Mark, thank you for this very detailed anwer. I have a few observations/addendums to make, but that may take a bit. Let me just start with these:
1 - Stephen the Great's request for a sword to the Genoese.
Please find attached (the parper you mentione above): "Armamentul din dotarea oastei Moldovei in timpul domniei lui Stefan cel Mare (1457 - 1504) by Carol W. König". In it we learn of a book by Romanian historian, Nicolae Iorga (Acte și fragmente cu privire la istoria românilor adunate din depozitele de manuscrise ale Apusului, Volum 3, 1897), where we find the text regarding Stephen's request towards Gregorio de Reza (Genoese consul at Caffa, Crimea) about comissioning sword from Genoese makers. I chose to look at Iorga's text, because König's version is slightly modified.
Acte și fragmente cu privire la istoria românilor adunate din depozitele de manuscrise ale Apusului - Neculai Iorga
König's version is "
una spada a la facione valachesca"
Iorga's version is "
una spada ala facione velachesca"
The text from Iorga at pages 42-43 is:
"Genoa 18th of January 1468, Gregorio de Reza's request for reprisals,
Ihesus MCCCCLXVIII, die XV{I}II Ianuarii
Suplicatur coram magnifficensiis vestris, parte devoti vestri civis servitoris Gregorii de Reza. Le vostre magnificencie den saver como fomo electi in lo consulato de Caffa, meser Zoane de la Cabella, meser Calocio de Guizolfo e mi, e in l'ano de MCCCCLXIIII partimo de qui per andar in [Caffa] en andamo a ferir in Ihuihavia, dove [ci ri]trovamo cum Steffano Vaivoda, segnior de [la] Velachia-Bassa, alo quale prezentamo [molte] belle cosse, in le qualle era um bello {missing text, tear} baselardo dorato. El dicto Vaivoda ne p[rego] che volesemo cometer qui a Zenoa una spada ala facione velachesca; li respozemo, volentera la cometeremo, ma, perche Zenoa era monto lonzi da quelie parte, se si tosto non ne fose mandata, la soa segnoria dovesse aver paciencia. Subito scripsi mi a Christoforo campanario, lo qualle..."
Iorga's book can be found here:
http://dspace.bcu-iasi.ro/handle/123456789/15468
Note: the text also says "um bello {missing text} baselardo dorato". Baselardo, as in baserald dagger? In "Princeps omni laude maior. O istorie a lui Ștefan cel Mare by Maria Magdalena Székely & Ștefan S. Gorovei" it is taken as mace/buzdugan, but that should be "mazza".
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How did the swords end-up in Ottoman hands.
Well, the only info that I found was in "Cronici turceşti privind Ţările Române : Extrase. Volumul 1: Sec. XV mijlocul sec. XVII" by Guboglu, Mihail & Mehmet, Mustafa 1966, page 270 (
https://www.scribd.com/document/1224...e-Romane-Vol-1), the period source is Celālzāde Mustafa Çelebis chronicle "Tabakātu l-Memālik ve Derecātu l-Mesālik".
The basic idea is this:
In 1538 Suleiman I the Magnificent entered the city of Suceava, Moldova with his army. Voivode Petru Rares, to protect his wealth, buried it somewhere in Suceava, then fled. Suleiman finds out about this and orders Husein-aga to look for it. Husein-aga starts digging and eventually finds it. Among the treasures were "...swords encrusted with precious stones, German swords, very narrow swords with sharp points...". I have attached the excerpt below.