The Espada Ancha Myth

[Jim McDougall]

Thank you so much!!These are excellent observations and insights, and all very well placed. With the 'Spanish motto' blades, there has long been a 'back and forth' on whether these were Solingen or indeed Toledo blades as it seems most people in the colonies assumed.
In one narrative, one caballero of Alta California suggested, 'every man had a Toledo bladed sword'. As most of the 'bilbo' swords and dragoon blades in three bar hilts had the motto, of course it implied these were made in Toledo.

However, I had forgotten about the Knecht purveyor, who, as noted in Wallace Collection (Mann. 1962) indeed handled blades with the Spanish motto.
There does seem to be some variation in these, both in fuller pattern and lettering etc. so perhaps there may have been some production in Spain. The Toledo manufactory opened in late 1760s and this may have accounted for some of these.

There were large quantities of these dragoon blades in New Spain which had been stockpiled long before the 'supply chain' termination after the 1810 insurrections.

It is indeed pretty hard to attach the Spanish colonial designation on many of these kinds of swords, there were rather rugged in character as made in rural areas in Spain on occasion. It would seem that ersatz examples were made in many cases outside the 'regulation' specification, and using components and materials available. That to me is one of the most fascinating aspects in this field of collecting.