British cutlass early 19th .

[Jim McDougall]

In revisiting this thread while looking more into the cutlass I posted, I apparently failed to respond to this David, my apologies. VERY interesting example, and despite the VR stamp. clearly a blade from Spanish colonies and indeed a machete, likely from similar context as mine.

The 'Spanish Main' in the Caribbean ('South Seas') was very active well through the 19th c until Spanish-American war. As previously discussed, there were many sword forms mounted in the Americas using British blades. The shell guard espada with blade from Lyndon & Wignall (1833-39 Birmingham) from Brazil mid 19th c. is another example.

The very broad short blade with the VR stamp (?) and Spanish worded markings is puzzling. Perhaps blades made in Latin America using the Solingen convention of royal cypher stamp?