A cup hilted sword rapier for coments

M ELEY · 22nd November 2008, 11:51 PM

Alas, I was outbid... Very nice and affordable, too.

eBay #170278679255. I was wondering if someone could post the pics of this one for me? I'm clueless when it comes to posting pics.

While not as nice or in the same catagory as that sweet example you picked up, Fernando (

)(Envy!!), I like these Caribbean/ Spanish Main type swords. They border on a form of "folk art" in a lot of ways. One very similar is pictured in Brinckerhoff's "Spanish Military Weapons", plate 125/126. Guide says ca 1700, but I'm thinking more mid-18th for this example? You will note the crescent moon-shaped markings on the grip. I've seen this on some of the Brazilian espada cutlasses before and other Colonial Spanish pieces.

Jim, I think we'd talked about this crescent design in the past as far as the connection with various Spanish ports of call, such as the Brazilian coast and Salee, but perhaps my mind is wandering??

These same markings turn up on Berber sabers as well, and as I know Morocco had many connections with Moorish Spain and Spanish shipping, I wonder if there is a connection. In any case, I'm in a state of mourning from missing out on this sword...

22nd November 2008, 11:51 PM	#26
M ELEY Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: NC, U.S.A. Posts: 2,141	"Pirate" rapier on eBay Alas, I was outbid... Very nice and affordable, too. eBay #170278679255. I was wondering if someone could post the pics of this one for me? I'm clueless when it comes to posting pics. While not as nice or in the same catagory as that sweet example you picked up, Fernando ( )(Envy!!), I like these Caribbean/ Spanish Main type swords. They border on a form of "folk art" in a lot of ways. One very similar is pictured in Brinckerhoff's "Spanish Military Weapons", plate 125/126. Guide says ca 1700, but I'm thinking more mid-18th for this example? You will note the crescent moon-shaped markings on the grip. I've seen this on some of the Brazilian espada cutlasses before and other Colonial Spanish pieces. Jim, I think we'd talked about this crescent design in the past as far as the connection with various Spanish ports of call, such as the Brazilian coast and Salee, but perhaps my mind is wandering?? These same markings turn up on Berber sabers as well, and as I know Morocco had many connections with Moorish Spain and Spanish shipping, I wonder if there is a connection. In any case, I'm in a state of mourning from missing out on this sword... Last edited by M ELEY; 23rd November 2008 at 02:24 AM.