[Jim McDougall]

Looking further at the guard orientation on this, the seemingly popular striations on the guard reflect the Spanish colonial influence, while it appears possible that British officers spadroons (c.1780s) with these kinds of guards might have also been in mind. Attached is 'five Ball' hilt design of 1780s which became well established, note the orientation of the crossguard. While this design was most popular, the extended guard often had other designs, mostly openwork vegetal motif, hearts and other elements. It would not seem far fetched that this style using the striations of shell guards would be out of place in latter 18th century Spanish context while aligned with the British influence. Also, we know the shell guard forms became popular in Brazil, and that in latter 18th into 19th the Portuguese and British were allied.

As far as I have known, in the nearly 30 years Ive owned this, there are no like examples. As noted, the hilt styling reflects the familiar 'hand nock' near pommel as well known in nimchas of North Africa, as well as the hilts of the shell guard espada (cutlasses?) of South America and Gulf colonies.

It is also worthy of note that the inside langet of this example and the shell guard versions are shared, a feature not seen on other colonial swords of this period, perhaps further aligning this example with the shell guard cutlasses.