Unknown Spanish colonial or Mexican Basket Hilted sabre

[Magey_McMage]

Hello everyone, apologies if any of this is rude or unorthodox as it is my first post on the forum here. I have gone by the same on the SBG forum (please do not construe this as an advertisement or otherwise, hopefully just trying to provide some context for my sudden appearance) for a number of years now but due to this current sword's mystery alongside wishing to try and expand my education I created an account here. I normally say I focus on later Victorian era military sabres, but let me be honest I get anything I think looks cool or can otherwise afford. Currently, British, French, Italian, Swiss, and Swedish are the majority of my focus in order of decreasing importance with an emphasis on non regulation and unusual swords such as patent solid hilts for the Brits, 'fantaisie' or North African non regulation for the French, and other similar applications of the same spirit for other countries.

I recently won a sword at the last Bonhams that is still being shipped, so it has not arrived yet. Ideally it will be here before the end of next week but while I wait I have been doing as much research as I can.

The description states as follows:

A SPANISH COLONIAL SILVER HILTED OFFICER'S SWORD,
19th century.
Silver hilt with narrow counter-guard mounting five intertwined branches, three with applied flaming bomb emblems, knuckle bow with foliate decoration where it joins the pommel cap above a spiral carved wood grip with twisted iron wire; straight double-edge blade with two narrow fuller and etched inscription "ME SENAL ES EL CAVISCO DEL VOY/[---] EN ALEMANIA SOLICE ANO 1720."


I found your great thread here: https://vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=24378 which gave me lots of useful information, I did not want to risk breaking any rules by necro-ing it some 7 years later.

Like those, my example appears to be at least the incorporation of an early 18th century blade onto a later hilt. However, I think much comparison stops there, at least as far as the ad-hoc nature is concerned. For the shape of the hilt itself, I have never seen anything like it. The usage of bars alone seems very unusual, most Highland basket hilts always seemed to have some sort of joinwork, and the basket pieces seem to be more flat and rectangular. A few unusual examples of 'cage hilts' on broadswords and rapiers in the early modern era, but nothing quite like this.

Additionally, the bars appear, at least on the outside of the guard, to be interlocked in such a way as to provide reinforcement to each other, although that might also be assuming a better heat treat? Floral elements where they all converge into 1 point to join at the pommel is something less associated with the more 270 degree protection of a basket hilt which comes at the cost of less wrist articulation, and it was earlier styles of guard which had the tradeoff down at the bottom of the hand. Pommel itself appears to have some nice hand embossed designs, and the grip is of the style mentioned by Mr. Jim McDougall here as a "round tang espada."

The blade is likely German given the inscription, I was unable to make a satisfactory translation of the final word myself at least using the photos alone. Nothing unusual in my opinion, single edged back or broadsword blade that then shapes into what looks like the flattened hexagonal shape you see very common in the early modern era, or more lenticular though I do not think the semantics here are too important with regards to its functionality.

The rivets on each of the bars joining them to the main portion of the hilt are unmistakably the flaming bomb motif used by fusiliers and grenadiers. That alone does not tell me much given how widely used that symbol is to the point I could make a non serious claim it is from the Springfield Armoury in Massachusetts.

However, I find myself completely stumped on it. The form appears to be bespoke and deliberate, not an existing modification. The usage of flaming bombs by choice may signal a military or colonial provenance, although I have not seen anything similar in appearance. The grip however is of the more composite style. If I may make an arbitrary guess, I might estimate closer to the Napoleonic Wars as far as hilt manufacture.

As a final note, the listing does give at least one point of provenance with the book listed. While I am waiting to acquire a copy, if anyone were to have an extant version and finds anything they feel is insightful, please feel free to let me know. I am unaware of any specific Spanish or Mexican or other North, Central, and South American-related state with a basket hilted grenadier sword and I would value any insight from this forum.

Thank you!

[Jim McDougall]

This is a most unusual example of officers sword which indeed does appear to be likely of French origin, but hard to define without comprehensive references on the swords of the Napoleonic period. The inscription does suggest the sort of inscription often occurring on Mexican swords of the 19th century in this case with what appears commemorative date 1720.

Mexican officers from the time of Santa Anna, were highly influenced by French military and Santa Anna himself was a great admirer of Napoleon. The spectrum of Mexican swords recorded in references is less than comprehensive as well. Without comparative examples on this, I would suggest it may well be to a Mexican officer of mid 19th c. possibly earlier.

The quillon arrangement in the guard here illustrates the influence on locally made Mexican swords of the Revolution of 1810 and later, with multi branch guards, often four rather than the three of regular cavalry hilts.

The illustrations are a French artillery officers sword c.1800 with flaming bomb on guard. The more elaborate neoclassic hilt on the example posted here is with the kind of baroque neo classic decoration much favored by the French , on this multibranch guard.
The obviously crudely made Mexican example shown is c.1810-20s reflects the influence of these more elaborate French hilts.
The blade on the posted example resembles blades of French cuirassiers forms of Napoleonic period, but would have French markings.
There were sword makers in Mexico, Oaxaca, who produced swords well through the 19th c.

I have never seen the flaming bomb used in Mexican sword designs but may well derive from the strong French influence. Understandable reference to the Springfield arsenal who used this device during WWI on the M1913 Patton sword as well as other 'ordnance' materials.


I cannot pull up the thread listed.

A further note on this blade, the deeply channeled double fuller on the model ANXI cuirassiers sword of First Empire used 1804-1816 ran the full blade length.
It does seen quite possible this might, as suggested, be a German version and perhaps during the Confederation of the Rhine 1806-1813 when Solingen was impacted by French control under Napoleon. He was having ANXI swords produced in Milan as well so I wonder if this might be a possibility when he took over North Italy in 1805 until he annexed to Austro-Hungary in 1814?
While I am no linguist, the phrase on the blade though Latin in the manner of the familiar 'Spanish motto' seems to have an Italian ring to it, 'ME SENAL ES EL CAVISCO= my sign is the 'cavisco' (what does cavisco mean?).
DEL VOY=of I go? ENALEMANIA SOLICE ANO 1720= refuge in Germany in 1720?

I found the book referenced and anxious for it to arrive. Definitely a mystery in the character and nationality of this sword overall. I hope someone else will take interest here as well, and that the original poster will return.

[midelburgo]

Hi.
We have found that cavisco before.
It is actually to mean,
MI SEÑAL ES EL CABEZO DE REY, my mark is a kings head. Of course a typical Solingen mark for centuries.
I am watching the pictures at a phone, so I can be very mistaken, but my ideas are.

Non regulation sword ordered by somebody in Germany. The hilt remembers me of police swords. The blade I believe, is a XIX century copy of a XVIII c blade.
Including bad spelled motto.

[Jim McDougall]

Thank you for coming in on this! You are probably the best informed on Spanish national and colonial weapons, so your insights are most important.
I had not thought of transliteration with that word cavisco, and your idea sounds logical as the context of the sentence- 'my sign is' would go to the 'head' (of the king) of course. It seems odd to spell it out rather than just use an interpretation of the mark.

The hilt seems of course 19th c. as you note, and the blade, again as you note similar to the French cuirassiers ANXI, but fullering not entirely the same.
I cannot figure out the 'solice' and ano 1720. Obviously EN ALEMANIA refers to Germany so that attribution in accord with that production.

The flaming bomb? seen on French weapons of course as noted, but I am not aware of such symbol on Spanish swords......have you?

Thank you again!
All the best
Jim