European sword PL with Islamic? markings to guard

[Jim McDougall]

Thank you again Radboud!
It seems the 'briquet' was one of the most ubiquitous patterns of simple other ranks hanger with its fully cast brass ribbed grip hilt in Europe, with most countries apparently having their production virtually all the same.

While these seem to have been used everywhere, and over long period from end of 18th well through the 19th c.

In my earliest days of collecting, I had Claude Blair's "European and American Arms" (1962) as one of my first arms books. I found one of these at a swap meet, and to my naive eyes it looked like a pirate cutlass! Then browsing through the late Mr. Blairs book, he had a drawing of one of these and captioned as a British 'foot artillery gunners sword'.

It was not until decades later that I discovered there was no such pattern, but these direct copies of the French briquet were apparently privately produced in small numbers. These seem to have been furnished to private units that were in effect 'home guard' paramilitary type groups.

While certainly most of what must have been staggering numbers of these simple weapons must have been produced, relatively few seem to ever turn up. Most were likely instant smelter fodder for the brass, but occasionally these turn up in odd circumstances.
Such as this Spanish colonial anomaly, which is composite with a briquet hilt, three bar cavalry guard and cut down Spanish dragoon blade in an ersatz effort to create an 'espada ancha' presumably.

As Phil had noted, apparently the sword in original post has similar (but less dramatic) circumstances.

[werecow]

What is the length of the blade Phil? It seems somewhat short for a spadroon blade (also the fuller looks wider than the ones on the m1820s I've seen - but I've only seen a few).

EDIT: Pictures for comparison. Not entirely sure if this one is Dutch, though.

[Jim McDougall]

In my post #10, I showed the hilt of a briquet hilt, morphed into a composite 'espada ancha' with addition of three bar cavalry hilt and notably shortened Spanish M1728 dragoon blade. In the colonies of New Spain in the rugged frontera of North Mexico, repurposing of everything, weapons included, was of course common.

This seems to compare in kind with this briquet example shown from Bali, using a blade from other sword, shortened for wear or use more in the effect of a hanger.

Attached shows blade of the example I showed in post #10 , clearly a shortened dragoon blade.