I have been trying to learn more on this interesting piece since its posting, and really appreciate the extra work on the photos!!! This piece is quite puzzling as it is described as a 'left hand sword', and I am presuming that what is meant, as questioned by Bill, that it was intended as a parrying weapon with the primary sword.
Its smaller size than a regular sword is indeed unusual, as this does look very much like German hand and a half swords which have about 28 inch or longer blades. I am presuming the blade length is 20" on Clockworks example.
This sword's hilt and overall appearance, especially downward crabs claw type quillons is strikingly similar to 'quillon daggers' of the 16th to 17th centuries of Italy c.1600 ("Wallace Collection Catalogs" , Sir James Mann, 1962, examples A795, A796 and A793). In the text describing these they are termed 'left hand daggers', and I mention them because of the similar hilts and use of the left hand term.
I have honestly not heard of a 'left hand sword' though left hand daggers which were typically made en suite with rapiers, and it seems that their purpose was for close in combat more than parrying. This would seem to eliminate the potential for a secondary or 'left hand' sword of this size for either purpose.
I agree with Fearn in his suggestion that this is probably a coustille, and thank him for bringing that in. In checking "Schools and Masters of Fence" (Egerton Castle, 1885, p.229) it is noted that one of the two kinds of single hand short swords, one is the 'coustils a croc', with "...straight double edged blades, and diminutives of swords or augmentatives of daggers".
Perhaps this might be one of the smaller versions of the hand and a half sword, or larger of the 'left hand daggers', hence the term describing it.
The well marked blade is a bit of an anomaly, which would by definition answer to a 'talismanic blade' because of the astrologic or 'magic' symbols on it. These symbols were applied to sword blades in the 17th century, and through the 18th because,as described by Howard Blackmore ("Hunting Weapons", 1971, p.41), "...in fighting and hunting the swordsman often needed more than confidence in the blade. It had to possess some mystical quality to spur him on to greater deeds or to bring him luck".
Peter Munsten of Solingen, as well as several others, used the half moon marking (Mann, op.cit. p.316) and the solar face as well as usually a star were often included in the groupings with ‘magical’ qualities . The ‘bishop with mitre’ image is believed to have been used by Peter Munich of Solingen c.1595-1660 (“Cut and Thrust Weapons” E.Wagner, 1967, p. 106) though those depicted in this reference are noticeably different.
Also, the script writing which reads ‘IN SOLIN GEN’ are split into two lines completely incongruently, which seems a bit suspect. While the half moon and solar face seem in line with markings described, the ‘star’ is of different style and placed away from the magical signs, with the ‘bishop’ between, as well as the incongruous script.
These ‘talismanic’ blades in my opinion evolved from the so called ‘calendar swords’ introduced in the early 16th century, on the blades of which were engraved a calendar of saints days often accompanied by zodiac symbols. These were originally placed on hunting swords, and according to Blackmore (op.cit. p.18) “…there was always a half mystical, half religious element in the art of hunting and results were considered likely to be better if the planets were in the right conjunction or if the sympathies of an appropriate saint properly solicited”.
By the middle of the 16th century, artists like Ambrosius Gemlich of Munich were specialists on these ‘calendar’ swords for hunting. This custom endured into the 17th century, and I believe the use of magical symbols on blades evolved into markings to accompany markings of the makers proclaiming blade quality. I believe the most prevalent use of these magical symbols was in Europe, primarily Germany, in the 18th century.
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