Police Sword Help

[kabulguy]

I recently acquired this Police Sword from a collector with engraving on the guard. Hoping that somebody can help me with the translation, especially the initials, Thanks in advance.

[kabulguy]

Police Sword Help

Any Help With Translation Greatly Appreciated ! Thank You.

[Billy G]

I believe the word is supposed to be "Hundertschaft", not "Hundeptschaft".

Joe W. & George W. would know what the initials would signify.

[SCHUPO]

I believe the word is supposed to be "Hundertschaft", not "Hundeptschaft".

Joe W. & George W. would know what the initials would signify.

The engraving is supposed to indicate a Christmas gift. However, as Billy points out the word "Hundertschaft" is mis-spelled by whoever executed the engraving. I am not a fan of this inscription as it is not something that would have occurred if a German speaker had done the engraving during the time of use.

I cannot tell from the photos if the sword is original or not.

George

[kabulguy]

Police Sword

The sword is definitely of WW II period. Marked Alcoso with their trademark balance scales on the blade. I'm most curious what the initials signify.

[SCHUPO]

"V.P.S." is an obscure, and unidentified, marking found on a very few early German pistols that appear to be police issue. Frankly, I find it odd that an unidentified early police unit would give a later (1939) Polizei-Degen as a Christmas gift to a Police Officer without putting his name in the inscription.

I am sorry to say that I have seen poorly conditioned common edged weapons with false engravings added to help sell an otherwise slow moving item.

[wolfslair]

Another original piece ruined by some idiot wanting financial gain.

[sjl]

It is "Hundertschaft" - that is clearly a corrosion pit under the "r" that makes it look like a "p".

[Billy G]

It is "Hundertschaft" - that is clearly a corrosion pit under the "r" that makes it look like a "p".

While I can see a corrosion pit on the letter, I would respectfully disagree that it's intended to be an "R". There doesn't appear to be any depression in the metal for the lower leg of the letter,other than the corrosion pit.

It looks to me to be a misspelling, presumably made by the engraver who was a non-native speaker of German.

[sjl]

No tail on the "p' that goes below the line. Lots of little pits or plating lifts with the same size and orientation as under the "r". No reason for a non-German speaker to mistake an r for a p since they are written the same in both English & German.

A close-up of the letter will resolve it.

[JoeW]

True, it may seem odd using the unknown abbreviation for the inscription, but on the other hand why would someone seek out and use such an obscure abbreviation that may only appear in Don Maus' book on police markings? The mistake on the "r" I might attribute to the problem the engraver faced of shrinking the letters to fit on the gradually shrinking width of the bow. I can think of a few explanations of the initials, but the problem is substantiating the explanation with documentation.