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Old 20th February 2017, 05:10 AM   #17
Jim McDougall
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Good work Fernando! and interesting note on the interpretation of the Wallace entries. The half moon mark of 'AN' Espadero del Rey would suggest that all of the makers in Toledo were then makers for the crown, and we presume that the half moon mark was used in this case by one of them.
As you point out in the Palomares nomina (1772) only one of the 99 entries uses a half moon mark , Juan Martin (#39).

While the Palomares chart lists just the names and little detail, with none of these makers specified as an Espadero del Rey, even Julian del Rey who of course has the name so specified. This must be the 'younger' as the Julian del Rey originally credited with the noted mark of the 'perillo' was a Moor converted to Christianity and maker to Boabdil 1484-1498.

In looking into "Small Arms Makers" (Gardner, 1963) which lists names of 'foreign swordsmiths' with certain key note details in varying degree, I found that of virtually all of the smiths represented in Palomares, only one was listed with the title, Espadero del Rey.....that was Antonio Ruiz of Toledo, 1566-1570 (p.365). In checking Palomares, this Ruiz is #13, and has a shield with an 'o' over a 'T' in a shield......no crown.

In the reference noted regarding Espaderos de Rey, you note the statute designating these makers as such is the royal crown over the makers personal mark. Looking at Palomares nomina, there are only a select number, perhaps half, with such crowns included in the punzon. Of these, none are those specifically noted as Espaderos del Rey. Neither Juan Martin (half moon #39); nor Antonio Ruiz (#13, o over T) have crowns nor #59, the perillo of Julian del Rey.

It would appear that the half moon mark was seemingly associated with Espaderos del Rey as in Wallace (Mann, 1962) A582, on a rapier there is the half moon mark along with the O, T mark (Antonio Ruiz) and in this case, it is crowned. Again, this smith was the only one specified as Espadero del Rey....and here is his mark OT and crowned, along with the half moon !

The suggestion seems to be that the half moon, in cases where the makers mark was present, and the marks congruently applied, may have been to makers who had the particular statute afforded them .

Apparantly the Kings of Castile granted privileges of different kinds or there were varying degrees of statute possibly represented in the recorded punzon listings which were no longer available when Palomares collected these at the Ayuntamiento in Toledo.

I am afraid this brings us no closer to resolving the curious mark at the forte on this blade, but an interesting foray into Spanish markings just the same.
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