I found a thoroughly rusted sword under a rock outcropping in NW Arkansas. It looks very civil war-ish. The blade is curved, 31 inches long from tip to hand guard. The handle is leather wrapped and the leather is secured by a 2 strand wire. The hand guard is one of those more ornate types where the design splits into 3 parts. There was a scabbord but that crumbled into dust shortly after discovery. No other discernible marks due to the rust. Also, there is, what appears to be, a nut on the bottom of the handle. When I say "nut", I mean like you would use a wrench on. That part has me perplexed. Any ideas?

I.ve seen a couple on auction sites with good photos and none had bolts and nuts.All parts seemed to be pressed in under heat. Good luck, I could be wrong..just sayin'