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Unread 04-10-2016, 09:11 AM   #43
alvin
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Japanese NCO sword were machine made, and carry serial numbers. GI captured many Japanese swords. Occasionally, NCO sword in near mint condition shows up. For example, this one was sold yesterday at $1300 (with BP it's $1495):

http://morphyauctions.hibid.com/lot/...amurai-sword-/

I bet this one was unissued when it was captured. But its new GI owner probably tried chopping wood to test its sharpness and created a few minor nicks on blade (a guess, of course). This type of sword is popular in Hongkong, in Taiwan, in China, etc. Lots of fakes are floating around in those regions. But in the US market, most Japanese NCO sword are genuine ones, including this one. Generally speaking, Americans are not very hot on it, so its estimate was merely $400-$600, but consider its international market, that's obviously undervalued, and its realized price reflected that.
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