VIVAT PANDOUR INSCRIBED HUSSAR SWORD

Jim McDougall · 14th January 2013, 06:23 PM

While the pics are agreeably on the rough side, this sabre seems more impressive agewise, though the sword knot of course has nothing to do with the sword as an original element.
These markings are a type of European device which seem to evolved from earlier Italian makers stamps of about 16th century, a sort of 'star' image closely related to the 'twig' and 'marca mosca' forms.
The circle with radiating lines seems to resemble solar symbols, but is referred to by Briggs (1965, p.49) as a 'cogwheel' type mark.

It seems these 'cogwheels' occur on Swiss arms c.1560s and in various groupings on N. Italian blades c. 1600-20. While Briggs suggests German copying of these, it seems those are not open circles but filled and not in larger groupings like the Italian configurations.

The Italians seemed to favor these multiple and linear repititions of single devices in certain examples, and these 'cogwheels' even seem to occur in some of the sickle type marks instead of the three dots.

Since this sword seems East European, either Hungarian or Polish, and with these Italian style grouping of these 'cogwheels', it could possibly be a Styrian product as they seem to have favored Italian markings (especially the sickles) and they are known to have been suppliers to Hungarian producers.

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14th January 2013, 06:23 PM	#6
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 10,192	While the pics are agreeably on the rough side, this sabre seems more impressive agewise, though the sword knot of course has nothing to do with the sword as an original element. These markings are a type of European device which seem to evolved from earlier Italian makers stamps of about 16th century, a sort of 'star' image closely related to the 'twig' and 'marca mosca' forms. The circle with radiating lines seems to resemble solar symbols, but is referred to by Briggs (1965, p.49) as a 'cogwheel' type mark. It seems these 'cogwheels' occur on Swiss arms c.1560s and in various groupings on N. Italian blades c. 1600-20. While Briggs suggests German copying of these, it seems those are not open circles but filled and not in larger groupings like the Italian configurations. The Italians seemed to favor these multiple and linear repititions of single devices in certain examples, and these 'cogwheels' even seem to occur in some of the sickle type marks instead of the three dots. Since this sword seems East European, either Hungarian or Polish, and with these Italian style grouping of these 'cogwheels', it could possibly be a Styrian product as they seem to have favored Italian markings (especially the sickles) and they are known to have been suppliers to Hungarian producers.