Type identified by Norman as Hilt 106 (1635-80) and virtually identical to the accompanying illustration. Norman states that “these are often shown in portraits of commanders in armor” several of which he mentions in the text of p.184-6, along with several examples in museum collections including A680, Wallace Collection. This example with 32 1/2” double-edged blade inscribed with cabalistic figures and ciphers on both sides. The elegant iron hilt is of quality worthy of a commander. It dates to a period of war and treachery sometimes called “The General Crisis” which includes the Thirty Years' War, English Civil Wars, War of Spanish Succession as well as numerous other conflicts. In excellent preservation for the period, it probably was preserved as a family (likely noble, perhaps royal) heirloom of an ancestral military commander. That conclusion is supported by the presence of smudges of “manor house paint spatter” which occurred as the ceilings of homes of the wealthy were frequently repainted to cover candle smoke without protecting the walls and wall hangings.