Standing at just 17 inches tall it may seem a rather slight object to bear the weight of history.

This delicately bejewelled sceptre is, however, one of the most significant thank you presents ever to have been exchanged in this country.

And what it lacks in size, it more than makes up for in ornate detail and symbolic impact.

The Crystal Sceptre was given in thanks by King Henry V to the City of London for funding his forces against the French at the Battle of Agincourt, in 1415.

It is safe to say that without the men, arms and equipment those funds purchased– and in particular the longbow archers whose arrows proved so fatal to the French - the course of English history would have been very different.

Now the gift with which Henry showed his gratitude to London is being put on public display for the city's descendants to admire.

It will be the first time in its 600 years history that the Crystal Sceptre has been seen by more than a handful of people.

Normally it is only removed from its home in the bowels of the City's Guildhall for coronations – the last time for Elizabeth II’s in 1953 –and for the ceremonial swearing in of each new Lord Mayor.

During this annual 'Silent Ceremony' the outgoing and incoming Lord Mayors place their hands on the sceptre, marking a direct link back six centuries to when Henry presented it to the City by way of thanks.

The king had much for which to be grateful.

Fighting the French armies across the Channel for mastery of England's old enemy did not come cheaply.

To fund his venture Henry borrowed huge sums from the City of London, the Lord Mayor and several wealthy merchants and families. The City alone contributed the sum of 10,000 marks – worth some three million pounds in today’s money.

In return he gave his funders the Crown Jewels as a guarantee to be redeemed for cash at a later date, much like a mortgage.

But the King also commissioned the sceptre, to be presented as a gift to the City in return for the capital's generosity and his delight at its enthusiastic celebrations which followed his victory at Agincourt.

Some of Europe’s finest craftsmen were tasked with producing the piece, now regarded as being as beautiful as it is significant.

"This is a beautiful object that connects us to that national story.” Katty Pearce, Guildhall Art Gallery

The carved rock-crystal stem is thought to have been made in Paris – ironically perhaps, given the reason behind its creation – and was inlaid with gold. The jewels which decorate the crown at the top of the stem were sourced from the far corners of the known world; its red spinels from what is now Afghanistan, blue sapphires from Ceylon and dozens of pearls plucked from the seas of the Arabian gulf and traded in Cairo.

It is thought the sceptre was presented to the City sometime before February 1421, as the earliest reference to it comes in a painting of the coronation, that month, of Henry’s Queen, Catherine of Valois, in Westminster Abbey.

In the painting the Lord Mayor of London is shown holding the sceptre by his side.

But the remarkable history of the Crystal Sceptre was not fully uncovered until Dr Michael Hall, an art historian, began researching the art of Mansion House, the residence of the Lord Mayor, with Dr Clare Taylor, Lady Gifford, the wife of the former Lord Mayor, Sir Roger Gifford.

Dr Hall said: “As an object it is remarkable in many ways. It was given in recognition of London’s assistance to the king at one of the turning points in English history and the fact that it has survived intact all these years is truly amazing.”

Indeed the sceptre twice faced the threat of destruction.

Under the republican protectorate of Oliver Cromwell which followed the Civil War, the Crown Jewels were sold off and there was a danger the sceptre could have met the same fate, had it not been hidden away by the City authorities.

Eight years after Cromwell’s death and the restoration of the Monarchy which followed, it took the cowardly self-interest of the serving Lord Mayor to save the sceptre.

During the Great Fire of London of 1666, Sir Thomas Bloodworth - rather than lead the rescue efforts - made sure his personal treasures were safely sent out of the City, including the sceptre, only returning in person three days later.

The sceptre has not survived the centuries unscathed however. Sometime during the 1830s the stem’s central cut-glass ‘boss’ was damaged so badly that it had to be replaced by the royal jewellers, Rundell, Bridge & Rundell.

The Crystal Sceptre will be put on public display at the Guildhall Art Gallery for six weeks from October 24, the day before St Crispin’s Day, when - 600 years ago –9,000 English and Welsh soldiers engaged as many as 36,000 of their French counterparts at Agincourt.

Also on display will be a silver gilded iron mace used in the battle. This was presented by Henry V to the Humber village of Hedon during a pilgrimage he made to the shrines of his patron saints in the north of England, following his victory.

Katty Pearce, curator at the Guildhall Gallery, said: “This is a unique opportunity to get a close look at something with such a rich heritage that has rarely been seen before.”

She added: “Because of the 600th anniversary of the battle there is a heightened awareness of the importance of Agincourt at the moment, and the story of Henry V is part of our national consciousness. This is a beautiful object that connects us to that national story.”

Unveiling the crystal Sceptre: Henry v’s Gift to the City, runs from October 24 to December 3 at the Guildhall Art Gallery, London, EC2. Admission is free.