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Old 6th February 2014, 04:04 AM   #19
Jim McDougall
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Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Route 66
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Thank you Ibrahiim, outstanding coverage on the Scottish Rebellion of 1745, the '45', and that had crossed my mind. While it would be tempting to presume this kind of patriotic imbuement, it does not fall into place with the nature of the sword, nor its placement, though I would not suggest spurious placement. Numbers placed in similar manner and in various locations may be inventory or issue related numbers, most of which remain unclear and outside most recorded explanations.
These kinds of swords were used by dragoon troopers in British regiments after Scottish subjugation, and while many were of course Scottish, it does not seem likely such a marker would have been in place on one of these swords.

I had forgotten to add to my earlier post that many forms of these English made basket hilts often had a feature within the arms and saltires of the structure an oval ring which has become generally held to be for use in holding the reins, and these are accordingly regarded as horsemans swords.
The absence of this feature does not preclude its use as a cavalry sword, but I wanted to include that detail for general reference.
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