Detlef:
Great pick up -- these are very hard to find. Do you see anywhere that MOP "dangles" might have been attached. I think such ornaments are quite common on these swords and so far I have not seen one without some MOP on it.
BTW, it is interesting that you have a lizard/crocodile depicted on your example, as I have often thought that the scabbards themselves resembled a lizard/crocodile (with the head at the toe of the scabbard and the remainder representing its body)--the wrap could be modeled after the shape of its scales. Just a thought.
Here is a link to the pictures of my two in an earlier discussion
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showpo...5&postcount=43
Ian.