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Old 6th March 2013, 03:11 AM   #12
Jim McDougall
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Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Route 66
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Truly an anamoly, and I am inclined to go along with the Spanish colonial gestalt, with indicators to the Philippines. I feel that the initials and the pentagram are likely to one of the Insurrecto groups, and as noted the floral geometric pattern resemble Spanish style. It almost seems like I have seen someting similar at some point with this kind of star symbol with Filipino association but cannot locate in notes.
The resemblances to the French Ecole de Mars noted are reasonable in that there is a degree of neoclassic styling in similar sense, as mentioned with the gladius comparison. This symmetrical center point broadsword blade and the heavy block forte recall French and American patterns of infantry swords from Napoleonic into the US Civil War (the Ames M1833), with these patterned after the Roman gladius.

Im sure those out there specializing in Filipino weapons might help us out in determining if the inscribed star and initials might be from there.
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