[Jim McDougall]

Thank you Cathey!
I think Ufberth had this nailed from the start, and our subsequent research has primarily found support for that assertion by following this fascinating Blackamoor marking lead.

Iskender, I think the reason nobody has referred to this sword as a 'haudegen' is simply because this is a term in German for these kinds of swords. It is interesting to know however, as like Cathey, I had never heard the term before as I seldom am involved in German language context.

I had not known what Jasper had meant by Styermark either, and found that is the German term for Styria, while Styria is the Latin term for this Austrian region.

This thread has proven a very fascinating exercise in the study of both kings heads and the blackamoor heads.
I have found that Johannes Wundes did use kings heads, and in many cases these bearded kings were used on his blades in this 'triumvirate' style configuration. Other examples of Saxon rapiers c1600 are found with his name and three kings heads. One of these was from Munich with the cross and orb device as well, the other from Dresden.
Another reference notes Wundes using four kings heads, but this seems an exception.

It seems that the crowned blackamoor head may have to do with the rather exalted capacity many Moors held in the Holy Roman Empire, as seen in the case of the 1599 painting by Maarten de Vos, "Adoration of the Magi" with a Moor wearing a crown (representing Biblical King Balthazar) and in Roman attire.

With the Moors head symbolism, it is interesting to note that of the famed Munsten family of Solingen, Andres, brother of Peter, who worked in Solingen 1547-1587, went to Toledo in 1587 (to 1610) where along with a crowned 'A', he used an uncrowned Blackmoor head as his mark.
(Bezdek, p.148; Kinman p.56-57).

Clearly there was a cross influence of the kings heads used by Wundes and in these triangular configurations of three which is seen here with the crowned Blackamoor heads by IAHANNI in Styria. Would that name be an Italian version of 'Johannes' ?

The Blackamoor heads as appears crowned in German context and heraldry seems to allude very much to the Holy Roman Empire and the standing of these Moors in much of the history.

As always, it is amazing how much history we learn from these swords, and the often nuanced stories they tell us as we follow the clues. I know I learn a great deal here from the astute observations by Ulfberth and Jasper and their amazing resources and experience. I am also so grateful for Cathey always sharing these outstanding weapons her and Rex collect.