Circa 1720 Scottish Highland Officer's Basket
Hilted Broadsword (sold) |
A very good early 18th Century Scottish basket hilted broadsword
with earlier blade (circa 1610).
A lovely basket hilted broadsword with earlier Prussian blade.
The rounded basket hilt and lack of a half back bar date the hilt
to around 1720. The crab like markings were used in Prussia since
1500 (and also Italy at a later date) but the "P" almost
certainly means the blade was made around 1610. So, as was very
common in Scotland, the blade originally would have been in an earlier
hilt and was then remounted. Quality blades were important to the
Scots and many English soldiers mounted captured Scottish blades
into their own English sword hilts after the Jacobite Uprising (Culloden).
The fine and deadly 33 inch blade is in very good order, a little
wear and former rust patches sure, but you can how sound it is by
the clarity of the markings. The blade is form in the hilt. The
hilt has some minor damage to one of the smaller bars and the crown
of the basket does move against the pommel, but that is to be expected
and it is not that much. The fishskin grip is still very good, which
is a great bonus to hold what the original owner once did. All things
Scottish sell well and appreciate in price; this is one of the better
Culloden / pre-Culloden swords you can buy. Reference number is
977 (409). Full sized / further images available upon request.
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