This sword epitomizes the form which became known as the Walloon. It was a popular horseman's sword throughout Europe. The hilt is made with asymmetrical shell guards each with a pierced matrix. The blade is 35” in length, very unusually, with a saw back near full length. The Walloon in this form is specifically identified with the Amsterdam Town Guard. This example is uniformly pitted over all, revealing its wrought iron construction as expected. It retains its original grip and its condition is not consistent with having been buried, but rather, stored, probably concealed, in a moist environment. After the ’45, Scottish broadswords were secreted in the thatch roofs of cottages in the expectation of another uprising. In many cases, they are recovered in a condition identical to this, which provides a clue as to the history of this example. A rare untouched survivor of the Continental mid-century strife, (The Thirty Years War and its residuals) which may well have served in the English Civil Wars of 1642-51.
