Japanese Sword Signature Help
 

This is a sword that belong to me, I have been trying to read the signature to no avail. Although I believe one side read's "Meiji 2nd year" but I am not certain and as for the other side it make no sense to me.
Please help :confused:

Thank You!

You are correct on the date. Sorry, but I can't make anything out of the
signature either :-(

Rich S

Thank you very much for your reply, it is appreciated. :) Hopefully someone out there :confused: can figure out the signature mei.

Erik

I hope you don't mind, but I took the liberty of posting the signature on a
Japanese Sword forum, not names, just the pic of the signature. It turns out not to be an actual signature but translates as:

"The Crown Prince is superior in all ways."

A patriotic slogan consistent with the Meiji period of the blade.
The "Crown Prince" would of course become the Emperor Showa of WW II.
Hope this helps.

Rich S

Rich S

Thank you so much for posting the "writing" in a Japanese Sword Forum, the good thing is that it is not a fake signature so I will now consider the blade as unsigned. It was really driving me up the wall, as I was trying to look at it as a signature.
As it turned out it is a patriotic slogan instead, no wonder I could not figure it out.

Thank you again for your effort.

Best,
Erik

Erik -

Glad to be of help. I was looking at it as a signature also and it was driving
me a bit nuts. So I decided to ask where I knew a native Japanese collector
would answer.

Patriotic slogans were not uncommon on swords of the Meiji and Showa
periods. I've a Meiji period kubikiri tanto with a patriotic mei. And a couple
Showa era swords with patriotic slogans in addition to the signature.
Should have dawned on me sooner. Guess my old brain has lost a few
too many neurons :-)

Rich