Transitional Rapier/Smallsword with massive Hilt

[Emanuel]

Hello,
Lovely sword

I see:

De la
Manufacture
De la Marque
au Raisin
a Solingen

"au raisin" with grapes, hence the etched image of grapes below.

and

Lepelon
Marchand
Fournisseur
Rue
Des Carmes
au Coin
De La Rue
De Lemoine
A Rouen

"Lepelon, merchant-dealer, Des Carnes Street, at the corner of De Lemoine Street, in Rouen"

A quick google on Lepelon brings up a court document from Juin 16, 1827 on a merchant named Lepelon in Rouen going bankrupt.

I can translate the relevant passage if anyone is interested.

You can therefore trace the sword to the street Des Carmes in Rouen:
http://maps.google.co.in/maps?hl=en&...ed=0CC8Q8gEwAA

But no sign of Lemoine Street. It might have changed names at some pint in the last 180 years, but the name makes sense considering the nearby cathedral and all the streets named after saints.

Here is an similar one with identical inscriptions from an old auction, lot 398: http://www.thomasdelmar.com/Catalogu...12/page14.html

A bit of google search on Solingen blades marked with grapes brings up a number of documents concerning Solingen swordsmiths working for the London Cutlers' Company
See:
http://books.google.co.in/books?id=n...grapes&f=false
and
http://books.google.co.in/books?id=u...grapes&f=false

Some more research on French sites suggests that blades manufactured by miscellaneous small cutlers in Solingen were marketed and sold in bulk under common marks, such as the graves, and engraved with the name of the dealer than placed the orders for them.

Regards,
Emanuel