[Jim McDougall]

This unusual example was acquired many years ago, along with the common presumptions which often accompany Spanish colonial swords where little tangible information was available, but fanciful lore was handy.

The complication here was that the hilt form was clearly from very early Spanish hilt styles, which reflected distinct 'Moorish' influences (the 'hand nock' in the grip familiar on Maghrebi nimchas). In this case, the typical espada ancha hilt style of the late 18th century, incorporated with hilt styles from South America and the 'Spanish Main' (Spanish Caribbean, and the ports through Central America and the South American coasts......is joined with those identified as Brazilian.

What is notable here is that the blade appears distinctively like the Brazilian cavalry sabers of 1880, supplied by Coppell of Solingen, which were in turn copied from the British M1853 cavalry sabers (thanks to Midelburgo for these ohservations, 2024).
Interestingly, other 'espadas' from Brazilian context seem to favor 'shell' guards and have the 'Moorish' hand nock.

Many arms for Mexican factions came from South America, though mostly Argentina, but of course certainly Brazil as well. These swords may be presumed from anywhere in the 'Spanish Main' (which prevailed well through 19th c) in Caribbean regions and many arms came to Mexico through the port of Vera Cruz.

The illustration is from "The Lore of Arms", William Reid, Sweden, 1976, p.124, showing the earlier Spanish (Moorish) influences with the hand nock (from nimchas etc). Corrientes was a maker from Toledo, then Madrid, 1730s (Palomares) but likely earlier.

While it would have been exciting for this sword to have been a 'pirate' sword of late 17th c. as suggested when I acquired it years ago, this hilt may still be from the early to mid 18th century as suggested by Reid (1976) and perhaps a heirloom from an old Spanish family in the colonies of New Spain. At some point it was mounted with a newer cavalry blade, and may well have become involved in the actions in the Revolution, perhaps among Zapatista forces. Obviously pure speculation but with these elements of plausibility.