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			The information provided here is a perfect set up for a con. 
 The Virangian were real soldiers in the service of the Emperor of the Byzantine Empire. They were mainly Germanic and Norsemen, with a few Rus thrown in. That all has a factual basis. But the swords of these elite soldiers, what did they really look like? And that's the opening a forger can exploit.
 
 What are the odds that we see more "Virangian swords" coming on the market based on old patterns of Viking, German or Russian swords?
 
 Caveat emptor indeed!!!
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