Roman Sword ??

[Conal]

What do you guys think

http://forums.swordforum.com/showthread ... adid=57146

[Sassanid]

The blade shape certainly looks Roman, but the hilt assembly certainly does not look like any Roman sword I have ever seen. To say more I would need more information. Where was it found for example, some where near Romania perhaps?

Andrew

[Robert Vermaat]

Not a Roman hilt, maybe Viking with a corroded blade?

[Sassanid]

The blade does look Roman IMHO. It is very similar to a number of ring sword blades I have seen. The guard, could be, maybe... Certainly I agree the pommel looks Viking. Perhaps a museum cobble together?

Andrew

[Antonius Lucretius]

This one is pretty similar as far as the grip pommel and guard go. The blade is different though..
[url:2hp7tuyt]http://bjorn.foxtail.nu/vm_viking_eng.htm[/url]

Did the Vikings used shortswords?

[Arthes]

Greetings,
my first impression on looking at this was 'Viking' too
I would say even Norman with that straight guard...the earliest that looks similar is Frankish
However, I just found a reference to a Spatha found in the River Lee at Enfield, England and it looks somewhat similar
I just found an online reference they have dated it to the xth century on there [url:2cqs78d5]http://www.stavacademy.co.uk/mimir/europeanarms1.htm[/url]
It is possibly from the Roman period, although not actually 'Roman' as such....
Just a thought, wouldn't be that legendary Semi-spatha would it?
regards

Arthes

[TraderTrey9785]

I would say it is probably more viking than Roman...depending on the era it is dated to have been used in, it could've been a forerunner to the Norman sword, the combination of an early viking blade and a Roman spatha?

Just a thought!

-Trey

[tlclark]

I'm with those that think it may be later.

The hilt pommel and tang look 7th-9th century. Solid metal pommels like that are popular in the West from the 8th C. onward through the 13th., but the hilt is too narrow for the later periods.

My guess is that it is an early 8th-9th C. sword, not necessarily viking but perhaps frankish.

Travis

[Martin Wallgren]

Rehilted older sword maybe? The blade looks more proffesional than the furniture!

[Optio equitum]

A blade influenced by Roman blades, but with a "local touch" thrown in? Say a smith who ran across some different weapons and decided to try it out? (I know, reaching here, but what the heck...)

[stevesarak]

I was looking through some old postes when I came across this.

The blade shape certainly looks Roman, but the hilt assembly certainly does not look like any Roman sword I have ever seen. To say more I would need more information. Where was it found for example, some where near Romania perhaps?

Andrew

The location is a Fresh water find found between Romania and Bulgaria.

Why the guess of Romania? Are there any other swords found around there?

[Neuraleanus]

then this sword might as well be fake. I would not pay $1 for it.

[stevesarak]

then this sword might as well be fake. I would not pay $1 for it.

That would be too bad then, an authentic ancient sword for $1 and you would pass it up. Its came from a reputable private collector, then exports verified that it wasn’t a fake.

Considering the Rome of the West and East, its not surprising the location, but to each their own.

[Robert Vermaat]

I'm a little embarred on how much I'm willing to pay for it. It's rather high (At least I think so). but since I can't seem to find any other roman sword in good condition, I figure this is a once in a life time oppertunity. so I'm going to go for it. I just hope years from now it doen't turn out to be an early version of a viking sword or something. nothing wrong with a viking sword, but I'm trying to find a roman sword.
So if anyone knows where I can find a genuine authentic roman sword in great condition, please let me know before its to late. I still have a couple of weeks until they let it go.

Well? Did you buy it after all?

[Cornelius Quintus]

Ave,

the pommel really matches more to a 9th to 11th century Viking sword of Petersen type X. Like tlclark mentioned before, the grip/tang should be wider and be triangular. There's the 9th century Pertersen type N, too. For that type, the straight grip/tang would match better.
(See Ian Peirce, Swords of the Viking age, pages 18-19, 118-120.)

I'll have look in Geibig's brilliant book about the development of medieval swords, too.

But I feel, the lower guard is not quite matching to the pommel. Viking or early Norman crossguards, as I know, are usually somewhat rectangular (but more flat), oval or look like an North American Indian canoe.

The lower guard on Your picture is a rectangular, nearly brick-shaped, solid block, very different to any Viking sword I have seen before.

Greetings from Germany

Heiko (Cornelius Quintus)