A NICE AND SUPER RARE SOUTH MANCHURIAN RAILWAY TACHI BROUGHT BACK AS SOUVENIR BY A ARMY VETERAN OF WW2. I PURCHASED THIS SWORD IN PEORIA, ILL AROUND 1979-80 FROM THE VET\'S NEPHEW. BLADE IS 26 5/16\" OR 66.8CM CUTTING LENGTH AND SIGNED \" KOA ISSHIN MANTETSU SAKU KORE \" and dated SHOWA with the Zodiac signs \" 1939 SPRING \". BLADE HAS BEAUTIFUL STRAIGHT/SUGUHA TEMPER/HAMON AND NICE CURVE/SORI. MISSING BOW ON SAYA/SCABBARD BUT HAS SOUTH MANCHURIAN RR CREST ON THE FITTINGS. ALL SEPPA/TSUBA/FUCHI/and HANDLE MARKED W/#169. VERY FINE -LARGE HEAVY FITTINGS THROUGHOUT - EVEN SARUTE IS ABOUT 1/2 TIME AS LARGE AS USUAL. WRAP IS FINE /TIGHT- there is a chip in the scabbard and few small scratches but overall the koshirae is wonderful. THIS IS A REAL EXTREMELY HARD TO FIND TACHI KOSHIRAE - PERSONALLY I\'VE NEVER SEEN ANOTHER EXCEPT FOR THE ONE PICTURED IN JIM DAWSON\'S SWORD ENCYCLOPEDIA - HOW MANY WERE MADE ? 25-50- MAYBE 100?? AND FOR WHOM ?- HIGH RANKING JAPANESE MILITARY/CIVILIAN PERSONNEL OR IMPORTANT CHINESE COLLABORATORS. I DON\'T KNOW THE ANSWER AND KNOW OF NO ONE NOR ANY REFERENCE BOOK WITH ANY INFO ON THESE EXTREMELY RARE TACHI. IF YOU WANT TO OWN ONE OF THE RAREST WW2 ERA PRESENTATION TYPE MILITARY SWORDS THEN THIS IS RIGHT UP YOUR ALLEY. I SOLD MY SUPER RARE MANCHURIAN SENIOR OFFICER\'S DIRK THAT I HAD OWNED SINCE 84\' - WHEN THESE PCS ARE GONE THE CHANCES OF MY EVER OWNING ANOTHER ESPECIALLY IN THIS CONDITION IS SLIM TO NONE. I\'VE BEEN CARETAKER FOR OVER 30YRS - AND GETTING TIME TO PASS IT ON - REALLY HATE TO SELL IT AS PAPER MONEY IS ABOUT WORTHLESS AND THIS RARE SWORD HAS GOT TO DO NOTHING BUT GO UP IN VALUE WHETHER IT\'S CHINESE YUAN, JAPANESE YEN , EURO\'S OR EVEN THE UN-ALMIGHTY DOLLAR THAT R GOVERNMENT KEEPS INFLATING ---

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