Hi Jim,
Here's a link, with an album full of pictures of the Gladius sword I have been researching.
http://s353.photobucket.com/albums/r...e%20Militaire/
I have seen several _similar_ swords but only
one or two identical. Either the crossguard shape, the langets, or the blade itself differ.
Someone suggested it might be a ceremonial sword created on the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution. The sword was reportedly found in a Vichy French military school in the city of Aix, and was reportedly labeled as an "epee de cadet a la Ecole de Mars".
I have found nothing definitive on its origins.
Best regards
Manuel