Thank you for your input, Jim.
Whether this and other crosses have their origin in earlier times, with their religious character and certainly loaded with legendary contents, eventually some contradictory, i have for myself that, once this episcopal cross appears in these swords, this will be an emblem associated to the contemporary period, the war of restoration of Portuguese Independence, as i tried to put in post #30. It was not (at all) the only time the church or its representatives played a role in political issues. Also to note that the crosses engraved in all three swords located, have no Christ crucified in them, thus excluding interpretations related with marks adopted to identify popular smiths ... as suggested ?
Concerning the significant width of the blade first posted, i could not call it a matter of personal choice, as the other example kept where mine came from, has precisely the same width. And of course this type of swords falls competely out of the rapier concept, being no doubt weapons for field combat. Also it seems to me that sword breakers (rompe puntas) do not appear in swords with these features.
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