Medieval Type XVIIIa Hand-and-a-half Sword, mid-15th C

Description

Large and beautiful unexcavated example featuring 36 ½” tapering double-edged blade of
flattened diamond-section stamped with unidentified maker’s mark on one side about 4″
from the hilt. Blade has been cleaned, showing moderate pitting, a few shallow edge
nicks, and lamination throughout. Straight Style 11 (Oakeshott typology) crossguard of
round-section with acorn finials, cleaned and showing pitting and lamination. Wooden
bottle-neck grip with old leather wrap (possibly original), with long Type V1 (Oakeshott
typology) fishtail pommel with radiating flutes. Undisturbed peen. Very similar example in
the Wallace Collection and pictured in Oakeshott’s “The Sword in the Age of Chivalry”, fig.
36A. Overall length 43 5/8″. Excellent example from the period of the Wars of the Roses.