[colin henshaw]

Originally Posted by M ELEY

I think the final consensus is Spanish colonial. The blade and hilt both appear to be black-smith made. The horn grip consistent with espada ancha (and Brazilian cutlass, I might add), even the shape of the grip is typical, now that Jim pointed us in the right direction. Time period is a little sketchy, as Spanish colonial weapons, by definition, often followed earlier patterns. I would wager, being that it doesn't have multiple knuckle bows, nor the riveted bars to the hilt, that it's earlier. It mimics both colonial American, British and European cutlass patterns from the 1780-1810 era, so it's at most that old, perhaps up to the first quarter of the 19th century. I wouldn't put it past that, as that was after the independence of many of the Spanish territories and you start seeing swords resembling more of the contemporary forms of the day. Once again, I love the sword. It has great character, almost a 'folk art' quality to it. When you think about these pieces, even though they don't fetch the high prices that, say, a Spanish cup-hilt would attract, you have to remember that they are one-of-a-kind. Didn't mean to jump in, but just wanted to show my deep appreciation for this item!

First class Mark, what an excellent source of knowledge the forum is !
No sure if it matters, but the handle is made of wood.

I will let you know if I decide to move the sword on.

Regards.