New broadsword marking Wundes head

Jim McDougall · 19th December 2019, 05:22 PM

Hi Mark
Thank you for posting this and the link! It is good to see this thread from 2016 which I honestly had forgotten about. From this it is clear what a learning curve there is in the study of arms, and why I always say of myself, while I have 'studied' (obsessed) with swords for nearly five decades, I still truly feel effectively a student as I NEVER stop learning.

This interesting example posted by Ulfberth is indeed an English type of about 1740s+. Here the 'S' element (with scrolls) is seen as simply structural without specific symbolism, and aesthetically applied.

Rereading my notes from 2016, the kings head seems to have been 'acquired' by Weyersberg c. 1770s. As I have held, while German blade makers were well known to spuriously use key Spanish marks and wording/names, with some Italian, it does not seem they used those of their peers.

Here I would note that terms like 'always' or 'never' must be considered with profound caveat, as of course there were bound to be exceptions. In my view, the 'kings heads' marking convention of the Wundes 'dynasty' does appear to have had variations, and with that, the 'four' heads pattern seems to be the case.
While the interpolation of the popular ANDREA FERARA in my estimation would suggest added imbuement to the mystique of the already notable Wundes mark.
It seems that the four heads, and with this famed name exist in more abundance than I had been aware, but I still contend that it was not a standard, but a known variation.

These kinds of anomalies only add to the mystique and inherent charm of these amazing Scottish swords!

I cant wait for you to get it too Cap'n!!!!

19th December 2019, 05:22 PM	#10
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 10,356	Hi Mark Thank you for posting this and the link! It is good to see this thread from 2016 which I honestly had forgotten about. From this it is clear what a learning curve there is in the study of arms, and why I always say of myself, while I have 'studied' (obsessed) with swords for nearly five decades, I still truly feel effectively a student as I NEVER stop learning. This interesting example posted by Ulfberth is indeed an English type of about 1740s+. Here the 'S' element (with scrolls) is seen as simply structural without specific symbolism, and aesthetically applied. Rereading my notes from 2016, the kings head seems to have been 'acquired' by Weyersberg c. 1770s. As I have held, while German blade makers were well known to spuriously use key Spanish marks and wording/names, with some Italian, it does not seem they used those of their peers. Here I would note that terms like 'always' or 'never' must be considered with profound caveat, as of course there were bound to be exceptions. In my view, the 'kings heads' marking convention of the Wundes 'dynasty' does appear to have had variations, and with that, the 'four' heads pattern seems to be the case. While the interpolation of the popular ANDREA FERARA in my estimation would suggest added imbuement to the mystique of the already notable Wundes mark. It seems that the four heads, and with this famed name exist in more abundance than I had been aware, but I still contend that it was not a standard, but a known variation. These kinds of anomalies only add to the mystique and inherent charm of these amazing Scottish swords! I cant wait for you to get it too Cap'n!!!!