Lot 39 , A Serbian presentation sword shamshir, Ottoman, mid-19th century, 86cm (blade); 99cm (overall)

A Serbian presentation sword shamshir, Ottoman, mid-19th century, with carved horn hilt and Damascus steel curved blade with koftgari Cyrillic inscriptions to each side, 'Alexander Karadordevic' and 'Prince of Serbia 1849', 86cm (blade); 99cm (overall)
Estimate £300-500

Aleksandar Karadordevic (1806 – 1885) was the prince of Serbia between 1842 and 1858. He was a member of the House of Karadordevic. He was the youngest son of Karadorde Petrovic and Jelena Jovanovic and was educated in Khotin, Bessarabia (Russia), under the patronage of the Russian Tsar.
Throughout his reign Prince Alexander was troubled with Obrenovic plots. He refused to fight with the French, British and Ottoman Empires against the Russian Empire during the Crimean War. The result was his overthrow and departure into exile in 1858, which brought the rival Obrenovic dynasty to the throne of the Principality of Serbia.


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Sold for £10,000