Napoleonic Period British Artillery Short Sword Initials

[corrado26]

Why a long shot? What you call "A"s are in my eyes just dots. Look at the "N°" where the "°" is set above. So if the writer meant the dots beeing "A"s he would have set them above too. There is no reason why he shouldn't have done so.
corrado26

[fernando]

Originally Posted by corrado26

Why a long shot? What you call "A"s are in my eyes just dots. Look at the "N°" where the "°" is set above. So if the writer meant the dots beeing "A"s he would have set them above too. There is no reason why he shouldn't have done so.
corrado26

O.K. Udo; just a shot ... not a long one .
The minuscule º is the usual size to abreviate "number/numero". The A's, which i also see them set above, for some reason were chosen by the engraver in the majuscule type, but obviously meaning the same as minuscule a's.
On the other hand when you see those A's as being just dots is something i don't follow, as they seem to be so clear A's to me.
As for the first part of the inscription, Fusileros being the correct Spanish term, indeed start with a F which, after the R, would match with Regimiento de Fusileros, but hardly Fusileros are composed in regiments, when we search for these army units characteristics. Still this is not impossible, at least theoretically.
As for the second part, the setup 6A could indeed mean Sexta Compañia but then, what would the setup FA stand for ?
And of course this is all about brain storming; we are not absolutely sure that this (type of) sword has equiped fusiliers (riflemen), as this is/was not their typical side weapon, that i think of; neither are we absolutely sure that this is a Spanish inscription ... only 'logically' guess. Not to count that this could be a later private reminding inscription; the lettering looks a bit legere for an Army work ... what do i know ?


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[corrado26]

Fernando, you are right! I had not seen the "A"s at the 6 and the F but concentrated on the small "A"s after the "R" and "F" at the beginning of the troop marking. Sorry, my fault

[Will M]

The lettering could have been done somewhat hastily in the field when many regiments were together and needed ownership markings on their arms.
Anyone with minimum skills could be drafted to help mark many weapons.

[fernando]

Originally Posted by Will M

The lettering could have been done somewhat hastily in the field when many regiments were together and needed ownership markings on their arms.
Anyone with minimum skills could be drafted to help mark many weapons.

Quite a pertinent approach, Will.

[Jim McDougall]

Indeed, very well noted Will! But now that the linguistic possibilities of the letters/numerals have been thoroughly examined and discussed, what is the outcome for what these crudely scribed markings tell us?

So we know it is a French pattern, and the Mexicans received many artillery pieces from the French. Mexican general Santa Anna was obsessed with Napoleon and fashioned his army accordingly with uniforms either acquired from French or designed after them.

As I mentioned in my earlier post, again I will suggest, this sidearm may well have been acquired along with stores of materials from the French in post Napoleonic period, and as the markings' character corresponds to those used in Spanish (and Mexican) context this seems a viable deduction.

I hope this suggestion might be noticed and considered now that the most thorough examination of the markings has well carried support for this idea.
Thank you.

[Jim McDougall]

To further my idea that this apparent French 'naval' pattern artillery sword (as per Nuemann, 1973) of later 18th c. MAY well have found use in Mexican (or Spanish colonial) use in the post Napoleonic period, I submit the following:

A page from a French reference illustrating the zoomorphic pommels and styling of hilts on some brass French patterns in the period.

A page from Juan Calvo, "Machetes del Ejercito de Ultramar en Cuba y Puerto Rico", 2006.

Note the lion head examples and the manner of markings (No 362) etc.
While these are mid 19th c. Caribbean examples, the conventions in use as well in the Mexican army are apparent. In my notes from discussions with a colleague who has excavated Mexican battlefields extensively some years ago he described these marking methods.

The small 'o' in superscript represents 'nd' as in 2nd.
The small 'o' with dot beneath represents 'th', as in 7th.

After the Mexican Revolution of 1821, many regiments were named for heroes of those campaigns, by about 1839, the numbering styles were reinstituted.

The R letter typically referred to zapadores (sappers), R.Zapado
The letter Y meant minaderos (miners) Y minad
Rl (capital R hyperscript capital L) for Cuerpo de Ingenieros (Real Corps of Engineers).

These were rather elite units in the Mexican Army as they were highly specialized contrary to the rank and file.

Much of this detail concerned came from uniform elements found in Remedios regions in Mexico.

I hope this might better explain my suggestion this sword (of the OP) may well be from a Mexican unit of 19th c.
Thank you

[fernando]

Originally Posted by corrado26

Fernando, you are right! I had not seen the "A"s at the 6 and the F but concentrated on the small "A"s after the "R" and "F" at the beginning of the troop marking. Sorry, my fault