Excellent entry Jasper! Thank you so much for adding this information which is pretty exciting. It is interesting to see the modern reproduction makers attention to this sword, and of course it would be amazing to see the original sword of this key figure against the typically well embellished modern interpretation.
While we can speculate and optimistically hope that this very sword could be the one....but that is of course very optimistic, particularly without any sort of progressive lineage or provenance.
In looking at the association to the Knights of St. John, or Hospitallers, or of Rhodes or Malta, all names of this order which was founded in Jerusalem by Papal Bull in 1113.....it was contemporary and independent of the much more heralded Knights Templar, operating in similar manner.
It however had its own separate Papal Charter, and when Pope Clement dissolved the Knights Templar in the events of 1312, much of their properties and holdings were dispensed to the Hospitallers.
After the fall of Jerusalem to Muslim forces, this order went to Rhodes, then Malta, and operated as sovereign in Rhodes, while under suzerainty of Viceroy of Sicily as vassal in Malta, these events end of 13th c.
During the 14th c. the Knights of Rhodes successfully thwarted attacks by Sultan of Egypt (1444) and Ottoman forces after their victories over Constantinople and the Byzantines in 1480.
It is worthy of note here that the order as Knights of St. John had also well settled the regions of Solingen in the early 15th century ("By the Sword", Richard Cohen, 2002,p.117) and in their function of protecting pilgrims on their routes to and from Jerusalem and in crusades, often took sword smiths along where they were to learn more of the techniques of their rivals.
So questions would be, is this indeed a 14th c production of this type sword as per Oakeshott? As he notes in his works, it is difficult to specifically designate into exact category in many cases, and that these often diffused into each other as obviously makers in various regions and their shops or descendants often carried styles forward longer than others. Some of the types indeed continued as contemporaries with those that had theoretically superceded them. Thus it is quite possible for this sword in type to have been 15th c.
With the facts that this cross is associated with a prominent French family in a powerful military/religious order in the crusades, who also had components in Solingen and operated as a vassal state to Sicily in Malta this
would suggest that this sword could remotely have been French, but probably Frankish made, or perhaps Italian as per the Malta situation.
Thus 'pattern' or 'type' would remain speculative much as its period, but presented here are the options.
Also, would a prominent figure of this Order display his own family arms' cross, or the more known 'Maltese Cross" of the order with its key eight points?
Still, this sword, presumed as authentic as appears in photos, may have come from any of the sources noted, may seen use in a wide spectrum of possibilities.
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