Hi Murph,
Sorry nobody has answered, this is pretty much as you already figured a cuttoe of 18th century, pretty hard to define more specifically but probably mid to later. The blade is most certainly French, especially in the motif which corresponds to engravers and cutlers in Nantes, which often included celestial symbols and arcane and oriental figures.
These 'hunting' swords were often carried as hangers and favored on vessels in many cases, so again hard to define what context it may have been used in.
"Swords and Blades in the American Revolution" (George Neumann, 1972) is one of the best references for the swords of this period.
American weapons were of course essentially British, and French weapons were well known in America during the Revolution (as shown in Neumann).
These are always interesting swords, and the blade on yours is very much so.
Best regards,
Jim
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