Outstanding discussion gentlemen on the development of fencing schools, and the term 'rapier', which clearly has been, and will likely remain, a point of contention. It really is great to see such well informed exchange, and carried out in such constructive manner, thank you guys!!!
Mark, I'm sorry you missed that rapier, which I agree has that Caribbean feel to it, and without more research, I am thinking this might be Brazilian. The ribbed vertical edges on the grip, the crescents (reminiscent of the so called sickle marks on blades) which we have indeed often discussed, as well as what appears to be one of the 18th century 'dragoon' blades. The pirate association as we have also discussed, deals with the continued preying on ships through the 18th century on the "Spanish Main" between South America and New Spains other colonial regions.
Returning to another point of discussion:
Concerning whether the 'cuphilt' was civilian or military, or both, this is addressed in degree in "The Rapier and Smallsword 1460-1820" by A.V.B.Norman, 1980, "...since the cuphilt is apparantly confined to Spain and lands under Spanish influence, that is southern Italy and the Spanish Netherlands, one must search in portraits of civilians from these areas, particularly in court dress. As far as I am aware, it is never illustrated in military dress in the 17th century". (pp.175-76).
With this, and as Mr. Norman's brilliant study uses works of art in establishing the typology and development of varied types of hilts, it can be presumed that through the 17th century, the cuphilt was primarily a civilian weapon.It is known however that this rule of thumb may not apply in provincial regions and in the colonies of New Spain, and the distanced and developing ad hoc officials from military ranks may well have adopted these rapiers as uniform accoutrements.
We know that the military broadswords with cuphilts were used well into the 18th century, and perhaps concurrently with the more developed hilt military swords termed 'bilbo'. It does seem however that even the very thin rapier blades of the late 17th century were shipped to the colonies to be hilted, much as the broadsword blades which were sent in such volume later in the 18th century into the 19th. I have seen such rapier blades found in the wreck of a Spanish ship in the Panama region some years ago. There were about 30 or 40 of these rapier blades and the wreck must have been from end of the 17th to early part of 18th century.
All very best regards,
Jim
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