[fernando]

Mark, i wouldn't hesitate to assume that these swords have gone to sea. You chose a reason; to equip the forces that complemented the ships personel (one part crew one part soldiers), other forces that were going aboard to replace those ending their commission in distant territories. There are also cargo manifests listing bundles of swords bein shipped. Surely and judging by the period, a great numbers of all such swords were cup hilted. By the way, in my modesty, i am a denialist of "bilbo" swords as a typology; but that is another story.
Marius (and Jim), i would not know how you conclude that the sword in discussion has a blade earlier than the cup bowl hilt; it takes some expertize i don't reach. But i can tell you that the other sword from where i have chosen mine, has the same type of blade (only 2" longer) and the same type of hilt; only that the engravings are even more faded than those in mine. Also the "far from modern" dismounting thread system is the same, only the other with a more unusual pommel.
Concerning the army unit, if we add to these two the example in the militar museum with similar characteristics we can infer that all three swords would have belonged to the same branch, probably a Royal detachment ?. I would not call them Dragons; don't think that army forces in these particular wars were organized with such names.


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