Honorary weapon

Honorary weapon (also known as award weapon) is a personalized weapon that is an honorary award (gift) for especially distinguished military personnel for their military exploits and merits. An award weapon can be a cold weapon or a firearm: a sword, a sabre, a broadsword, a saber, a dagger, a revolver, a pistol, a rifle, a hunting rifle, etc. Usually, on such a weapon, in addition to the appropriate inscription about the distinct merits in which the person might be attributed to(wether that is your name, or a special design, or other culturally significant traits.) is why an award weapon is often also called a personalized weapon. The personalized details are on the weapon itself or on a metal plate (made of gold, silver, brass, and other metals) attached to the weapon, scabbard, or holster.

Categories

According to the categorization proposed by I. Ya. Abramzon, award and gift weapons can be divided into five groups, primarily depending on the reasons for presenting the weapon:

• Award weapons of the 17th-18th centuries;
• Grant weapons of the 18th century;
• Award weapons with the inscription "For Bravery" of the 18th-19th centuries;
• Prize weapons (cold and firearms) of the 19th century;
• Grant weapons (cold, firearms and defensive) of the 16th-19th centuries.

V. A. Durov divides award weapons into two categories:

• weapons given for military merit to officers and generals of the Russian regular army and navy;
• weapons for servicemen of irregular troops.

See also

• Ceremonial weapon

References

The Art institute of Chicago - Example work of honorary weapon or ceremonial weapons