Ji Jim,
Let me translate Eduardo Nobre ... and sorry if i repeat something already known
.
Bowl cup hilt guard swords are characteristic in the Peninsular armoury, with their origins based on the XVII century. The fabrication and, in the large sense, the use of these swords in Europe, that is, outside Spain and its empire, were very rare. Widely known and of excelent quality are the specimens produced in Naples which, at the period, belonged to the Spanish throne; such as Portugal, annexated to the Spanish empire since 1580.
Germany produced swords of this kind, specially blades, plenty of them with forged signatures of Spanish smiths, but this production was aimed at responding to the great search of these weapons in the vaste territories under Spanish dominium. Initialy these swords have a common typology, Hispano-Portuguese. Legends on blades are of a religious meaning (Mi sinal es El Santissimo ... In Mene ...) or honourabilty (No me saques sin razon ...).
After the 1640 revolution, cup hilt swords take a party. During the restoration war, blades show up with patriotic legends (Viva Portugal ...); and, which is of utmost interest, will be those legends that will make us understand the longevity of this sword type in Portugal, where we find exemplars inscribed with references to monarchs like King Dom José, or even to Queen Dona Maria I (reigned 1777-1816). Both in Portugal and Spain they were produced and used during all XVIII century. The surviving ones have served in conflicts in the first half of the XIX century, namely in the various Portuguese civil wars, when all population involvement demanded for the resource of all kinds of fire and white arms.
Hope the above is of some interest.
Fernando