The forum Works!
Dear Friends,
I have read this evolving discussion with deep appreciation.
Thank you all!
I fret over the posting of images.I truly am well out of my element with 19th Century English blades so feared I was asking a silly question. Thank you all for your kind treatment and your deep expertise.
After I acquired this sword, I looked carefully at the panel. It certainly seems like a stereotypical rendering - - the sort of think a faker would come up with. And it is a rather simple etch so I began to fear that it could have been added later - even recently. The sword came to me with an "appraisal" written in the 1980's, tho, so the etching could not be 'brand new.'
Beyond that, while on an archeologcial junket to search for the 1720 Villasur battlefield (yes, Jim, that one) my colleague Doug Scott applied the logic of forensic tool mark analysis to the panel. He argues that the wear is consistent with age. I beleive that the first image I posted shows that there is serious wear on the lower ridge. He convinced me that the panel seems legit!
I will try to post an overall image this weekend.
Again, thanks for a wonderful read!
Peter
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