Hi chief:
All of the quality examples I have seen in collections or museums have had a well polished blade. In the original culture, an antique and important blade such as this would have been polished well and most likely etched.
At the very least you need to remove the active rust, such as present on the tang. Your latest pics suggest to me that this sword did not have any asang asang during its life (at least, I see no evidence of such) which might also argue for an older transitional piece.
Congrats on another fine addition to your collection.
Ian
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