[Jim McDougall]

I have been intrigued by Spanish colonial swords virtually most of my life, and last year I wrote a paper on the short swords of Mexico and Alta California of the mod 18th into 19th c. known as 'espada anchas'.

For some time now I have been working on a paper on the 'long swords' of the caballeros, which actually is focused on the dress or court type swords which were the formal swords held by these Espagnol gentlemen. It is known that the 'Dons' had full length broadswords mounted under left leg attached to saddle for self defense on the trails or other riding. However these man were in varied degree skilled swordsmen, and jealously guarded the honor of themselves and their family.
Despite little recorded evidence of duels, if any, we know these men had traditional gentlemans swords of the times which would have been used on the field of honor if required.
While it is tempting to presume the familiar Spanish cup hilt would be the sword of choice in such instance, it is more probable that such swords would be one of these.......the small sword (ESPADIN in Spanish).

This example is remarkably similar to the top sword in plate 192, in "Spanish Military Weapons in Colonial America 1700-1821" (Brinckerhoff & Chamberlain , 1972, p.98). Here it is noted that these type of hilts similar to German and French of smallsword type of third quarter 18th century were used by Spanish .colonial officers in America
These had 17th century rapier blades mounted, and as these, seem to have been mounted in Mexico, with these blades from Toledo.

The example shown has a German made rapier blade which is likely from early to mid 18th century, and as often the case, uses spurious Spanish marks and names. TOMAS AIALA was a famed Toledo maker of the late 16th c. and his name used, as here on this blade, for over a century later. In typical German manner, this was more a provacative brand name. On the obverse side "IN TOLEDO".
"...every man had a good Spanish blade from Toledo"
-Don Antonio Francisco Coronel, Alta California


While these German rapier blades with spurious Spanish names are found in various cases on transitional rapiers earlier through the 17th century, it is most unusual to find one mounted on a latter 18th century smallsword.
By this time, the ubiquitous trefoil (three face) blade was the standard, and the transitional rapier period had long passed.

Only with the Spanish proclivity to traditiion in their swordsmanship would a rapier blade appear in a smallsword hilt this late (c. 1780-1810), and of course most probably in colonial regions, such as Alta California.