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Lot 91
A Spanish BroadswordDated 1801
5 July 2005, 11:00 BST
London, New Bond StreetSold for £960 inc. premium
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Find your local specialistA Spanish Broadsword
Dated 1801
Dated 1801
With double-edged blade of flattened hexagonal section stamped on one face of the forte with a crowned 'R' mark and 'CS IV' between quartrefoils, and on the other with 'C' and 'To 1801', ricasso deeply struck with marks on one side, iron hilt comprising border engraved bowl guard swept-up to join the knuckle-guard on the outside, slender arms, straight quillons, compressed globular pommel with prominent button, and wooden grip bound with twisted copper wire reinforced with longitudinal iron strips
78.5 cm. blade
78.5 cm. blade
Footnotes
The inscriptions refer to King Carlos IV of Spain and the Royal Toledo Manufactory
Unlike the Royal Navy, the Spanish relied upon regular military troops to carry out hand to hand fighting at sea. A very similar sword with a blade marked to Carlos III and dated 1787 is in the Wallace Collection (A. 695), its guard is engraved 'San Josef Feby. 14 1797'. A further example, in a private collection, is inscribed 'Sword taken out of one of the Spanish Men of War at the Battle of Cape St. Vincent by Admiral Waldegrave 14 Febr. 1797'








