blades. MR stands for Manufacture Royale, doubtless that at Klingenthal in Alsace. The trailing edge of the shell is finished with an escalloped shell.