Jim and Fernando,
Hi guys, many thanks for your thoughts and input on this blade. A couple of points for consideration, the flukes of the anchor are in fact the terminus of the decoration around the fuller and the stock and the shank are a cross and not connected to the aforesaid decoration. The marks are engraved or punched and not etched, etching and a different spelling appears to be more common on later blades. The general style of the blade would suggest to me middle 17thC and not 18thC. I realise of course that the likelihood of it being a genuine Tomas De Aiala blade is remote in the extreme but having no blades to compare with I wasn't sure. I do think the general profile of the blade slots somewhere in the 17thC but I've been wrong before. Thanks again for your input.
My Regards,
Norman.
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