Bonnie Prince Charlie's Sword

A 2ft 8in court rapier said to have belonged to Bonnie Prince Charlie, but was never used as a weapon was sold yesterday at the Edinburgh auctioneers Lyon and Turnbull. It has been part of a collection of armour at Crosby Lodge in Carlisle and was expected to fetch between £5,000 and £7,000. The hammer went down at £19,000. Colin Fraser, silver specialist at Lyon and Turnbull, said: "Charles always considered himself royalty, so this is a royal sword in a sense and is of wonderful quality. The Jacobite period and Charles Edward Stuart are both very collectable figures. The sword displays the Royal Cypher and other symbols in gilt to the blade and shows Charles's opinion of being the rightful heir to the Scottish throne."