Sword identification

[M ELEY]

Hello Jesse,
You have a very interesting sword and would add that you should keep all correspondence with the original owners, any records they have proving provenance, etc. Stephen Decatur was a true American hero whose exploits at Tripoli captured the attention of the whole world (it was the start of the fall of the Barbary Corsairs and even Lord Horatio Nelson made comments on Decatur's bravery).

The thread you had a link to was a Scottish baskethilt with a Spanish-type blade. The problem with trying to identify a sword sans hilt can be very confusing. Spanish and Portuguese swords of the 17th-18th c. had the classic saying, but that motto was often inscribed on imported German-made blades for the Spanish market. Spanish swords were often diamond-shaped/six-sided, but again, Solingen often reproduced this pattern for export. Your blade seems to my inept eyes to be a true Spanish type, based on decoration/inscription, but still might be Germanic in origin. In any case, it is extremely rare to see that motto on anything other than Spanish types (bilbos, cuphilts), such as the Scottish sword in that thread. Being that yours comes from Morocco or similar port and bares the Spanish blade, I surmise that the hilt was a bilbo or cuphilt. I have in my collection a very similar bladed bilbo (the inscription barely legible and from an earlier sword), the hilt of classic 'colonial Spanish' form, with primitive braised pas d'ane, kidney-shaped guard from another sword, wood hilt with crude wire wrap, all 18th c.

As a pirate enthusiast, I can't tell you how much this sword means to fellow collectors, but provenance is everything! Keep your receipts and correspondence! The hilt found on the piece does appear to be the typical early to mid-19th c. dress style hilt.
Mark

[JesseS]

Thanks, Mark. I have a letter from one of General Swartwout's descendants documenting the sword's provenance, plus a letter written to Gen Swartwout by one of his associates from Gibraltar in 1815 mentioning the imminent arrival of Decatur's squadron in Gibraltar. I will definitely keep these safe!

[Jim McDougall]

Mark is of course spot on in his assessment and observations here, and we have always had a passion for these 'Spanish motto' blades. As he notes, this blade was probably in a Spanish 'bilbo' which was a rapier like heavy arming sword used in the Spanish colonies in the 18th into the 19th centuries.
These Bilbo type swords were quite common in Spain's colonies on Mexico's east coast, Cuba, Florida and other ports of call in the "Spanish Main' . Naturally the Moroccan littoral was included in these locations, so not at all surprising to see this very nice blade in this context.

These 'Spanish Motto' blades were indeed made in Solingen for Spain to export to her colonies, and entire shipments of these blades have been found en masse. The 'flourish' incorporating the cross and orb would be part of the application added in Solingen, but these blades be ascribed to any particular maker. I believe they were contractual and likely completed by several makes and inscribers.

As Mark has well put.....provenance is everything..and this example is outstanding!!!

[M ELEY]

Hello Cap'n Jim! Great to hear from you! I should have known that this one would catch your attention! What do you think of the history? Amazing pirate piece!

JesseS is probably mad at me, as I said I'd post a pic of one of mine. Still waiting for the wife (who's computer-savvy) to post the pics I took with her phone. In any case, I'll try again in the next couple of days! Just to warn you, Jesse, as I stated, the motto on mine is all but rubbed off and almost impossible to read. I used to have another sword (now sold) with a solid marking.

[Jim McDougall]

Ahoy there Mark!
Thank you so much for the response, and always the kind words. This one indeed is directly in line with all the research and discussion we have shared for many years on the mystery of these 'Spanish motto' blades. I will never forget the first time I ever encountered it, in a purely serendipity instance in Southern California in the 70s. I saw a sabre in a boutique window along Coast Highway in Laguna. It was serving as a display holder for costume jewelry!!!
I nabbed it for a paltry amount, and though not knowing much on it in those days, had pretty much all the same notions on it's motto that have been so heavily perpetuated in so many cases. Regrettably I traded it away in later years, and later learning the history of these I have wistful memories of this wonderful Spanish colonial sabre.

As you note, these blades were prevalent through the 'Spanish Main' in the later years of piracy, which remained long after the 'golden age', in fact never has really ended. Sorry we lost Jesse on this one, time does get away

All the best,
Jim

[M ELEY]

Hello Jim and Happy Easter!

Too bad you don't still have that sword you found with the motto. I'm one to talk, though, as I traded mine away as well! If you remember, mine was the German-made Solingen sword with Spanish motto, classic Spanish 6-sided broadsword blade with brass cast lion hilt. I traded it for a naval officer's lion pommel hanger-

I think Jesse's sword is a very important piece of pirate history and he's a lucky gent to have it! If you ever wish to part with it, Jesse...

OK, finally, here is the Spanish colonial bilbo I mentioned with similar blade, marking almost completely undiscernable, with similar decorations. As Jim pointed out, the Spanish trade routes passed directly through the so called Barbary States, so a captured Spanish colonial piece may have had a bilbo type hilt, cup hilt, etc.

[M ELEY]

More pics. Note the crude pas d'ane, rounded bars brazed together in primitive loop pattern and crude wire wrap over wood core.