A Late-Gothic Roundel Dagger, 2nd Half 15th Century

[Matchlock]

With a latten-inlaid maker's mark, a Gothic numeral 1 or majuscule I.
And a sheath for such a dagger, North Italian, of cuir bouilli, punched in high relief with vegetal motifs. No reference given.
The first picture scanned from Hermann Historica's web catalog of 2nd-3rd May, 2011.

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[Swordfish]

The dagger was sold some years ago at auktion without provenance for € 700,-. The low price, because nobody believed that it was genuine, but it is.
Thus much to some ' arms experts'.

Best

[Matchlock]

A roundel dagger in the Wiener Waffensammlung, dated ca. 1500 by the museum, the grip carved with a lozenge pattern similiar to that on the barrel of a North Italian (Tusco-Emilian) snap-tinderlock arquebus, ca. 1525-30, the barrel struck with the Gothic minuscule e for Emilia on the underside (also found on cinquideae), in the author's collection (the one on top in the first photo).
The same Emilia mark is struck on the left-hand side of a similar but etched and gilt barrel of a wheellock arquebus, ca. 1540, the barrel originally also belonging to a matchlock arquebus, in the Vienna Collection.
Finally attached is a cinquedea in the Museo Poldi Pezzoli, Milano, dated to 1500-10 by the museum, with the same Emilia e mark.


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[cornelistromp]

beautiful dagger, here a Ballockdagger from the same period.
similar type of blade geometry and a reinforced point.

however the opinions on the function of such a reinforced point vary.

best,

[Swordfish]

The reinforced tip has only one function:
To prevent the breaking off of the tip.
The tip is always the weakest part of a pointed blade. A reinforced tip enforces this part of the blade without making the blade too heavy.

Best

[Matchlock]

A bettter image of the Vienna dagger, inv.no. A 48.
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[Matchlock]

A very similar dagger, from Thalhoffer's fencing books, 1459, vol. I, fol. 63.

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