hand-and-a-half sword, early 16th century · 2014-01-16 · Main data Category hilted weapon -...

hand-and-a-half sword, early 16th century

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Main data

Category hilted weapon - Sword

Keywords sword, riders sword, hand-and-a-half sword, bastard sword,complex crossguard, pear-/scent stopper pommel, marks

Inv-no (collection) II.A.5

Collection Kunstsammlungen Veste Coburg

Provenance old collection (before 1900)

History of ownership The sword with the inventory number II.A.5 is displayed in thepermanent exhibition of the art collections of the Coburg(armory). The object is already mentioned in the first catalogue ofCoburg in 1876 and probably derives from the Collection of theBarons of Frederick Rohmann from Styria, which was commitedin 1860 to the then Duke's art collection.

Geografical origin most probaly Styria

Designation based on stilistic

Designation done by A. Geibig

Date (whole objekt/hilt) early 16th century

Dating based on stilistic

Dating by A. Geibig

Total length 1088 mm

blade length 892 mm

cross length 257 mm

grip length 127 mm

Weight 1570 g

Preservation very good

Authorship of documentation record by GEEhW

Verbal description The sword displayed as ?hand-and-a-half sword? in thepermanent exhibition of the art collections of the Castle Coburg(armory) has a flat blade with two-fullers and the edges onlyslightly tapered to clear defined point. The blackened (blued?) hiltconsists of a simple quillon with distally thickened cross-bars.This is just like the two siderings circular in cross section. Thepear-pommel ends with a small rivet head. The twisted handle is

wrapped with a likewise twisted iron wire, wherein is found in thegrooves another wire braiding. About 16 cm from the cross ainthe fullers of the blade, there ara four marks of a Maltese crossarranged in a rectangle.

Comment It is a fairly weighty sword, that was probably designed primarilyfor the one-handed use. The extended "hand-and-a-half" handle,together with the catchy pear-pommel, offers a usable grip lengthof almost 19 cm, which allows also a two-handed use. Thesubjective fencers perception, identifies the weapon primarilysuitable for the blow, but of course also thrusts can beperformed. The in cross-setion flat blade shows that it is primarilya weapon for the fight against opponents in light armour or noneat all. The contemporary notation ?Reitschwert? (equestrian sword)often used in the 16th Century seems to me well suited for sucha massive weapon with a hand-and-a-half grip: similar designedswords for the one-handed use from horseback are used sincethe High Middle Ages. It seem peculiar, that the term is also usedfor swords explicitly used two-handed in ?Bloßfechten? (fencingwithout armour) on foot in the fightbook of Lienhart Sollinger(1564).


Measuring data

Date 18.01.2010

Place Kunstsammlungen Veste Coburg

Name Christopher Retsch, Jürgen Dens

Overall length 1088 mm

Quillon width 257 mm

Weight 1570 g

A: Feature of weapons outside (Inv-No)

Balance point from quillon block 80

lower pivot point (from point) 460

Blade Length shoulder to point 892 mm

description of bladeform and point (lateral view)towards the point slightly tapering edges, slightly rounded trianglepoint

cross-section of blade at its strong 78

cross-section of blade near tip 78

Distance measuring point 1 57 mm



Blade width at measuring point 1 27.4 mm



Blade width at quillon block 41 mm

Blade thickness at quillon block 1.5 mm

Blade thickness at 2/3 3.6 mm

Blade thickness at 1/3 4.6 mm

Blade thickness at beginning of the point 6.4 mm

Fullers (each side) 2/2

Fuller length ca. 590 mm

Fuller width 7.5 mm

Fuller depth (approx.) 0.3 mm

Quillon design straight cross with towards the ends increasing cross section anda straight end

Quillon in cross-sectional area circular

Quillon width 257 mm

Quillon Thickness at center 20.1 mm

Quillon Height at center 10.2 mm

Description of parrying-elements two symetrical side-rings, circumferential decorative groove onthe inside;

Length of parrying-elements 118 mm

Breadth of parrying-elements 179 mm

Heigth of parrying-elements 11.3 mm

Grip pipe or scale pipe

Form of grip (lateral) below the cross a hand-width straight, tapering towards thepommel

Cross-section of grip oval

Grip length 127 mm

Usable grip length (incl. Pommel-crest) -175 mm

Central grip breadth (without clamp) 35 mm

Central grip thickness (without clamp) 24 mm

Description grip writhen handle with five "lines"; surface covered with twocounterrotated strings of twisted wire (looks like stitched), in thegrobelow wire winding is not identified;

Pommel type pear-pommel with tang button

Pommel length 56.6 mm

Pommel breadth 50 mm

Pommel thickness 50 mm

Tang button tang button 12,5 mm dm., 6,6 mm high

Description pommel in top view circular pear-pommel with tang button and twodecorative grooves at the base towards the grip.

Preservation, damages, traces of use overall in a good condition, slight signs of corrosion on blade,some nicks, especially near blade center: 2-3 mm deep, adamage in the strong of the blade (? side - forging defects); wirecoating on the grip slightly damaged; pommel loose, edges haveon either one side a ridge from grinding; number of nickspredominates on one side (2:1);

Anything else on both sides of the fullers of the strong of the blade 155-166 mmfrom the cross four Maltese crosses stamped as black marks.


Mark/Inscription

Type black mark, stamp, four maltese crosses

Position blade, both sides

Description On both sides of the fullers of the strong of the blade 155-166mm from the cross four Maltese crosses stamped as blackmarks.

hand-and-a-half sword, 2010-G-3: overall view(T. Wanke)


hand-and-a-half sword, 2010-G-3: overall view side A(T. Wanke)


hand-and-a-half sword, 2010-G-3: overall view side B(T. Wanke)


hand-and-a-half sword, 2010-G-3: side view hilt (A)(T. Wanke)


hand-and-a-half sword, 2010-G-3: side view hilt (B)(T. Wanke)


hand-and-a-half sword, 2010-G-3: oblique view hilt (A)(T. Wanke)


hand-and-a-half sword, 2010-G-3: oblique view hilt from pommel(T. Wanke)


hand-and-a-half sword, 2010-G-3: side view grip and pommel(T. Wanke)


hand-and-a-half sword, 2010-G-3: detail grip-coating(H. Heid)


hand-and-a-half sword, 2010-G-3: detail (H. Heid)

cotter between blade and cross


hand-and-a-half sword, 2010-G-3: detail marks(H. Heid)


hand-and-a-half sword, 2010-G-3: scetch cross and pommel(C. Retsch)


hand-and-a-half sword, 2010-G-3: deep dimension picture of the marks(C. Retsch)


hand-and-a-half sword, early 16th century · 2014-01-16 · Main data Category hilted weapon -...

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