Spanish Bilbo Circa 1700

[midelburgo]

Sorry for resurrecting this thread but I did not notice it before. I want to make some clarifications on the markings, as requested.

The hilt is the standard 1728 model Spanish Cavalry trooper. The cross follows the 1761 instructions and the pommel is from the version seen after 1771.
The blade however is from the 1803 model the one which substituted the 1728. It has a different way of etching, used first in the Guardias de Corps units and generalized to all cavalry units in 1804. It does not have a full ricasso as used in the 1728 blades. And there is edge on the back only for the first third.

Inscriptions mean Carlos IV (Cs IV, Toledo (To), Royal property (R), Cavalleria de Linea.

The blade and the hilt possibly came together in the emergency after Napoleon invasion in 1808. However, what is common is to find a 1803 hilt with a recycled 1728 blade, not the other way.


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