[Ray L]

Hello Everyone,

can someone help me out, point me a direction (to a book or another source) or may know anything about that mark on an Italian Sword dated c. 1580. Wheter it is a makers mark, inspection mark or whatever. It is the only mark on the blade, at the Ricasso. I have seen similiar ones from/out of Veneto but never a single one like this.

Thanks!
Ray

[Mark Lewis]

This topic came up recently, see: https://myArmoury.com/talk/viewtopic.php?p=335935

This mark or similar does appear in various combinations, often but not always in groups of three. As far as I know, it is always described as "Italian", or more specifically "North Italian"; I also know a few examples specifically related to Venice. Wendelin Boeheim thought it was Brescian — Brescia was controlled by Venice after 1426 — but this reference is a hundred years old...