Original Item: Only One Available. This is an original German WWII Police Officer Degen (Épée) dress sword manufactured by ALCOSO of Solingen, retaining its ebony grip, Police eagle insignia, 31 1/2" matte finished blade, original black enamel scabbard, and OLC marked hanger clip by Overhoff & Cie. The ALCOSO trademark on the reverse ricasso is the form associated with approximately 1936-1940 production.

The hilt remains in very good condition overall. Most of the nickel plating survives on the steel fittings and D guard, now showing a lightly oxidized aged patina with localized edge wear exposing the base metal and small areas of surface rust. The pommel cap retains crisp serrations and shows no obvious evidence of improper removal. The D guard terminates in the typical teardrop quillon, while the ferrule is decorated with six standing oak leaves separated by acorns.

The ebony grip remains solid and shows moderate handling wear. The aluminum wire wrap is still tight overall, though several strands show light bending, and the steel cover plate remains present on the reverse. The inset Police eagle insignia has lost most of its original nickel colored finish and now shows the underlying copper colored base metal, which has aged to a warm orange tone. There is localized chipping to the grip immediately left of the insignia recess.

The 31 1/2" blade has a matte steel finish and a single fuller. The factory edge remains unsharpened and shows several small dents, together with a few slight dips that may originate from manufacture. There is light staining, particularly near the cross guard, but no major rust damage. The original leather blade buffer remains present above the guard, though it has torn through on one side and is now loose.

The reverse ricasso is stamped with the trademark Alcoso used from 1936-1940. It depicts the firms trademark "scales" logo with the firm's initials, ACS interspersed. Above is the firm's name in an arc, ALCOSO, and below the town of business, SOLINGEN.

Alcoso is a trade name of Alexander Coppel & Co. KG, Stahlwarenfabrik, located in Solingen, the legendary German "City of Blades" (Klingenstadt). Per J. Anthony Carter's work GERMAN KNIFE AND SWORD MAKERS, the company was a major manufacturer of edged weapons and tools from the end of the 19th century up until the WWII period. Unfortunately, as NSDAP-control increased, brothers Carl Gustav and Dr. Alexander Coppel, the Jewish owners of the firm, were forced out. In 1936 the firm had been "Aryanized", and started using the name ALCOSO to hide the Jewish family name. By the end of 1936 the brothers were ejected from their Solingen offices, and by 1940 the brand trademark initials ACS were changed to AWS to reflect the change in ownership and name: Alexander Coppel Solingen to Alcoso-Werk Solingen. Carl Gustav Coppel committed suicide in Solingen in 1941, and Dr. Alexander Coppel was arrested in 1942 and sent to Theresienstadt Prison camp, where he died August 5th 1942. The factory itself was destroyed by Allied bombers in November 1944.

The steel scabbard remains straight and free from major dents. Approximately 75% of the black enamel finish survives, with glossy areas interspersed with pronounced age checking and crazing. Oxidation has developed beneath portions of the damaged finish and has caused localized flaking.

The lower scabbard mount is decorated with a line pattern and retains much of its silver colored plated finish, now darkened to a blue gray patina. The exact plating material is not established from appearance alone. Scattered oxidation and some bubbling are present, and both flush retaining screws remain in place.

The upper scabbard mount is of the so-called “Wotan's Knot” configuration and retains its plated finish with moderate wear and oxidation. Both retaining screws positioned within the knot remain present.

Attached to the suspension ring is a plated steel hanger clip marked with the diamond:

OLC

trademark of Overhoff & Cie. of Lüdenscheid. The clip remains functional but shows plating loss and scattered oxidation.

With its ALCOSO Solingen 1936-1940 trademark, ebony wire wrapped grip, Police eagle insignia, 31 1/2" single fuller blade, original black enamel scabbard, Wotan's Knot upper mount, and OLC marked hanger clip, this is a strong example of a German WWII Police Officer Degen. The grip chipping, bent wire strands, plating loss, edge rust, loose leather blade buffer, blade staining, enamel crazing and flaking, and scattered scabbard oxidation are all fully disclosed. It would fit especially well in a German Police edged weapon, ALCOSO, Solingen maker, officer dress sword, or advanced WWII edged weapon collection.

Specifications:

Blade Length: 31 1/2"
Blade Style: Single Edge w/ Fuller
Overall length: 36 3/4“
Guard dimensions: 5" width x 4 3/4” length
Scabbard length: 32”