Spanish colonial sword

[fernando]

I am not at home, my camera batteries are ran out and i don't have my precious tripod. But i couldn't wait to show this piece, for which payment i had to get naked . These lousy pictures try to show an aledgely 18th century Spanish colonial tigela ( bowl ) sword.
The double edged blade, with a wide central fuller, is 76 cms. (30") long and 3,5 cms. (1 3/8") wide.
Clear marks on the blade left side and only a half dozen letter traces remaining on the right face ... probably impossible to decipher.
Anybody to coment on the marks and, obviously, on the sword ?
Are you around, Jim ?
Anything to do with espada anchas ? Sorry my ignorance.
Coments will be so much welcome, Gentlemen.
Fernando

[Jim McDougall]

WOW! Fernando
Indeed this does appear Spanish colonial, and seems to be an interesting hybrid of the bilbo type guard system, as well as reflecting the influence of European smallswords. The scalloped type edge of the shellguard is further evidence of the colonial possibilities, as well as the shape on the terminals and elements on the guard.
The blade looks to be one of the heavy military type broadsword blades that are now thought to have been actually Solingen made c.1770's and typically have the 'Spanish motto' in the triple fullers.
The large initials appear to be of either an owner or possibly a unit? In any case they would not be makers initials as far as I know.

The only associations with espada ancha would be that during this period, many of them carried these type blades, often reduced in length. The scalloped shell theme also occurred on some espada ancha in a flat extension of the guard that was like a large langet parallel to the blade.

Very nice! and its interesting to see a 'smallsword' type example that seems to be contemporary with many of the 'bilbo' swords, probably end of the 18th to early 19th century, and probably for an officer.

All best regards,
Jim

[fernando]

Thank you Jim,
Your'e allways there, my friend
Meanwhile i have improved the pictures ... have i ?
... Just in case other European swords conoisseurs come in
I wonder where Marc is
Fernando

[Jim McDougall]

You always come up with great pieces Fernando! and I too look forward to hearing from Marc on this one. The pictures really are much better, and in one it seems the BB, the first B has a S. in it.
All the best,
Jim

[Marc]

Marc would like to be able to say something about the marks, but he can't It's a small brass inset what I seem to see in the mark closer to the hilt in the reverse of the double "B" (fifth picture, DSC00010.JPG)? It may be an optical effect...
I'm still looking around for it, but as a first approximation it's indeed Spanish/Spanish Colonial. It's not the first one I see, with some minor variations. Blade seems to be "import", probably German. It's a military sword, Cavalry/Dragoons, second half of the 18th c., and a nice piece to boot, my sincere congratulations

[fernando]

Thanks a lot for your input and for praising this piece, Marc .
No, there is no brass in the apparently unreadable marks, only some dust in the dot.
BTW, how would you tipify this sword, in terms of its guard ... be it in English or Spanish, in a way that i can bring it to Portuguese. It is not cup ( taza ), neither shell ( concha). Jim called it a bilbo hybrid type guard. Bilbo derives from Bilbao; is this how you call it in Spain ?. I am not certain it has an equivalence in portuguese. I already knew this name, but i browse the net and i don't see any examples.The thing is i don't know how to classify it for my files. The seller called it tigela ( bowl ) guard, but i don't think he is correct.
Or should i just call it by its class; a cavalry dragoon sword, basicaly of colonial issue?
Sorry to be such a bore
Fernando