Nice old axe and yes probably a boarding axe.
I agree with Mark, it certainly has the attributes of a boarding axe. It is very hard to tell without markings as I'm sure you are aware that fire axes are very similar.
Boarding axes tend to be bigger than fire hatchets - at least 8" across the head and usually more like 10 or larger. So yours certainly falls within that scope.
French government axes invariably had an anchor mark somewhere around the eye, but of course that does not rule out private purchase for any number of countries.
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