Spanish Officer’s Sword, Mid-19th C

Description

Cast brass hilt with pierced upturned guard bearing the crowned coat of arms of Castile
flanked by flags ; the integral knuckle guard connecting to the Phrygian helmet style
pommel; reverse scroll quillon and folding counterguard. Wood grip covered with shagreen
and wrapped with alternating single strand and twisted brass wire. Hilt retains a good bit of
a later silver paint, primarily on grip and protected areas, and some loss to shagreen. This
can certainly be improved with a bit of work. Flat, single-edged, slightly curved 27 1/4″ (69.2
cm) blade with rounded spine and a narrow 4/5-length fuller along the back edge and
shorter narrow fuller along the upper third of the front edge; the upper half etched with
foliage and unrecognizable signature near the guard showing partly “Toledo” and the date
“1854″ in script. No scabbard. Overall length 32 7/8″ (83.5 cm).